Review: 'The Things They Carried' by Tim O'Brien

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

'The Things They Carried' by Tim O'Brien, 233 pages - Instagram @c_reads_books

---

Through short stories, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien recounts a semi-autobiographical account of the author’s experiences fighting in the Vietnam War. The stories weave together to paint a portrait of the lives and deaths of a platoon of American soldiers based on O’Brien’s experiences as a soldier in the 23rd Infantry Division. These stories, alongside those recounting the lives of the men before and after the war, discussing how the author contends you can tell a “true war story,” and vivid and detailed accounts of what the men carried with them, both literal and figurative, produce a war story like no other.

I really liked this book. The format especially intrigued me and made this book feel different than other war stories, as it discusses the Vietnam War and its impact on the soldiers in multiple and unique ways. I also found the book very eye-opening to read because it’s about the Vietnam War, a war that many soldiers didn’t want to fight in, but were forced to anyway. Tim O’Brien’s personal account of deciding to go to war instead of fleeing to Canada because he was embarrassed not to is especially resonating. Overall, I really liked this book, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a very powerful and uniquely told story!