Friday, April 11, 2014
The Things They Carried by Tim O' Brien
They carried malaria tablets, love letters, 28-pound mine detectors, dope, illustrated Bibles, each other. And if they made it home alive, they carried unrelenting images of a nightmarish war that history is only beginning to absorb. Sience its first publication, The Things They Carried has become an unparalleled Vietnam testament, a classic work of American literature, and a profound study of men at war that illuminates the capacity, and the limits, of human heart and soul.
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Is this fictional or non-fictional. Is it a true story?
ReplyDeleteThis is a non-fiction. It is based on Tim O' Brien's experience as a soldier in Vietnam, and the book is dedicated to his fellow men of Alpha Company. This is a very good book and I would recommend it to any one who like war storys. O' Brien writes this book from his personal experence, and describes things in a way similar to Steinbeck. Which I have to say, makes the book very violent and gruesome at points. Due to the way O' Brien writes his characters are easy to relatet to and become attached to.
ReplyDeleteI have been reading this for a good time now, and I have to say this is a very good book. But the further you get in it the more graphic it gets, I will have to say I would not recomend this to Noah, Gordon, Keagan. If you chose to read this book, you have been warned.
ReplyDeleteKurt, I'm glad you're enjoying the book, and I do agree about its graphic nature. It is, however, fiction- although it is based in some part on O'Brien's experiences. What do you think of his use of the little girl in his elementary school class? Also, I've talked about "form following function," and I see it in this novel... the chaos of the war reflected in the way the author chose to structure the chapters. What do you think of his structure?
ReplyDeleteThe poor puppy...
ReplyDeleteHi, Kurt- Have you finished this novel yet? I'm really interested to hear what you thought of it.
ReplyDeleteI have not yet compleated the book, I must say that this book has many disturbing parts. Despite how disturbing the book is it provideds a real image of what war does to people both psychologically and physically.
ReplyDeleteTo Missy.
When you say the little girl in his elementary school class, you mean linda who wore a red cap. I found that part of the story to be very sad. I have about few pages left, Over all this book is a bit of a moral breaker.