"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

 

SYNOPSIS

This is a brilliant work of metafiction, telling the stories of a platoon of American soldiers in the Vietnam War and based on first-hand experience. Meditating upon topics such as innocence, love, comradeship, bravery, and the power of stories and the truths they tell, O’Brien, through a fictional version of himself, talks of life, the people he saw, and the things they carried with them.

OPENING THOUGHTS

First of all, I would like to make some announcements. First, I would like to apologize to my readers for not releasing a post last week, but prior commitments to the old- I mean adult arrangements prevented me from doing so. I will be forced into a biweekly (once every two weeks,) schedule from now on, so I apologize to my readers for forcing them to wait twice as long. I feel very sorry, especially since it gives me great joy to see that people actually read these things. To segue off of the announcement, I thank you for reading and here is this week’s review.

My thoughts on this book was honestly how moving it was. The book constantly moves around through interconnected stories displaying a theme on what exactly is the nature of truth in a story, and whether there are problems with fictional accounts or maneuvered truth if it displays how things felt. 

This book blends reality and fiction, both within the story-world itself and in its worlds relation to reality. It weaves together narratives of camaraderie and life with dark humor and death. It mixes love with fear. Remembrance and loss.

Ultimately, it is a tale spoken through metaphors and morals, stories that paint a portrait of the young boys sent across the Pacific Ocean and into a war zone. It may not be a political story, or really about the war and the enemy, but rather one of personal reflection and compassion.

LOVING CRITICISM

Often times, people might be confused by the broken up nature of the novel, with each story jumping back and forth through time, and the narrative is a very contradictory on the nature of truth, with O’Brien consistently admitting scenes prior brought up as entirely fabricated and ultimately people may find this very confusing, especially those who desire actual answers.

The lack of character development may also put some off, and is part of the reason this review lacks a section for it.

SHOULD YOU READ THIS BOOK?

Yes, it is a funny, yet deeply moving work that uses its metafictional elements that explores the deeper meaning in life, and what truth is, not as fact, but as true expression of emotion.