The Things They Carried (SparkNotes Literature Guide Series) [NOOK Book]

The Things I Think

The author, Tim O'Brien who is also the protagonist, begins his novel by describing an event that occurred in the middle of his war experience in Vietnam. In "The Things They Carried" Tim O'Brien describes what his fellow soldiers in the Alpha Company took with them on their missions both mentally and physically. Many things they brought with them are intangible, while others are physical objects, including matches, morphine, M-16 rifles, and M&M's which he seems to focus on the amounts of each of them.

Throughout the novel, he mentions many characters multiple times in various stories which are often partially true and meta-fiction. The first member of the Alpha Company to die is Ted Lavender,a low-ranking soldier who they refer to as a "Grunt." Lavender is a man who has found tranquilizers and marijuana the only way to relieve his anxiety and fix his problems. He is shot in the head on his way back from going to the bathroom, and when his leader, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, finds out of his death he blames himself for Lavender's unnecessary and tragic death. When Lavender is shot, Cross is deep in his thoughts of his college crush, Martha. O'Brien writes about how Cross's "love" for Martha was the cause of Lavender's death and he still holds his guilt years after the war has ended. O'Brien continues on describing the events he was involved in, and then goes into each of them describing how his fellow comrades and sometimes himself reacts, and attempts to overcome them. He uses somewhat real stories to describe how tough it is for a man to be in a situation like what he was in, meta-fiction suggesting that no real story can describe what it was like. These problems that were presented to O'Brien and his fellow soldiers in the Vietnam War changed all of their lives. The war changed them to such a point that every day, every moment of their lives yet to come will never be like before the war. O'Brien tells of others and how they have attempted to overcome their problems which are the same or similar to his. He seems to attempt to use their methods in hopes that they will fix his problems and he will be able to return to his life before he was given no choice but to head to war. O'Brien was led into a room with no way out, he is stuck carrying what he was carrying at the end of his experience in Vietnam and he is striving to find a way to get it off of his shoulders and find a better mental state. This novel could be thought of as a way that Tim O'Brien used to share his thoughts and feelings of the war and his post traumatic stress disorder.

Overall, this is an excellent novel. It is a great "thinker" book and is not a typical easy read for a High School student like myself. It is very fun to read, but it is also very difficult to read which would be one, if not my only dislike of this book. This book would be great to read because it gives you an excellent point of view from a veterans perspective; this novel shows a true veteran and what it is like to be one. An overall rating of five stars, a great book that brings satisfaction and difficulty at the same time.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Awsome Book

I had to read this book for an Americna Literature Class during my undergraduate studies, and I loved it. Tim O'Brien kept me wanting to come back for more. The detail he uses describing the settings and events as they unfold will captivate you. The litteral and figural things they carry are so well explained by O'Brien. Deffinetly a must read for any Veteran or history lover.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Great Book

I had to read this book as a summer assignment for english class. At first i thought it was another depressing war story, but upon further study and better understanding of the book i have come to appreaciate all the little details that make this a wonderful book. This book has also made me come to realize the little things that matter most in life, especially in such an extreme situation as war.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A Truly Remarkable Read

I read this book only because O'Brien was coming to my school to speak. I cannot be happier that this occurred! This book was nothing short of AMAZING, a truly remarkable read. The novel is essentially a series of interconnected short stories about a group of soldiers in Vietnam. My uncle was a Vietnam veteran, and he told me the book was about as good as they got when dealing with the subject matter (perhaps given to the fact O'Brien himself is a Vietnam veteran). I have encountered few books required by school that have made their way into my top-faves list. This one, I must say, is in at least spot three if not two. I cannot wait to read more by O'Brien and I hope he never stops writing!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

An Insightful and Captivating View of the Inner and Outer Struggles of Soliders in the Vietnam War

This book is offers a complex, poignant look at the life of a soldier, both in the war and after. The main character is named Tim (not the author of the book). Tim tells the story of his troop, the adventures they experience, and the personalities of all the men. Each story represents a chapter, making it easy to read. The point of view varies with each story. Although it is technically a work of fiction, I found this book gave me a lot of food for thought regarding the inner struggles of soldiers in Vietnam, not only during the war itself, but also the demons they faced before and after. If this time in American History fascinates you, or you simply enjoy Historical Fiction, do give this one a try.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A book that will stay with you for years...

When this book was assigned in high school, I was unaware of the amazing treat which I was going to receive. This is a well written series of short stories revolving around a group of soldiers in the Vietnam war. Though the author admits that the stories are based on truth, he always makes the reader question whether the truths of humanity are based in fact or fiction. The characters are believable, and the story flows smoothly despite it's fragmented nature. While many focus on the setting of Vietnam and think of the story being about war, the story is more focused on the men and what makes them who they are. This book is often required reading, but is an enjoyable and life-changing experience.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Powerful thoughts on the experience of war

This book has a lot to offer for war veterans who seek to find literature which captures the experience of war. However I myself am not a war veteran I am a 20 year old female college student and I fell in love with this book because of how it can capture the truth with fiction. This book is worth reading if you are a person who loves literature and reading about human experiences.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

WOW - Could not put this down!

'The Things They Carried' is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I just fell in love with Tim O'Brien style of writing. Each chapter was a different story. I had never read anything about wars and I really went into this book knowing nothing about Vietnam. It taught me so much about the war even though it was not about the war perse. I realized how young the men were that were drafted and how frightened they were when they were drafted. It really opened my eyes to how families were affected by this war before and after. I absoluteley loved the story about the soldier shipping his girlriend over to Vietnam. 'The Things They Carried' finds a good balance of comedic wit from the soldiers yet is extremely powerful and dramatic.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The best war novel

I have read many war novels. This book tops all of them. It is so well written and the stories hold you to each page. A tough book to put down. The stories are realistic with no hero complex added to it to make it sound great and patriotic. It is real and humbles you making you realize the torture soldiers go through on a daily basis. i would like to thank Tim O'Brien for bringing this in the open in his book. I would recommend it to anyone

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

My All-Time Favourite Book

After discovering The Perks of Being a Walflower by Steven Chbosky, I went straight to Arthur Nersesian's The F*ck Up, which were both incredible novels and were quintessentially the kinds of books that I loved to read. The Things They Carried, though a completely different sort of work, evoked the same kind of "voice" as The F*ck Up and 'Perks. I loved O'Brien's piece when it was a short story, which would ultimately become the first chapter of the novel; then to find out that it had been expanded into a full novel, I practically ran to my bookstore to get it. O'Brien's writing is so evocative and poignant, it's incredible sometimes that it doesn't collapse under its own weight. It just shows the reader his skill. I'm currently searching through some of his other works to see which one I'd like to start next, but this is something any fan of literature would want to sit down with. It just a pleasure reading.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great writing and good story.

Tim O'Brien lets the things his characters carry give a tale of who they are and why those items motivated them in their journey. Rich character deveopment. Great book!

Tried to write like non fiction but really failed..

We all know war is horrific and cruel, but why insert animal cruelty if you’re writing fiction? Puppy dogs strapped on claymores, Baby VC water buffalo (must have had a VC Brand) I stopped reading when the sweet little 17 YO girl managed to hitch hike into the middle of the war then go rouge in fhe Viet Nam jungle.

A good book

This was a quick, intense read. I loved the beginning, but had some trouble following the stories and keeping them straight(which I assume was part of the point of the writing style). All things considered, it's well worth your time.

Really good

This is one of the best books ever

Great!

This book is fantastic. O'Brien does a wonderful job of recording his personal experiences in Vietnam and weaving them into a not so typical, typical war story. When you start the book you think it's going to be one thing but by the end it's actually something else completely, and it transitions smoothly. There is so much to learn from this book, about the war and those who fought it and the affects it had on them.Among my favorite books ever.

The things they carried by tim o'brian

The book is about a marine solider who is away from his "lover" back home and he keeps all of his "non love letters" in the botom of his rucksack in his foxhole.

Read It

Read it now.

Highly Recommend!

Definitely must read.

Incredible account of one mans experience of war

Just absolutely written perfectly. Loved it.

Beautifully written

This book was a beautiful account of one man's view of the war he fought in, the Vietnam War, as well as the people he fought alongside and against. O'Brien gives us lots to think about, covering many controversial topics in a way that can only be descibed as masterful in this brilliant book. There aren't many people who could have written a beautiful war story, but O'Brien did it.