The Things They Carried

Tim O'Brien

I believe it was Todd who recently said that "The Things They Carried" was one of the best books he's ever read. That's a hell of an endorsement for any book, but since I'd previously read O'Brien's "In The Lake of the Woods" and "Going After Cacciato," I knew the endorsement was believable. So, I read it. In one sitting. And when I was finished, all I could say was "Wow". I actually said it out loud. "Wow." Then I promptly walked over to the doc, arm outstretched, and said, "Read this book."

O'Brien weaves together fact and fiction in a series of overlapping stories that focus on the experiences of a single platoon in Vietnam. He himself is one of the characters, although it is difficult to discern what is authentically autobiographical and what is not since the line between reality and storytelling is one which O'Brien very intentionally blurs. His prose, at times, strikes hard with brutal reality, at times with an equally effective quieter lyrical quality, but always true to both its characters and to the totality of their experience. It's an extraordinary literary accomplishment. It will change your outlook on life, and your understanding of war, forever. And that, too, is a hell of an endorsement for any book.