Final Blog for "The Things They Carried"

After reading the book The Things They Carried, my overall opinion of it is a good one. I liked hearing the various stories O' Brien told. Although some of the stories are definitely not happy ones, I think it is important to know the truth. It is important to hear what really happened during the war. While some of his stories may be more "story-truth" than actual "happening-truth," they give a good idea of what the war was like. I enjoyed reading about O' Brien's experience in the war. If anyone is interested in reading about a war story - and the sometimes sad truth that goes with it - I would recommend this book to them. Even though it is not a happy story, I believe the truth is good to know. "I'm young and happy. I'll never die. I'm skimming across the surface of my own history, moving fast, riding the melt beneath the blades, doing loops and spins, and when I take a high leap into the dark and come down thirty years later, I realize it is as Tim trying to save Timmy's life with a story" (page 246).