Fatal Light [NOOK Book]

( 1 )

Overview

A young medic goes from his sleepy West Virginia hometown to the soul-searing terrain of the Vietnam War to learn about American "innocence" in a war that brings new horrors each day. Later the medic returns home to confront his shattered personal history and the mysterious human capacity for renewal. "Of all the many books written about the war . . . this one will be among the handful destined to endure," said Philip Caputo about this beautifully written and powerful first ...
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Fatal Light

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More About This Book

Overview

A young medic goes from his sleepy West Virginia hometown to the soul-searing terrain of the Vietnam War to learn about American "innocence" in a war that brings new horrors each day. Later the medic returns home to confront his shattered personal history and the mysterious human capacity for renewal. "Of all the many books written about the war . . . this one will be among the handful destined to endure," said Philip Caputo about this beautifully written and powerful first novel.

A marine medic finds a Vietnam jungle of combat, malarial hallucinations, a purgatory of occupied Saigon and the ultimate pain and confusion of return.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Currey's debut novel is a powerfully written, haunting account of a young man's voyage to adulthood, confusion and alienation, beginning in America, taking us through his experiences in Vietnam and his return home. Apart from its honed lyricism, what makes this Vietnam novel superior to most others is that it is unself-conscious, allowing us to share the combat experience of Vietnam through a brilliantly chosen series of vignettes. The book shares a kinship with Michael Herr's Dispatches and, moreover, is fiercely focused and crafted with great skill. Curry has condensed his four years' experience as a combat medic into a slim but potent literary slide show. On his return to the States, as if to subtly emphasize this point, the narrator shows his Vietnam photos to his grandfather. ``You plan to show these pictures . . . to anyone else? . . .Don't do it. Put these in a shoebox somewhere. . . . They're too damn hard.'' The narrator, alienated from the central experience of his life, is also alienated from himself. In a symbol, not only of Vietnam, but of life after that wasteful conflict, the narrator dreams of an endless walk through the cathedral light of the jungle. Men drop away, but the rest continue walking, ``unable to continue and afraid to stop.'' This is a stunning narrative by a writer to watch. April
Library Journal
Assigned to a medical unit during the Vietnamese War, a young private from Kentucky recalls loving grandparents, a high school sweetheart, and tender moments with each parent as sharply contrasting images of war and death are stamped indelibly on his mind. The story, told as if through snapshots, juxtaposes early military memories against the death of a buddy, the unnecessary killing of a civilian, hospitalization for malaria, and reassignment to Saigon. Guilt, shame, hope, love, and unexplainable dread of going home all surface in this powerful novel of Vietnam as experienced by one man, typical of thousands who lived to remember. Recommended. Thomas L. Kilpatrick, Southern Illinois Univ. at Carbondale Lib.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780981966120
  • Publisher: Santa Fe Writer's Project
  • Publication date: 4/1/2009
  • Sold by: Barnes & Noble
  • Format: eBook
  • Pages: 210
  • Sales rank: 876,426
  • File size: 317 KB

Meet the Author

Richard Curry is the author of Fatal Light, a PEN/Hemingway Award finalist, and of The Wars of Heaven. He lives in New Mexico.
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Customer Reviews

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Sort by: Showing 1 Customer Review

  • Posted March 20, 2012

    The book is a great read. It flows very well, and gives you a g

    The book is a great read. It flows very well, and gives you a glimpse into the life of a young man whose life is forever changed by the war in Vietnam. This would make a great film as well.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
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