Get our Best Book Club Books of 2025 eBook!

What do readers think of The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien? Write your own review.

Summary | Discuss | Reviews | More Information | More Books

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

The Things They Carried

by Tim O'Brien

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Readers' Rating (7):
  • Published:
  • Jun 1990, 233 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Reviews

Page 1 of 1
There are currently 7 reader reviews for The Things They Carried
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

BuffaloGirlKS

Iconic Expression of Vietnam War Experience
I have heard over the years that this book was the iconic expression of the American soldier's experience in the Vietnam War. After reading it, I can understand that belief. Reading the book left me feeling flat and depressed from the loss of life and innocence and pride that these young men and our country suffered in a war that no one understood. Almost all of the stories are heartbreaking.
kathryn cowan

The things they carried
Heart wrenching, yet beautiful personal accounts (in 3rd person) of men in war. It's so riveting and a rewarding read for all of us.
Jean

Excellent!
I have been meaning to read this book for years, so I was happy to get the chance to do so here. I have not finished it yet. Once the pandemic hit, I found I needed lighter reading at the end of the day. However, what I have read so far is powerful and feels very real. This is a book that will stay with me.
Gigi

sadly real
Never having read a book about war, I had no preconceived ideas. However, as a psychiatric nurse, I was very interested in the behaviors of characters in this story. I have not forgotten this book and will probably read it again. It is haunting and unforgetable.
Power Reviewer
Tired Bookreader

Can you ever forget?
This book was read in its entirety two weeks ago and yet it remains on my mind everyday. Part of the reason is that there are some personal feelings of empathy having had a family member involved in this war. I have always wondered about this conflict because I haven't been able to get anyone I know that participated to give up any stories other than stark fear.

Our young men should never have been sent to a land without the government knowing what to expect. And who suffered for this disaster? The government that created the mess? No The poor men and women who were involved and then vilified upon their return...more
kate baldwin

The Things They Carried
I loved the book. Friends went to Vietnam and died there. I have always felt that my mind would not have survived Vietnam, and after reading this book, I know it wouldn't have survived. I so admire Tim O'Brien's writing and the courage it took to share himself so clearly. I am in awe of the boys and young men who went, and I want to hold each of them. I am so thankful that I read this book.
Teace

The Things They Carried
Since I grew up during the Vietnam War era, and my brother and several of my classmates and friends were fighting in this war, this book grabbed my attention plus it was recommended by my niece. But seriously, It took some time for me to get my head into this book. I think that it can be more relate-able to someone who was in Vietnam or other service men and women who have fought in wars. I just didn't like the subject matter but I kept reading to the end and I was happy to read the last and final page.
  • Page
  • 1

Read-Alikes

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    Real Americans
    by Rachel Khong
    From the author of Goodbye, Vitamin, a novel exploring family, identity, and the shaping of destiny.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Happy Land
    by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

    From the New York Times bestselling author, a novel about a family's secret ties to a vanished American Kingdom.

  • Book Jacket

    The Fairbanks Four
    by Brian Patrick O’Donoghue

    One murder, four guilty convictions, and a community determined to find justice.

  • Book Jacket

    One Death at a Time
    by Abbi Waxman

    A cranky ex-actress and her Gen Z sobriety sponsor team up to solve a murder that could send her back to prison in this dazzling mystery.

  • Book Jacket

    The Seven O'Clock Club
    by Amelia Ireland

    Four strangers join an experimental treatment to heal broken hearts in Amelia Ireland's heartfelt debut novel.

Who Said...

The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in his heart.

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

A C on H S

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.