A Review of The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Wow, is all I can say about Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. I wanted to give this gripping piece of American Literature 4.5 stars but the Goodreads rating system wouldn't let me. This novel is set in the Vietnam War. I was born in the 70's with a Marine Corps heavy family of which three members served in the war. The book peaked my interest when my daughter read it her senior year of high school and said MOM! You have to read this! It took me a while to pick it up, but when I did it was hard to read but oh, so rewarding. O'Brien had me crying out of the gate and the continual lump in my throat as I read the book in it's entirety was evidence of the grip this book had on my heart. He details the evolution of these characters from childhood to the aftermath of the war decades later. I can't even verbalize how stirring, how dark, and how necessary this novel is not only on a personal level but on a literary level. I generally do not read this kind of literature but this is a gem. I wish I could say more, but this journey is yours to have