The Things They Carried

Description

Look for O'Brien's new book, American Fantastica, on sale now

"O'Brien has written a vital, important book--a book that matters not only to the reader interested in Vietnam, but to anyone interested in the craft of writing as well."--Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

A classic work of American literature that has not stopped changing minds and lives since it burst onto the literary scene, The Things They Carried is a ground-breaking meditation on war, memory, imagination, and the redemptive power of storytelling.

The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and the character Tim O'Brien, who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three.

Taught everywhere--from high school classrooms to graduate seminars in creative writing--it has become required reading for any American and continues to challenge readers in their perceptions of fact and fiction, war and peace, courage and fear and longing. The Things They Carried won France's prestigious Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize; it was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
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233 pages

Average rating: 7.93

123 RATINGS

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7 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Phyllis Duda
Mar 26, 2024
3/10 stars
The book was a little deep. The end of the book had nothing to do with the rest of the book.
Anonymous
Dec 27, 2023
8/10 stars
Beautifully written war stories that intertwine and overlap. A young man, with everything ahead of him, is drafted into the Vietnam War. These are some of his experiences... haunting and well-told.
Mr. Squid
Aug 30, 2023
7/10 stars
Well written stories. A great read after "on killing" by Dave Grossman. My favorite character was the GF who flew in to Vietnam and then became consumed by the war and disappeared.
oh_let3
May 16, 2023
8/10 stars
tough but memorable read
Ure mum gae
Feb 10, 2023
9/10 stars
I never expected to find someone's work so relatable after a handful of really dark short stories

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