One of my SSR books for the first quarter was Tim O'Brien's critically acclaimed book of short stories, The Things They Carried. This book is told through the author's point of view as he recalls his experiences from fighting in the U.S Army in the Vietnam War. I love this book and would recommend it to anyone because it's beautifully written to encapsulate the emotions and experiences of the soldiers.
If I could sum up this book in one word it would be real. Real because the book elaborates on just what the title implies, The Things They Carried. Not only the twenty-plus pounds of equipment but the stories of love, pain, loss, guilt, insanity, friendship, and all the other things war brought to the men that were forever changed by their time in Vietnam.
The characters all had their stories shared: who they were before, after (if they survived), and during the war. Readers are able to identify with them because they are all regular people in the beginning. My favorite story/chapter from the book is the one about the first man that the narrator killed. The entire book is poetic in a way but that one chapter has O'Brien's thought process after he killed the guy so well articulated that I felt as if I had been there. I could see the whole thing play out in front of me and I felt his pain. This is why I read books: the power of story telling.
The Things They Carried is a riveting book to say the least and an easy read too.
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