The Things They Carried, (Hardcover)

A very real and true book. If a reader is looking for truth/knowledge of the Viet Nam altercation fought by true infantry or "grunts" then they should look no further except to compare with other VN era books. I instantly knew what the author described. The dust cover brought tears to my eyes and I had not even opened the book proper, it inspired myself to write a rough draft relating to the same era. Tim O'Brien throws punches and counter-punches and some times he just lays on the ropes, maybe.

The Things They Carried Major characters: Tim O'Brien, Jimmy Cross, Mitchell Sanders, Kiowa Major conflict:The men of the Alpha Company, especially Tim O’Brien, grapple with the effects—both immediate and long-term—of the Vietnam War including the deaths of soldiers and grotesque situations. Major settings: Vietnam War battle fields Details: themes: Physical and emotional burdens; fear of shame as motivaton; the subjection of truth to storytelling motifs:Storytelling; ambiguous morality; loneliness and isolation symbols: The dead young Vietnamese soldier; Kathleen; Linda After reading this book, what stands in my mind the most is just the senarios of the battlefield O'Brien illustrates with such detailed description. I like the part where Tim O'Brien tells the story of what he first felt when he found out he got drafted to fight. It was both very emotional and real. What I think is most important about this story is realizes the things soldiers go through and understanding the real meaning of fighting war. O'Brien puts readers in his shoes so they can try to feel and see what he experienced. I did not like the parts where Tim'Obrien admits what stories were real and what stories were made up. For me personally it took the realness and emotion out of the story. Being aware that this is a work of fiction is one thing. But after telling such a heartfelt story that makes me believe and feel the emotions of certain experiences, knowing the actually truth blunts out the reactions I experienced. The authors purpose and this book's theme is to explain and illustrate how stories (specifically war stories) bring back to life soldiers and events that once felt real to them for the purpose of making the reader feel like they were there too. I would recommend this book to anyone because it is not meant for a specific audience but just for everyone who's willing to enjoy a story where you are brought any sense to a specific setting to feel specific emotions that you would never feel another scenario in your life. I would not recommend this book to someone who is looking for a more chronological sense of the Vietnam War, someone who just wants the facts and the basics of the battlefield only because they would be discouraged to know that it's not about the war itself but about the feeling and the effects in the men that fought in it.