The things they carried

a work of fiction

273 pages

English language

Published Dec. 13, 1990 by Houghton Mifflin.

ISBN:
978-0-395-51598-3
Copied ISBN!
OCLC Number:
20355671

View on OpenLibrary

4 stars (63 reviews)

The Things They Carried (1990) is a collection of linked short stories by American novelist Tim O'Brien, about a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War. His third book about the war, it is based upon his experiences as a soldier in the 23rd Infantry Division.

18 editions

Review of 'The Things They Carried' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

The Things They Carried is a book about war, but it is also a book of how we use the medium of story to deal with the choices we make, and the actions we take. Tim O’Brien’s stories are powerful and difficult, but they create meaning out of chaos, through them one finds new ways to understand painful experiences, they are stories that heal.

Review of 'The Things They Carried' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

a question, a mystery presented to the reader right away but never answered. That is, are these stories true, biographical, or purely fiction? O’Brien’s intimate narration and total immersion into the horror and wonder-filled world he was thrown into as a young man make these stories of fiction seem utterly real. This work creates a suspension of disbelief for the reader that is arguably incomparable.

Tim O’Brien visited my university while I was an undergrad and during his speech he portrayed himself and his writing with the same moral relativism and “neutrality” is all too common in contemporary America. But in the same breathe he spoke in utter disbelief of how once a High school student told him that this book was what inspired him to join the Marines. O’Brien broke down crying after that.

A good book to show your older children great writing and the horror of war.

Review of 'The things they carried' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

"The Things The Carried" (or, "3TC" as my AP Literature teacher used to abbreviate it,) is the absolutely genius novel penned by Tim O'Brien, Vietnam war vet and author extraordinaire. This engrossing post-modern commentary on the Vietnam war is unbelievably intense, as is its dark and violent subject-matter. While O'Brien says he stretches and exaggerates some of the details--creating a "work of fiction"--"The Things They Carried" is still an undoubtedly scathing response to the idiocy of war, and the internal repercussions it can cause.

Review of 'The things they carried' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

What parts were true, and which were not? What is truth? What is literal truth, as opposed to literary truth?

No one 'enjoyed' the book, but everyone was fascinated by it. On one level was O'Brien's game-playing, teasing the reader with truth and tales. But there was also the attempt to explain the Vietnam experience, no not to explain, but to get the reader to feel it on a visceral level. (Ruth Ann, from the other book club, showed up, after reading the book on tape)

avatar for MrRaccoon13

rated it

5 stars
avatar for sgreene

rated it

5 stars
avatar for kaakow

rated it

3 stars
avatar for mttktz

rated it

4 stars
avatar for sdivyank

rated it

4 stars
avatar for unicorn

rated it

1 star
avatar for elunedli

rated it

4 stars
avatar for natenovs

rated it

5 stars
avatar for ItsGG

rated it

3 stars
avatar for vincekd

rated it

4 stars
avatar for JustGrist

rated it

4 stars
avatar for mattlehrer

rated it

5 stars
avatar for esouthe0

rated it

5 stars
avatar for Crepusculi

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Wyatt

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Zelanator

rated it

5 stars
avatar for KyleStewart

rated it

5 stars
avatar for tealtorch

rated it

3 stars
avatar for gadabyte

rated it

5 stars
avatar for themizarkshow

rated it

4 stars
avatar for govmarley

rated it

4 stars
avatar for acaleyn

rated it

3 stars
avatar for arnoud999

rated it

4 stars
avatar for Hyzie

rated it

3 stars
avatar for court_ellis89

rated it

3 stars
avatar for JuniperusVox

rated it

5 stars
avatar for ChadGayle

rated it

4 stars
avatar for chaos_angel

rated it

3 stars
avatar for Fellex

rated it

3 stars
avatar for alexalily

rated it

3 stars
avatar for markm

rated it

4 stars
avatar for abookfruit

rated it

4 stars
avatar for smyth

rated it

4 stars
avatar for bashfulpuppy

rated it

4 stars
avatar for iyamwhoiyam

rated it

2 stars
avatar for ike

rated it

5 stars
avatar for BojanB

rated it

4 stars
avatar for neilernst

rated it

4 stars
avatar for ieuan

rated it

5 stars
avatar for venya

rated it

5 stars

Subjects

  • Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975 -- Veterans -- Fiction

Lists