“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien – War’s Close-Up Shot
There are different kinds of war novels out there, and generally I prefer to classify them into three distinct categories: works of fiction, novelized and dramatized writings based on facts, and completely dry and factual accounts of military events and operations. To be frank, I prefer the second type of novel, as it offers the best of both worlds; it keeps you interested in the events all while feeding you real and interesting information at the same time. I have read a fair share of these novels, and I have to say that very few of them can claim to reach the level of The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.