The Things They Carried is a series of short stories revolving around the wartime experiences of author, Tim O’Brien during the War in Vietnam in the early 1970s. This novel switches from third-person to first-person throughout the course of the stories, and engages in versimilitude, telling stories that are close to reality and highly believable, but are often fictional in part or in whole. O’Brien weaves a simultaneously non-linear but powerfully evocative series of related stories focusing on tales of the men in his 23rd Infantry Division. Varying in topic, these stories serve to illustrate the horrors and the routine of war. The novel shows both the comraderie that develops between soldiers in the lull of the war, and the cruelty and harsh reality of losing a fellow soldier and friend to the carnage of war. The story branches out even further, telling the tale of how O’Brien initially sought to evade the draft, and the stories of soldiers who have returned home, and struggled to find meaning in life after the horrors of war.
Despite not telling one cohesive story, this novel kept me interested and wanting to read more the whole time. In the novel, O’Brien addresses the manner in which he writes his stories, stating that though his stories may not be entirely accurate to real events, this is intentional as he means to evoke in his audience the true feelings he felt in the war, which sometimes required a degree of fictionalization. I would argue O’Brien was highly successful in this regard, as throughout the novel, I often felt as if I was thrust directly into the emotion and reality of the conflict. Though there are many stories and numerous characters in this book, they did not feel disjointed to me as they are cohesive in portraying the whole breadth of experiences in the war. The war stories told were gripping and intense, and the interaction between the soldiers was believable and not sugar coated in any way. Every character lived and breathed as a human character, with human flaws and fears which made their stories highly enjoyable. 
Reviewed by Benjamin S.
Category Archives: War
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (1985)
Ender’s Game is set in a futuristic society in which the world lives in constant fear of an alien invasion. In attempt to prepare for an impending war against the enemy alien race known as Buggers, the international military on Earth drafts child geniuses to be sent to Battle School. Among the children selected is Ender Wiggin, a third born child and natural genius. As Ender adjusts to life in Battle School, he must face the challenges of his schooling, but also of fitting in. Despite his constant struggles, Ender is able to surpass the ranks of Battle School and dedicate his intelligence to protecting the world. However, throughout his time at the Battle School, Ender discovers all might not be as it seems with the war, as he attempts to determine who the enemy really is.
In his novel, Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card uses a complex plot full of twists and turns that are captivating for the reader. As Ender finds himself constantly questioning authority and his purpose in this great mission, the reader sees the world through Ender’s perspective, which quite unique because he is a designated genius. The perspective and the unusual reality provided by the sci-fi genre creates a newer world for the reader to become part of. Card’s simple, yet exciting narrative makes for an easy, and undeniably entertaining story. I enjoyed this book and strongly recommend it to anybody who likes sci-fi.
Reviewed by Matt Y.
Halo: Silentium by Greg Bear (2013)
Silentium is the retelling of the fall of the alien Forerunner empire set approximately 100,000 years before the events of the fictional video game series Halo. The forerunners had eliminated their creators, the Precursors, in a battle lasting for hundreds of years, and finally triumphed; however, one remained. This last Precursor wanted to enact revenge upon the forerunners, and with the control over evolution all Precursors possessed, he created a parasite called the Flood (scientific designation: inferi redivivus) out of the dust of his fallen comrades. This parasite threatens all life in the galaxy, and the forerunners realize this too late, creating massive, ring-shaped super weapons called the Halo array (the franchise’s namesake). These weapons were each designed to kill all sentient life in a radius of 25,000 light years in order to remove vectors for Flood infection, as well as killing the Flood themselves. Eventually, what’s left of the forerunner council needs to take action because the Flood are at the door of their penultimate bastion, the Greater Ark.
The book is well crafted and allows the reader to see many perspectives on the choice the forerunners eventually make in regard to their species. The fluid writing style allows each character to present themselves differently and interact with characters whose perspectives the reader has already read. This leads to an interesting dynamic and level of understanding of the different sides of an argument, or even just views on an event. The plot is interesting and relevant to the game to which it was designed to be a prequel: Halo 4. The novel makes sure to be consistent with all of the previous content of the Halo expanded universe, and therefore is a good read for anyone who has played the Halo games and/or read the books/comics.
Reviewed by Christopher S.
Legend by Eric Blehm (2015)
On the dreadful Day of May 2, 1968, Master Sergeant Roy P. Benavidez made the ultimate sacrifice to rescue a pinned down MACV-SOG team surrounded by hundreds of hostile personnel behind enemy lines. Later, Roy’s harrowing story from the Vietnam War would leave a legacy throughout the United States Military Forces and the people that he sacrificed his life for.
Legend tells the life story of Roy Benavidez and his comrades from the third person point of view but includes first-hand accounts about their experiences in the military. The book has a lot of action, along with the politics, diplomacy, and history involved with Southeast Asia and how the Vietnam War started. Although the book is life-changing and puts the reader in a Vietnam veteran’s shoes, the narration gets somewhat boring and repetitive. Despite this boring narration, Blehm incorporates quotes from those who had most to say in the book. These quotes deliver powerful ideas and inspiration to the readers, making them think twice when walking by a veteran of the armed forces. I highly recommend this book for the 20th Century history buff and anyone interested in the Vietnam War.
Reviewed by Ross F.
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
Kurt Vonnegut’s experiences as a witness of war are told through the lens of a post-traumatic Billy Pilgrim, an inexperienced chaplain’s assistant during WWII. The plot is told out of order, across Billy’s own personal paradigm of flashbacks. These lead us through clips of trauma, aliens, love, life, and death. And so it goes.
Slaughterhouse Five is one of the greatest books in the scope science fiction, war stories, and biographical stories to this day. This book offers an insight to Vonnegut’s own account of the bombing of Dresden, as well as an account of the impact left on the soldiers upon returning home. Billy Pilgrim is a complex character, whose voice is entertaining but unreliable. His narration keeps the readers on the edge of their seats and the flashbacks keep you captivated to continue adventuring through his train of thought. Overall, Slaughterhouse Five is a fantastic book and I would definitely recommend this novel.
Reviewed by Sophie F.
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (1990)
We all heard that war is gross, scary, and horrifying, The Things They Carried adds a lot more adjectives to that list. I gave The Things They Carried a chance because it was brought up multiple times from movies, TV shows, family, and friends. I figured, “Why not give it a shot?” I am glad I did.
The Things They Carried is written by Tim O’Brien and was published in 1990. It is a fictional collection of short stories about the Vietnam War. To be perfectly honest in this review, this book is brutal. There are many moments when I had to put the book down and collect myself. Those moments were the ones I loved to hate. The chapters spared no expense in detail. Most chapters are set in war, but there are a certain few that followed the lives of soldiers outside of the war. I thought that I would not like these chapters, but they were the ones that I enjoyed the most. These seemingly mundane chapters added real depth to the whole book. Instead of constant action, the author breaks it up by adding deep personal stories which showed and what their lives were really like before the war. The characters were just so likable and funny that it made it a tragic read til the end. It just highlighted how devastating and sad war really is. Even though it was depressing, I really did love this book. It was always an interesting read, and I was never unenthusiastic about picking it up. I recommended it to everyone.
Reviewed by Jack F.
Dial-A-Ghost by Eva Ibbotson (1996)
Dial-A-Ghost is a children’s novel written by Eva Ibbotson and published on 1996. Ibbotson is a English writer who is known for children’s books, like Which Witch?, The Secret of Platform 13, etc.. Most of her works have magical figures or places in it. The book Dial-A-Ghost is about a ghost family, the Wilkinsons, who died in WWII when England was bombed by the Germany, and they were wandering around and try to find a place for home. And one day, they see a agency that provides homes for the ghost; through the agency, Wilkinsons get a home to settle down, which is to live with an orphan, Oliver, who lives in a big castle, Helton Hall.
Unlike the other ghost stories, Dial-A-Ghost does not have any scenes that are scary; instead, the ghost family is loveable. Also, the book can help the children who read it reduce the fear of ghosts. And it is a good book to read for fun as the book shows the author’s imagination and constructs a ghost world. If the book just talked about a ghost or a family, the story would be plain, but it combines two. And the agency for the ghost is really interesting; the ghosts are struggling with where to live, and the agency helps to find a house for them.
Reviewed by Zaria L.