About this book
"The Things They Carried" is a powerful and moving collection of interconnected short stories about the experiences of American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Written by Tim O'Brien, a Vietnam veteran himself, the book explores the physical and emotional weight that soldiers carry with them into battle, and the lasting effects that war can have on individuals and society as a whole.
Through a series of gripping and often heart-wrenching vignettes, O'Brien delves into themes of memory, trauma, loss, and the power of storytelling to make sense of our experiences. He also examines the complexities of human nature and the moral ambiguities of war, showing how soldiers are often forced to confront difficult ethical dilemmas and make impossible choices in the midst of chaos and violence.
Summary
A classic, life-changing meditation on war, memory, imagination, and the redemptive power of storytelling, with more than two-million copies in print
Depicting the men of Alpha Company—Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and the character Tim O’Brien, who survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three—the stories in The Things They Carried opened our eyes to the nature of war in a way we will never forget. It is taught everywhere, from high school classrooms to graduate seminars in creative writing, and in the decades since its publication it has never failed to challenge our perceptions of fact and fiction, war and peace, and courage, longing, and fear.
From the rear cover
"[An] ultimate, indelible image of war in our time, and in time to come." -- Los Angeles Times
This is an American classic.
Since it burst onto the literary scene twenty years ago, The Things They Carried has not stopped changing minds and lives, challenging readers in their perceptions of fact and fiction, war and peace, courage and fear and longing. It is an unparalleled Vietnam testament. It is a ground-breaking meditation on war, memory, imagination, and the redemptive power of storytelling. It is a major literary achievement and a book beloved by readers and writers and teachers and students.
The Things They Carried
depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and the character Tim O'Brien, who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three. These men carried malaria tablets, love letters, 28-pound mine detectors, dope, illustrasted Bibles, each other. And if they made it home alive, they carried images of a nightmarish war that haunts our history and echoes into our present.The Things They Carried
is required reading for any American."
From the jacket flap
"[An] ultimate, indelible image of war in our time, and in time to come." -- Los Angeles Times
This is an American classic.
Since it burst onto the literary scene twenty years ago, The Things They Carried has not stopped changing minds and lives, challenging readers in their perceptions of fact and fiction, war and peace, courage and fear and longing. It is an unparalleled Vietnam testament. It is a ground-breaking meditation on war, memory, imagination, and the redemptive power of storytelling. It is a major literary achievement and a book beloved by readers and writers and teachers and students.
The Things They Carried
depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and the character Tim O'Brien, who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three. These men carried malaria tablets, love letters, 28-pound mine detectors, dope, illustrasted Bibles, each other. And if they made it home alive, they carried images of a nightmarish war that haunts our history and echoes into our present.The Things They Carried
is required reading for any American."
First Edition Identification
Houghton Mifflin Company published a First Edition, First Printing hardcover in 1990, Boston.
Details
- Title The Things They Carried
- Author Tim O'Brien
- Binding Hardcover
- Edition [ Edition: Repri
- Pages 256
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Mariner Books Classics, Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.
- Date 2010-03-22
- ISBN 9780547391175 / 054739117X
- Weight 0.79 lbs (0.36 kg)
- Dimensions 8.44 x 6.08 x 0.86 in (21.44 x 15.44 x 2.18 cm)
- Ages 14 to UP years
- Grade levels 9 - UP
- Reading level 880
- Library of Congress subjects Psychological fiction, Vietnam War, 1961-1975
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 2010292325
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
Media reviews
Citations
- Christianity Today, 09/01/2014, Page 76
- Entertainment Weekly, 03/26/2010, Page 75
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The Things They Carried
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The Things They Carried
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The Things They Carried *** 1st Printing of 20th Anniversary Edition ***
by Tim O'Brien
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Book will be well packed in bubble wrap and shipped in a sturdy box, just as I would want to receive a collectible item. 2q2
The Things They Carried (Twentieth Anniversary Edition)
by O'Brien, Tim
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The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction
by O'Brien, Tim
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The Things They Carried
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The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
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