Monday, November 12, 2012

Veteran's Day--The Things They Carried


 American soldiers around an American flag        
Today is the official observance of Veteran's Day, and the book that comes to mind is The Things They Carried, the 1990 fictional account of the Vietnam War written by Tim O'Brien, a veteran of that conflict who was awarded a Purple Heart.  It is a moving account of the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of war, rich in symbolism and based on the author's own experience.

Since its publication, The Things They Carried has become a classic literary work that is often assigned reading in high school and college classes.  It is also a book club favorite, and a former National Endowment for the Arts Big Read. 

I can think of no better read to commemorate soldiers and veterans of war and to attempt to understand their experience.

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Veteran's Day--The Things They Carried was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.blogspot.com.  This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

No comments:

Post a Comment