In a comment below, say goodbye to The Things They Carried and Tim O'Brien. In other words, write a final reflection, personal response, lingering question, or analysis to bring your experience with the book to a close.
Dear Tim, I love the way you keep us guessing throughout the book: sometimes believing you're telling the truth while the next moment doubting the veracity of any part of the novel. Every section contains something new and unexpected that even the people who know nothing about Vietnam can still relate to because things like fear and death are things we are exposed to throughout our lives. Lastly, you are able to effortlessly transition settings and themes throughout the novel so that they blend together as an artistic triumph in the end that gives the readers a masterfully written glimpse of what Vietnam was like. -Trevin
Dear Tim, Well, I still can't figure out why you chose to lie about certain information and tell the truth about other pieces of information. I'm not concerned about what was true and what wasn't. But I want to know why you decided to add in information or take out other information. I don't know whether you thought one scene was more important than another, or if you just wanted to make a story sound better. Or maybe you wanted to leave stuff out because it was too difficult for you to experience again, so you made stuff up instead. You are very strange, The Boss
I would like to thank you for writing The Things They Carried. The first reason I believe this book was an amazing read was because it was it's own style. You are the first author who I believe has truly made me feel the way they do on a subject. You opened my eyes to what war is really all about. You revealed truths to me of war that I had never thought of. The fact that wars never end for those in them, feelings cannot always be told exactly with the truth, and many other things all were new thoughts to me and have led me to see war in a different way. The emotion you have portrayed through this book is amazing and really got to me; it was an amazing read. Another thing I thank you for about this book is the new tool of bending the veracity of a story. Before I had never thought of lying in a story to get my full emotions across to an audience. This a useful tool and is very helpful for my writing. Once again I thank you Tim for such a great experience reading your book and the great lessons you have taught me.
The Things They Carried taught me about truth. It taught me that it's the emotion, the feeling behind it all that truly matters, not the nitty gritty facts. Truth slides through the fingers like a slippery silver fish, existing in the hand for only a moment before slipping away, back into the stream. A memory of emotion, a shimmering ghost, remains in its place. It taught me that it's impossible to hold on to that shining truth, impossible to present it to others while holding it in your hands because they would never understand what it feels like to have the slippery and rough scales scrape your hands or how it feels to finally let it free, back into the stream. New stories form instead, still holding the core of truth, but relatable, rendering the audience capable of feeling the rush or the fall or the climb of your emotions. Suddenly it all makes sense, and the particular becomes the universal. It doesn't matter if the story actually happened, if Ted Lavender was actually scared or if Linda was even her real name. It feels true and sincere and authentic, and that's what matters. Thank you, Tim O'Brien.
I really wish I could empathize with all of your problems and bad memories. Your book was great I enjoyed the vivid imagery even though some of it was vulgar, it was what was in your head and writing is the way you get it out so I accept it. I have a few questions about how you chose to write about this topic. Why would you choose to write about a topic that is so touching to your heart?
Dear Tim, Thanks for teaching me about the hardships of war, although I still think I will never fully understand them. I now understand what the "truth" actually means. I also enjoyed how you did not follow the typical story line and changed it to fit your own style. Going back and forth between your life now and Vietnam was an interesting way to tell your story that really kept the audience interested. Overall, I liked "The Things They Carried" and all of the many lessons you exposed to the readers. Now, I know that not only did the soldiers carry things physically but emotionally as well. Thanks again, Courtney
Dear Tim, The number one thing that I learned from your book was the importance, or lack of importance of truth in a story. This year we focused on Realistic Fiction in Creative Writing as well as in our English class. Even though I have not had a very eventful life, I learned to exaggerate certain instances or even just make up anecdotes to prove a point or portray an emotion in my writing. I learned that if the reader feels what you felt and truly hears your thoughts through your writing, then you have written the truth. I really enjoyed reading your book, even through some of the more graphic scenes, and you illustrated the importance of imagery and voice in a story. Though barely any of the specific facts were true, I still believe that it was a work of non-fiction. With each turn of the page I delved farther and farther into the world of each story, and I felt like I was there right next to you watching it unfold. I really enjoyed reading this book, and it taught me a lot about writing.
Thank you for writing this book. My grandfather was in Vietnam and he never talks about it. The only time I recall him even bringing it up was a few years back when he got drunk at New Year's. Even then, it was hard for him. However, the last time I saw him I brought up the fact that we were reading The Things They Carried in class. He had read the book before and started talking and didn't stop for a good 20 minutes. He told us stories about when he was a tank platoon Lieutenant. He started with light stories and eventually got into more serious stories. So thank you Mr. O'Brien, you got my very stolid grandfather to open up.
Dear Tim, This will be simple yet it means a lot. When I was a little boy I dreamed of being a soldier and fighting. I thought war was glorious and include vast scenes where valiance played a role in the battle, such as in the homeric books of Illiad and the Oddessey. As I grew older I understood that wars caused the death of many young women, men, and children. Now, thanks to your story, I know why war is ugly. -Selim
Your book taught me that you don’t always have to rely on facts to tell the truth, and that emotions can display your feelings more accurately than facts. You also taught me about the difficulties of war, life and death, and how even if someone dies, they can be brought back to life in a story. I didn’t really think of how it feels to bring back a loved one through a story, but I will definitely try it now. Also, thank you for showing me what war is like. I have always had a curiosity for what a life in the midst of war is like, and I think your book was able to satisfy my craving to learn about war through a story. I really liked The Things They Carried, and I really like how you strayed from the traditional narrative format; it definitely made the story more interesting and genuine.
Before The Things They Carried, I could never relate terrible war scenarios to my life in Houston. However, now I see that every life has challenges, some are just more severe than others. I am usually not a huge war story fan, but somehow I could easily relate to this story. I love the idea of keeping people alive through story telling as well. I thought this idea ended the story in a great way. After talking about all the deaths you had to endure during the war, the story really ended on a happy and inspiring note. I can honestly say throughout the whole book I was completely interested and intrigued with your unique and effective style of writing.
Dear Tim, Despite all the frustration I felt, I truly enjoyed your book. Your use of lies as a way to express the truth stumped me for a while. However, I was able to at lease somewhat understand what it was like. You painted images that will stick in my mind forever the way I'm sure images from war will stick in yours. I complained a lot, but in the end I want to say thank you for challenging me and forcing me to draw my own understanding. Your book kept me entertained and captivated until the very end. Thank you, Alina
Dear Mr. O'Brien, I want to thank you for writing this book, for making something so personal and emotional as your experience in Vietnam into a public story for all to see. I know it must have been extremely difficult, but I really do feel like I have learned from your book.l I learned that you don't always have to tell the truth to tell the Truth, and that "one man's lie is another man's truth." I loved the final chapter: I know what it's like to plan out a dream and want to stay there. I wish that we could capture every person we love into a story so that when we are feeling lonely or sad we could just curl up and reread it. One of the saddest parts about knowing someone is the fact that you won't ever have the experience of getting to know them again. Thanks again, Lizzy
Dear Mr. Tim O’Brian, Your book provided an enlightening view of the war. Thank you for taking the time to put this together, even though you told us that it was to help you cope with the effects of the war. What I want to know is how were you actually able to cope with the stress during the war? Did you push it away, compartmentalize it or just lived with it popping up every now and then? And when did the stress catch up to you, after a firefight or on late nights during a patrol? Thanks for teaching me and giving my teachers something interesting to teach. Keep it real, Michael
I liked the way you chose to end The Things They Carried. His last chapter was about how “stories can save us.” I agree with you. I like how you used the stories throughout the book as a way to tell us you war story. I also liked how you displayed truth throughout your novel. I liked how you neglected to use the traditional structure of a story as well. This made your novel so much more interesting.
I really enjoyed The Things They Carried and I think it was a very important book for us to read in class. It has made us think about fiction vs nonfiction in a new way and reanalyze the definition of truth. My favorite story I think was Mary who went to the greenies and got lost at war. I also loved how you ended the story with Linda, that was such a touching story and really pulled the book away from just being a war book.
The Things They Carried did a great job of displaying the universal truths within war in a way that made us connect with the soldiers and understand the pain of each man. "How to Tell A True War Story," did a great job of redefining what it means to tell a "true" story. The way your thoughts were presented through each story, slowly revealing more about more about the truth of war, made each story come to life while it also build up the themes about truth and story telling. The last chapter was the most beautiful description of the importance of story telling that I've ever read. It truly inspired me to write more so that I too can try to save people with stories.
Thank you! Julia
(By the way, I was wondering if the reason you always wear the baseball cap relates to the story of Linda in the last chapter. Are they in any way connected?)
I really enjoyed The Things They Carried. At first, I was frustrated with the confusion between what was real and what never happened. Towards the end of the book, I finally understood that it didn't matter what was the truth, because every story portrayed some truth for some soldier in the Vietnam war. I also liked that the book wasn't strictly a Vietnam war book, but a book that everyone could relate to. Thank you so much for teaching me what really matters and showing me a new and exciting way to write.
Reading your book was genuinely a good experience for me. To be honest (but what is honest? what is truth? -- just kidding), when I first bought the book, I was not too thrilled to read it, but I was not UNhappy about it either; I felt indifferent about the book. However, after thoroughly reading your book and digging up and coming out with different, unique layers to each story, I realized its actual brilliance. There was a reason for every decision made in the book and I found that really interesting. Because of your book, I have most definitely taken a different perspective of viewing literature and the world. Once again, the book was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
First of all, I have to say that I loved The Things They Carried. It was a great book, and insanely well written. One thing really bugs me, though. I really want to know what actually happened. I realize the whole thing about Truth vs. truth, but it would be interesting to compare the two. Plus, I just can't stand not knowing. But, I love how you can make the war feel that real inside of me without it being what actually happened. I feel like I was actually there.
Dear Mr. O'Brien, First off, I just want to say I really liked the message that your story conveyed and agree whole-heartedly. I, like you, think that stories are an extremely powerful tool that can save but also ruin lives. I greatly enjoy telling stories myself and do it very frequently throughout the course of many days. Your book caused a lot of internal questioning and thought for me. I found myself inclined in classroom discussions saying I did not like the indefinite line between what is true and what is false. However, when I got away and truly reflected I realized that I do exactly what you do in my stories. I want my friends to understand what it felt like to be sick that friday night, to accomplish of course I had to exaggerate the amount of sleep I got or the temperature I had. I think there are certain times stories should show people what it was like, and then others to tell them what exactly happened detail by exact detail. I think the showing is more valuable and should be employed more often. Just by reading this letter I am sure you can see the extreme self-questioning your book has cause for me. I hope all is well in Austin, Gardner
Dear Tim, I want you to know how much I enjoyed reading The Things They carried. I cant begin to imagine how difficult it was to have lived threw the Vietnam War. It must have been very hard for you share your experiences with the world. Your experience have changed my view on war. I now know that war is not as clean and nice as everyone thinks it is. This novel is my favorite book that I have read in high school. I do have a question though. War is very hard and painful for many, so why would you need to lie about it? You dont have to lie in order to make people think war is hard. I think, you should be able to be honest about it. You would still be able to get your point across that war is not clean or nice. I think you should have been more honest about you time at war. Thank you for writing such a great book. Best wishes, Robert Murphy
Dear Tim,
ReplyDeleteI love the way you keep us guessing throughout the book: sometimes believing you're telling the truth while the next moment doubting the veracity of any part of the novel. Every section contains something new and unexpected that even the people who know nothing about Vietnam can still relate to because things like fear and death are things we are exposed to throughout our lives. Lastly, you are able to effortlessly transition settings and themes throughout the novel so that they blend together as an artistic triumph in the end that gives the readers a masterfully written glimpse of what Vietnam was like.
-Trevin
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDear Tim,
ReplyDeleteWell, I still can't figure out why you chose to lie about certain information and tell the truth about other pieces of information. I'm not concerned about what was true and what wasn't. But I want to know why you decided to add in information or take out other information. I don't know whether you thought one scene was more important than another, or if you just wanted to make a story sound better. Or maybe you wanted to leave stuff out because it was too difficult for you to experience again, so you made stuff up instead.
You are very strange,
The Boss
Dear Tim O'Brien,
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank you for writing The Things They Carried. The first reason I believe this book was an amazing read was because it was it's own style. You are the first author who I believe has truly made me feel the way they do on a subject. You opened my eyes to what war is really all about. You revealed truths to me of war that I had never thought of. The fact that wars never end for those in them, feelings cannot always be told exactly with the truth, and many other things all were new thoughts to me and have led me to see war in a different way. The emotion you have portrayed through this book is amazing and really got to me; it was an amazing read. Another thing I thank you for about this book is the new tool of bending the veracity of a story. Before I had never thought of lying in a story to get my full emotions across to an audience. This a useful tool and is very helpful for my writing. Once again I thank you Tim for such a great experience reading your book and the great lessons you have taught me.
Regards
Ryan Baldwin
The Things They Carried taught me about truth. It taught me that it's the emotion, the feeling behind it all that truly matters, not the nitty gritty facts. Truth slides through the fingers like a slippery silver fish, existing in the hand for only a moment before slipping away, back into the stream. A memory of emotion, a shimmering ghost, remains in its place. It taught me that it's impossible to hold on to that shining truth, impossible to present it to others while holding it in your hands because they would never understand what it feels like to have the slippery and rough scales scrape your hands or how it feels to finally let it free, back into the stream. New stories form instead, still holding the core of truth, but relatable, rendering the audience capable of feeling the rush or the fall or the climb of your emotions. Suddenly it all makes sense, and the particular becomes the universal. It doesn't matter if the story actually happened, if Ted Lavender was actually scared or if Linda was even her real name. It feels true and sincere and authentic, and that's what matters. Thank you, Tim O'Brien.
ReplyDeleteDear Tim,
ReplyDeleteI really wish I could empathize with all of your problems and bad memories. Your book was great I enjoyed the vivid imagery even though some of it was vulgar, it was what was in your head and writing is the way you get it out so I accept it. I have a few questions about how you chose to write about this topic. Why would you choose to write about a topic that is so touching to your heart?
From
Giggle man13
Dear Tim,
ReplyDeleteThanks for teaching me about the hardships of war, although I still think I will never fully understand them. I now understand what the "truth" actually means. I also enjoyed how you did not follow the typical story line and changed it to fit your own style. Going back and forth between your life now and Vietnam was an interesting way to tell your story that really kept the audience interested. Overall, I liked "The Things They Carried" and all of the many lessons you exposed to the readers. Now, I know that not only did the soldiers carry things physically but emotionally as well.
Thanks again,
Courtney
Dear Tim,
ReplyDeleteThe number one thing that I learned from your book was the importance, or lack of importance of truth in a story. This year we focused on Realistic Fiction in Creative Writing as well as in our English class. Even though I have not had a very eventful life, I learned to exaggerate certain instances or even just make up anecdotes to prove a point or portray an emotion in my writing. I learned that if the reader feels what you felt and truly hears your thoughts through your writing, then you have written the truth. I really enjoyed reading your book, even through some of the more graphic scenes, and you illustrated the importance of imagery and voice in a story. Though barely any of the specific facts were true, I still believe that it was a work of non-fiction. With each turn of the page I delved farther and farther into the world of each story, and I felt like I was there right next to you watching it unfold. I really enjoyed reading this book, and it taught me a lot about writing.
Thanks,
Suriya
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMr. O'Brien,
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this book. My grandfather was in Vietnam and he never talks about it. The only time I recall him even bringing it up was a few years back when he got drunk at New Year's. Even then, it was hard for him. However, the last time I saw him I brought up the fact that we were reading The Things They Carried in class. He had read the book before and started talking and didn't stop for a good 20 minutes. He told us stories about when he was a tank platoon Lieutenant. He started with light stories and eventually got into more serious stories. So thank you Mr. O'Brien, you got my very stolid grandfather to open up.
Sincerely,
Annie Jeckovich
Dear Tim,
ReplyDeleteThis will be simple yet it means a lot. When I was a little boy I dreamed of being a soldier and fighting. I thought war was glorious and include vast scenes where valiance played a role in the battle, such as in the homeric books of Illiad and the Oddessey. As I grew older I understood that wars caused the death of many young women, men, and children. Now, thanks to your story, I know why war is ugly.
-Selim
Dear Tim,
ReplyDeleteYour book taught me that you don’t always have to rely on facts to tell the truth, and that emotions can display your feelings more accurately than facts. You also taught me about the difficulties of war, life and death, and how even if someone dies, they can be brought back to life in a story. I didn’t really think of how it feels to bring back a loved one through a story, but I will definitely try it now. Also, thank you for showing me what war is like. I have always had a curiosity for what a life in the midst of war is like, and I think your book was able to satisfy my craving to learn about war through a story. I really liked The Things They Carried, and I really like how you strayed from the traditional narrative format; it definitely made the story more interesting and genuine.
Thanks,
Noopur
Dear Tim O'Brien,
ReplyDeleteBefore The Things They Carried, I could never relate terrible war scenarios to my life in Houston. However, now I see that every life has challenges, some are just more severe than others. I am usually not a huge war story fan, but somehow I could easily relate to this story. I love the idea of keeping people alive through story telling as well. I thought this idea ended the story in a great way. After talking about all the deaths you had to endure during the war, the story really ended on a happy and inspiring note. I can honestly say throughout the whole book I was completely interested and intrigued with your unique and effective style of writing.
Thanks,
Samantha
Dear Tim,
ReplyDeleteDespite all the frustration I felt, I truly enjoyed your book. Your use of lies as a way to express the truth stumped me for a while. However, I was able to at lease somewhat understand what it was like. You painted images that will stick in my mind forever the way I'm sure images from war will stick in yours. I complained a lot, but in the end I want to say thank you for challenging me and forcing me to draw my own understanding. Your book kept me entertained and captivated until the very end.
Thank you,
Alina
Dear Mr. O'Brien,
ReplyDeleteI want to thank you for writing this book, for making something so personal and emotional as your experience in Vietnam into a public story for all to see. I know it must have been extremely difficult, but I really do feel like I have learned from your book.l I learned that you don't always have to tell the truth to tell the Truth, and that "one man's lie is another man's truth." I loved the final chapter: I know what it's like to plan out a dream and want to stay there. I wish that we could capture every person we love into a story so that when we are feeling lonely or sad we could just curl up and reread it. One of the saddest parts about knowing someone is the fact that you won't ever have the experience of getting to know them again.
Thanks again,
Lizzy
Dear Mr. Tim O’Brian,
ReplyDeleteYour book provided an enlightening view of the war. Thank you for taking the time to put this together, even though you told us that it was to help you cope with the effects of the war. What I want to know is how were you actually able to cope with the stress during the war? Did you push it away, compartmentalize it or just lived with it popping up every now and then? And when did the stress catch up to you, after a firefight or on late nights during a patrol? Thanks for teaching me and giving my teachers something interesting to teach.
Keep it real,
Michael
Dear Mr. O'Brian,
ReplyDeleteI liked the way you chose to end The Things They Carried. His last chapter was about how “stories can save us.” I agree with you. I like how you used the stories throughout the book as a way to tell us you war story. I also liked how you displayed truth throughout your novel. I liked how you neglected to use the traditional structure of a story as well. This made your novel so much more interesting.
Thank you,
Elizabeth
Dear Mr. O'Brien
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed The Things They Carried and I think it was a very important book for us to read in class. It has made us think about fiction vs nonfiction in a new way and reanalyze the definition of truth. My favorite story I think was Mary who went to the greenies and got lost at war. I also loved how you ended the story with Linda, that was such a touching story and really pulled the book away from just being a war book.
Thanks,
Presley
Dear Mr. O'Brien
ReplyDeleteThe Things They Carried did a great job of displaying the universal truths within war in a way that made us connect with the soldiers and understand the pain of each man. "How to Tell A True War Story," did a great job of redefining what it means to tell a "true" story. The way your thoughts were presented through each story, slowly revealing more about more about the truth of war, made each story come to life while it also build up the themes about truth and story telling. The last chapter was the most beautiful description of the importance of story telling that I've ever read. It truly inspired me to write more so that I too can try to save people with stories.
Thank you!
Julia
(By the way, I was wondering if the reason you always wear the baseball cap relates to the story of Linda in the last chapter. Are they in any way connected?)
Dear Mr. O'Brien,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed The Things They Carried. At first, I was frustrated with the confusion between what was real and what never happened. Towards the end of the book, I finally understood that it didn't matter what was the truth, because every story portrayed some truth for some soldier in the Vietnam war. I also liked that the book wasn't strictly a Vietnam war book, but a book that everyone could relate to. Thank you so much for teaching me what really matters and showing me a new and exciting way to write.
Thank you!
Sarah
Dear Mr. O'Brien,
ReplyDeleteReading your book was genuinely a good experience for me. To be honest (but what is honest? what is truth? -- just kidding), when I first bought the book, I was not too thrilled to read it, but I was not UNhappy about it either; I felt indifferent about the book. However, after thoroughly reading your book and digging up and coming out with different, unique layers to each story, I realized its actual brilliance. There was a reason for every decision made in the book and I found that really interesting. Because of your book, I have most definitely taken a different perspective of viewing literature and the world. Once again, the book was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thanks,
Amber
Dear Mr. O'Brien,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I have to say that I loved The Things They Carried. It was a great book, and insanely well written. One thing really bugs me, though. I really want to know what actually happened. I realize the whole thing about Truth vs. truth, but it would be interesting to compare the two. Plus, I just can't stand not knowing. But, I love how you can make the war feel that real inside of me without it being what actually happened. I feel like I was actually there.
Thank you.
Dear Mr. O'Brien,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I just want to say I really liked the message that your story conveyed and agree whole-heartedly. I, like you, think that stories are an extremely powerful tool that can save but also ruin lives. I greatly enjoy telling stories myself and do it very frequently throughout the course of many days. Your book caused a lot of internal questioning and thought for me. I found myself inclined in classroom discussions saying I did not like the indefinite line between what is true and what is false. However, when I got away and truly reflected I realized that I do exactly what you do in my stories. I want my friends to understand what it felt like to be sick that friday night, to accomplish of course I had to exaggerate the amount of sleep I got or the temperature I had. I think there are certain times stories should show people what it was like, and then others to tell them what exactly happened detail by exact detail. I think the showing is more valuable and should be employed more often. Just by reading this letter I am sure you can see the extreme self-questioning your book has cause for me.
I hope all is well in Austin,
Gardner
Dear Tim,
ReplyDeleteI want you to know how much I enjoyed reading The Things They carried. I cant begin to imagine how difficult it was to have lived threw the Vietnam War. It must have been very hard for you share your experiences with the world. Your experience have changed my view on war. I now know that war is not as clean and nice as everyone thinks it is. This novel is my favorite book that I have read in high school. I do have a question though. War is very hard and painful for many, so why would you need to lie about it? You dont have to lie in order to make people think war is hard. I think, you should be able to be honest about it. You would still be able to get your point across that war is not clean or nice. I think you should have been more honest about you time at war. Thank you for writing such a great book.
Best wishes,
Robert Murphy