Northern Lights

3.5 stars

It is 1970 and Harvey has been away fighting in the Vietnam War. He returns home to his brother, Paul, and Paul's wife, Grace. When Harvey suggests he and Paul go skiing in the woods for a few days, things go terribly wrong.

It was good. I thought the best part of the book was while they were in the woods (which didn't happen until about half-way through). I didn't like any of the characters, though.

I love Tim O'Brien, but I did not love this. I tried several times to come back to it, and forced myself through the first 100 pages, but it was not to be. I'm going to read The Things They Carried again.

Originally published in 1975, Tim O'Brien's debut novel demonstrates the emotional complexity and enthralling narrative tension that later earned him the National Book Award. At its core is the relationship between two brothers: one who went to Vietnam and one who stayed at home. As the two brothers struggle against an unexpected blizzard in Minnesota's remote north woods, what they discover about themselves and each other will change both of them for ever.

"Northern Lights is a thrilling story . . . which can be read and enjoyed simply as an adventure story, but digs deeper than that."
--Irish Times