The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (1999, Paperback, Reprint)

It is an excellent collection of short stories, some very moving and emotional, some are humorous, and some are just extremely sad. The short stories fit together to creat one large book, they flow in a way that just seems like it is a novel. It is a great book that for the most part keeps you interested, especially if you like war stories. Even if you have no part of war or war stories it is still easy to relate to with many life lessons that apply to anyone.

Here in Chicago, a local school recently tried to ban this book, among others. I don't understand the purpose of banning this book, or any book for that matter. (OK, if you want to ban Debbie Does Dallas - The Novel, I can understand.)

The Things They Carried, along with O'Brien's other books, Going After Cacciato and If I Die in a Combat Zone are superb reads. Most think they are just books about the Vietnam War, but they aren't. With eloquency and surrealism, O'Brien takes us on a journey through the insanity of war and how the mind copes. I would suggest If I Die in a Combat Zone first, as it is a memoir and a prelude the the other two. Violent and graphic? Yes. But O'Brien goes beyond just the surface violence, he delves into the psyche of the soldier, how they dealt with their environment, how they supported each other and the brain's dire need to make sense of it all.

The Things They Carried should be mandatory reading for all high schools. O'Brien's tallent for writing should not be missed, his words will move you.

Awesome, i don't read books much but this one is really great! The way the author writes it and the langauge used in it really helps the reader connect to the characters.

It's about Tim (character) and his decision to go to Vietnam. It's more about the psychological troubles that the young men went through during the war.

Book contains great imagery and a must read!

I enjoyed reading this book very much. It was fiction but based on O'Brien's experiences in Vietnam. I felt as if I was there. The descriptions of feelings and also landscape was very vivid. I would recommend this book to all readers no matter what type of books you like to read.

Hard to please, he seldom reads fiction and I struggle to find him something to read in his favorite genre...war. He's read everything possible on WWII and so I've moved on to more recent conflicts. He was reluctant to read this but didn't want to hurt my feelings. I let out my breath when he told me two days later that it was a very, very good book. Two more days and he announced he was really enjoying the book and could I find more from this author. Ah success!