Awestruck may be the best way to describe how I felt upon reading this book the first time. So how did I feel upon reading it the second time? I just want to bow at Tim O'Brien's feet while muttering a Wayne's World style "I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy."

Using non-linear narrative and stringing together seemingly unrelated stories into one ultimately cohesive work, O'Brien achieves something that traditional narrative never could: his work reflects the emotional truth of what it was like to be a soldier in Vietnam and to be a veteran still living with memories that, when triggered, seem as real and visceral as if they were happening in the present. This is memoir, metafiction, magical realism, and a whole grab bag of other literary genres rolled into one. O'Brien himself admits that we as readers may not know which of the stories are "happening-truth" (what objectively happened) and which of the stories are "story-truth" (stories that may not have happened but because they strike the right emotional chord are more valid than what really happened). However, the reader should not feel manipulated by this storytelling technique as it seeks to forge a connection between those who were there and those who were not; it does not seek to tell what happened, but to make you feel what it was like to be there. The book is nothing short of a masterpiece. ( )

A strange little book. Deeply moving, deeply powerful, deeply true. But not for the faint of heart. ( )

I first discovered Tim O'Brien by his being mentioned in reviews and commentaries. I searched out some of his books at the library and for about 8 or 10 months, I read a bunch of books by Tim O'Brien, T. C. Boyle and Peter Straub. I know each one is different but I conveniently put them together in a group so that I could imagine I could find out what it's like to live in the United States from the 1970s onward. I live in Canada and have relatives and friends in the U.S.A., but have only visited there 6 times. Because the reports of this country in every day's news reports are through a journalistic medium, I need something with a different kind of depth to really find out about the society. These three authors are ideal for this purpose.
After reading this book, I got out an audio-book from my local library of Daniel Ellsberg reading his Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers. I will continue to read as much as possible about this fascinating period of American history.
I would like to respond to the topic mentioned in other reviews about strictly factual reporting in this work, versus made-up stories.
My own philosophical bent in this regard is I don't care which one it is for my purposes. Everyday life is awash in the effects and experiences of the imaginative mind, and all the things that are really true are just as valid as all the things that could be true, might be true, or should be true.
The people that have a duty to sort out the factual from the imaginative are judges, lawyers, legislators, and some religious leaders. I don't envy their task. But as a reader of imaginative literature, the good part is it doesn't matter, or rather, it does matter, just not in the way it does for those other people I just mentioned.

"The Things They Carried," by Tim O'Brien, seemingly portrays the gruesome, horrifying details about war. However, O'Brien admits to the readers that he made up at least half of his stories. This makes an interesting task for the reader to try to determine which stories are "real," and which ones he just makes up. The diction O'Brien uses in many stories truly depicts the harsh and brutal realities of the Vietnam war that are unknown to many.

The Things They Carried is a complex novel that includes personal accounts that soldiers face during war. O'Brien really gives the reader a clear idea of what it is like to go to war, both during and afterwards. He compiles a variety of stories that leave the reader depressed, shocked, and moved all at the same time. He gives people an idea of what it is like to live knowing that any second could be your last. He does an amazing job of illustrating the emotions and thoughts that go through a soldier's mind. O'Brien openly admits that many of his stories were stretches far from the truth, however I feel that it is necessary to convey what soldiers go through during war. In the end no matter how well the story is told, no one can fully understand what it is like to experience war with living through it.

I feel that even if a person is not interested in war or history, they can really get something out of this book. Many people take for granted the fact that we constantly have men and women fighting to protect our country. It is important for people of all ages to learn about what really occurs during war, both the good, and the bad. ( )

The Things They Carried is an intriguing war novel about the triumphs and horrors of the Vietnam War. The purpose of the novel is to inform the reader about what exactly it is like to be a soldier during wartime, and how the soldiers handle themselves during certain situations. Vietnam War veteran Tim O’Brien could not have been a better or more qualified author. O’Brien uses his own experiences to make the book very real. His fictional accounts of comrades, battles, death, and the lives of friends after the war do a marvelous job of encompassing the full war venture. O’Brien wants everyone to know what it is like to serve your country in battle. He wants the world to know how hard it is, beginning the day you receive your draft letter, and ending, most likely never.

War is something that always stays with you, no matter how long it has been since your return. The images, the death, the destruction, and just the sheer brutality of it all. We learn that many, such as Norman Bowker, simply can't handle it. But at the same time, O’Brien wants us to know that war is like a drug. Some people get caught up in it and lose all sense of clarity. Old rules are no longer in effect and old truths are no longer true. In war you lose your sense of the definite. War is hell, but also so many other things such as mystery, terror, adventure, courage, discovery, holiness, love, and hate. I think that O’Brien wants the reader to realize that although war is awful, there is so much more that goes into it than what meets the eye.

A fantastic read. Yes, I read it as part of my AP English summer assignment and went into it dreading the fact that I had committed to such a class. I am so glad I got a chance to read such a story. This is the kind of book that I would read for pleasure (if I had the time). Some of its content is rather explicit, so I would recommend it to older teens, especially those interested in war/history.

Tim O'Brien's novel is highly controversial mostly because the author admits to his reader that he is faking half his stories. Might I remind the review audience that the whole point of a war reminiscent novel is to recall events, not make them up. Other than the latter and the constant cries for self-pity throughout the novel, I still favor The Things They Carried because of its tone and clever wordings however, I would suggest to O'Brien not to make up the stories which have, according to him novel, torn him in half. How can something that never happend be so detrimental? ( )

Ernest Hemingway ( )

A work of fiction that blends actual events in Tim O'Brien's life with his perception of the Vietnam War he fought in. The dedication of the book was to Alpha Company, those that survived and those that died. A very compelling read, the first I've read on Vietnam showing the cruelties of the war and the psychological effect it had on its soldiers. ( )

Although depressing (as war stories probably should be) it was an engrossing work. Although it's touted as fiction, I still was left wondering how much was actually fictitious and how much was just a slightly exaggerated truth. But that's the beauty of this work - O'Brien actually TELLS the reader that this isn't a true story, but it's absolutely true. He leaves you wondering and feeling uneasy and feeling a mix of different emotions, but none of those emotions are disappointment in his writing ability or boredom in reading the stories. ( )

Is it an anthology or a novel, how much is true and how much is fiction ? Does it matter. Things they carried is a vignette of Vietnam, the casual brutality of soldiers and the gallows humour of war is unflinchingly exposed as are the after effects on the ordinary guys sent half way around the world for things they don't really understand.
There are standout bits, to my mind "The sweetheart of song tra bong" being a particular high point. ( )

I had to read this book in high school. I have no interest in war stories but I fell in love with this book. My copy is so ratty and loved. This book is fiction but reads like a memoir. In fact, a chunk of the book is devoted to the idea of truth: what is more true? A true story or a fictional story that creates the true feelings? ( )

“The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien does a great job of really showing us what young soldiers felt and thought while fighting in the Vietnam war. It starts off with Lt. Jimmy Cross and his men already in war, and details the items each one had to carry. They varied by mission and included everything from land mines to each other. O’Brien gives us an insight into the minds of the soldiers who put their lives on the line for our country in that very sad era. The book then jumps to stories of when O’Brien himself was in the war. He talks about missions he went on and the experiences he had. He reveals how he felt about the whole war. This is a very intriguing and insightful piece on a sad time in our history.

This book is stunning. The writing is poetry. ( )

This collection blew me away, even though I normally hate reading about war or anything related to war. ( )

I had to read this for my college class. On my own, I would likely never have picked it up, since it's very much not my type of book. It is essentially a set of fictional short stories revolving around the Vietnam War. If you enjoy war novels, you'll likely enjoy this one as well. Personally, I didn't care for it much, simply because I don't enjoy those types of books. I personally prefer for my reading to be an escape from real life. That being said, I can tell you that it is well-written and deserves its praise from fans of the genre. ( )

Very moving book that documents the psychological stresses that accompany war. ( )

How to Tell a True War Story boggles my mind more and more every time I read it...and I read it like once every six months. My theory: he wanted to tell the story of Curt Lemon being exploded and them singing "Lemon Tree" and constructed the whole thing around that. ( )

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien is a collection of stories from the Vietnam War. These stories are mostly made up, but are based on things that really do happen in war. This book is one of the most horrifying things I’ve ever read, but it makes it a lot easier to understand Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the other problems soldiers face after coming home from war. ( )

One of the best books I've ever read about the Vietnam War. You begin to feel the heaviness of "the things they carried," not only the physical load, but the psychological one as well. ( )

An exceedingly well written and haunting book written in novel form by a Viet Nam veteran.

This is an incredibly powerful book and one that I highly recommend.

The writing is crisp and clean with vivid images. While each chapter can stand alone, the tapestry of all units together becomes a quilt that is compiled, piece by piece, story by story -- some scraps ragged, some glittery...all torn and beautifully sewn.

The end product is a gripping tale of what was carried along with the ammunition -- including guilt, terror, machismo, bravado, tears, fear, comradeship and a longing to be anywhere but the Godforsaken place called Viet Nam. ( )

In The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien writes, "In a true war story, if there's a moral at all, it's like the thread that makes the cloth. You can't tease it out. You can't extract the meaning without unraveling the deeper meaning. And in the end, really, there's nothing much to say about a true war story, except maybe 'Oh.'" (pg.77)

This book definitely left me saying "Oh", and "Wow", as well. I'm not typically one for war stories, but this one is so powerful and moving that when I was finished -- and often between chapters -- I just sat and thought. O'Brien's novel is fiction posing as a memoir, telling the stories of the men in his company as they fought in Vietnam, telling the stories and the truths of war. Just about every chapter is its own story, but they weave together to give a larger glimpse into the lives of the men who battled both the enemies and themselves.

Three-quarters of the way through the novel, O'Brien tells us, "I want you to feel what I felt. I want you to know why story-truth is truer sometimes than happening truth." (pg. 179) The Things They Carried may not be the truth in the strictest sense of the word. These stories may not have happened exactly as O'Brien put them to paper, but they're beautifully written, touching, and emotionally true. ( )

Interconnected stories about the Vietnam War blur the line between short story and novel. Powerful writing and an experimental style combine to make this a standout among war novels. Its literary style even draws those who wouldn’t normally choose to read about war. ( )

Someone recommended Tim O'Brien to me, and when I decided to read THE THINGS THEY CARRIED, I checked it out first and discovered it was about Vietnam. I almost didn't read it. After all, I'd seen the movies--Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket--the horror, the horror, okay, I got it. But because he was so highly recommended by someone who seemed to share my tastes, I figured I'd give it 50 pages. (I always give a book 50 pages.) So I read 50 pages. And I kept going.

I kept going because it was so hard to put the book down. I'd never read a book about Vietnam, and while some of the scenes reminded me of parts of various movies, reading the book was a completely different experience. It covered so much more than the movies.

Read the entire review at http://thebookgrrl.blogspot.com/2008/... ( )

Of summary of the Amazon review follows to act as a reminder about the novel. I found this to be a wonderful book that was both historically accurate as well as well written. I would recommend it to everyone.

They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing--these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight. They carried shameful memories. They carried the common secret of cowardice.... Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to."
A finalist for both the 1990 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, The Things They Carried marks a subtle but definitive line of demarcation between Tim O'Brien's earlier works about Vietnam, the memoir If I Die in a Combat Zone and the fictional Going After Cacciato, and this sly, almost hallucinatory book that is neither memoir nor novel nor collection of short stories but rather an artful combination of all three. Vietnam is still O'Brien's theme, but in this book he seems less interested in the war itself than in the myriad different perspectives from which he depicts it. Whereas Going After Cacciato played with reality, The Things They Carried plays with truth. The narrator of most of these stories is "Tim"; yet O'Brien freely admits that many of the events he chronicles in this collection never really happened. He never killed a man as "Tim" does in "The Man I Killed," and unlike Tim in "Ambush," he has no daughter named Kathleen. But just because a thing never happened doesn't make it any less true. In "On the Rainy River," the character Tim O'Brien responds to his draft notice by driving north, to the Canadian border where he spends six days in a deserted lodge in the company of an old man named Elroy while he wrestles with the choice between dodging the draft or going to war. The real Tim O'Brien never drove north, never found himself in a fishing boat 20 yards off the Canadian shore with a decision to make. The real Tim O'Brien quietly boarded the bus to Sioux Falls and was inducted into the United States Army. But the truth of "On the Rainy River" lies not in facts but in the genuineness of the experience it depicts: both Tims went to a war they didn't believe in; both considered themselves cowards for doing so. Every story in The Things They Carried speaks another truth that Tim O'Brien learned in Vietnam; it is this blurred line between truth and reality, fact and fiction, that makes his book unforgettable ( )