Items related to The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction

The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction - Softcover

 
9780767902892: The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 
One of the first questions people ask about The Things They Carried is this: Is it a novel, or a collection of short stories? The title page refers to the book simply as "a work of fiction," defying the conscientious reader's need to categorize this masterpiece. It is both: a collection of interrelated short pieces which ultimately reads with the dramatic force and tension of a novel. Yet each one of the twenty-two short pieces is written with such care, emotional content, and prosaic precision that it could stand on its own.

The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and of course, the character Tim O'Brien who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three. They battle the enemy (or maybe more the idea of the enemy), and occasionally each other. In their relationships we see their isolation and loneliness, their rage and fear. They miss their families, their girlfriends and buddies; they miss the lives they left back home. Yet they find sympathy and kindness for strangers (the old man who leads them unscathed through the mine field, the girl who grieves while she dances), and love for each other, because in Vietnam they are the only family they have. We hear the voices of the men and build images upon their dialogue. The way they tell stories about others, we hear them telling stories about themselves.

With the creative verve of the greatest fiction and the intimacy of a searing autobiography, The Things They Carried  is a testament to the men who risked their lives in America's most controversial war. It is also a mirror held up to the frailty of humanity. Ultimately The Things They Carried and its myriad protagonists call to order the courage, determination, and luck we all need to survive.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

‘One of the best war books of this century, an unflinching attempt to illuminate both its obscene physical brutality and the terrible mental overload’ Guardian

‘A thrilling and beautiful distillation of everything that has been thought, felt, or said about the Vietnam War and its long afterburn. A heartbreaking and healing masterpiece; time will make it a classic’ Michael Herr, author of Dispatches

‘Essential...O’Brien captures the war’s pulsating rhythms and nerve-racking dangers...a stunning performance. The overall effect of these original tales is devastating’ New York Times

From the Back Cover:
"The Things They Carried is as good as any piece of literature can get." -- Chicago Sun-Times

A New York Times Book of the Century A Pulitzer Prize Finalist A National Book Critics' Circle Award Finalist Winner of the Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger (France) Winner of the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize

"A marvel of storytelling... a vital important book-- a book that matters not only to the reader interested in Vietnam, but to anyone interested in the craft of writing as well." -- New York Times

"This is writing so powerful that it steals your breath. ... The Things They Carried is about more than war, of course. It is about the human heart and emotional baggage and loyalty and love. It is about the difference between 'truth' and 'reality.' It is about death--and life."--Milwaukee Journal

"Rendered with an evocative, quiet precision, not equaled in the imaginative literature of the American war in Vietnam." --Washington Post

"You ve got to read this book . In a world filled too often with numbness, or shifting values, these stories shine in a strange and opposite direction, moving against the flow, illuminating life's wonder, life's tenuousness, life's importance." -- Dallas Morning News

"A book so searing and immediate you can almost hear the choppers in the background." -- The Boston Globe

"

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherBroadway Books
  • Publication date1999
  • ISBN 10 0767902890
  • ISBN 13 9780767902892
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages273
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780618706419: The Things They Carried

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780618706419
Publisher: Mariner Books, 2009
Softcover

  • 9780006543947: The Things They Carried (Flamingo)

    Flamingo, 1991
    Softcover

  • 9780547391175: The Things They Carried

    Hought..., 2010
    Hardcover

  • 9780008329693: The Things They Carried: Tim O'Brien (4th Estate Matchbook Classics)

    Fourth..., 2019
    Softcover

  • 9780140147735: Things They Carried

    Penguin, 1991
    Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

O'Brien, Tim
Published by Broadway (1998)
ISBN 10: 0767902890 ISBN 13: 9780767902892
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldBooks
(Austin, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0767902890

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 3.27
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 3.37
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Brien, Tim
Published by Broadway (1998)
ISBN 10: 0767902890 ISBN 13: 9780767902892
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
KuleliBooks
(Phoenix, AZ, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Fast Shipping - Safe and secure Mailer. Seller Inventory # 521PY6001HL1

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 4.61
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 3.16
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Brien, Tim
Published by Broadway (1998)
ISBN 10: 0767902890 ISBN 13: 9780767902892
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
vladimir belskiy
(Alexandria, VA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # OY-VLFK-DPL3

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 5.62
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 3.80
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Brien, Tim
Published by Broadway (1998)
ISBN 10: 0767902890 ISBN 13: 9780767902892
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GF Books, Inc.
(Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 0767902890-2-1

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 9.50
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Brien, Tim
Published by Brand: Broadway (1998)
ISBN 10: 0767902890 ISBN 13: 9780767902892
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
LibraryMercantile
(Humble, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # newMercantile_0767902890

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 8.34
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 2.38
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Brien, Tim
Published by Brand: Broadway (1998)
ISBN 10: 0767902890 ISBN 13: 9780767902892
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Front Cover Books
(Denver, CO, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover0767902890

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 7.34
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 3.41
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Brien, Tim
Published by Broadway (1998)
ISBN 10: 0767902890 ISBN 13: 9780767902892
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Wizard Books
(Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0767902890

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 10.82
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 2.77
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Brien, Tim
Published by Broadway (1998)
ISBN 10: 0767902890 ISBN 13: 9780767902892
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenWavesOfBooks
(Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0767902890

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 11.22
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 3.17
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Brien, Tim
Published by Broadway (1998)
ISBN 10: 0767902890 ISBN 13: 9780767902892
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Book Deals
(Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Seller Inventory # 353-0767902890-new

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 14.49
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

O'Brien, Tim
Published by Broadway (1998)
ISBN 10: 0767902890 ISBN 13: 9780767902892
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
BennettBooksLtd
(LOS ANGELES, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 0.45. Seller Inventory # Q-0767902890

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
£ 47.30
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: £ 3.27
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

There are more copies of this book

View all search results for this book