Classics Without All the Class discussion

Hi all! Welcome to the March book The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien! (O'Brien sounds Irish! perfect for this month!). I read a small portion of this book in my English 101 class WAY BACK in the day so I am excited to read it all the way through. We don't have a discussion leader so please EVERYONE feel free to start your own discussion in the forums, it's super easy! If you want to start a conversation click on the main forum "March 2016- The Things They Carried," then click on new topic and write a post!

Are you excited for this read, what are your thoughts going in?

Until March 6th this book is on sale on Audible! Read by Bryon Cranston of Breaking Bad fame! http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/The...
so if you haven't gotten your copy yet!

On the audiobook the reader is actually Bryan Cranston. I listened to his reading about a year ago and it was excellent. I'm a breaking bad fan so I was excited when I found out he was the reader.

This is my first Viet Nam War book and I must say that it is having quite the impact on me. The audio book, read by Bryan Cranston, is excellent. I find myself pulled deep into the stories via the interesting style of writing. I was very young when the Viet Nam war was going on so my only perspective up until now has been through cinema. I am really enjoying the perspective that this book offers.

I didn't get the audio version because the book is relatively short but I was tempted to hear a book read by Heisenberg, I mean Brian Cranston. He has a great reading voice!

I just started reading the book. I am finding the writing very powerful. This is the first book I have read by this author.

I just finished Chapter 4. It was heart wrenching and so real. O'Brien's account of his deep struggle over going to war vs going to Canada rang so true. Elroy and the Tip Top Lodge was what, where and when he needed them. Even though he did what he thought was cowardly, he thoroughly explored his motives, feelings and made a decision versus impulsively leaving his life as he knew it behind.

I'm new to the group so I don't know if this has already been brought to your attention, but I wanted to make sure you all knew about a website called www.bookdrum.com. (This is not spam.) That site has a growing list of books (a lot of classics and best sellers such as Bel Canto, The Book Thief, Pride and Prejudice) that has already been researched which you can follow along with as you are reading and see maps of the area(s) discussed, reviews, glossaries, etc. It basically has a lot of background information about the book(s) which is helpful and interesting.

I heard about it when I read The Things They Carried a few years ago. Tim O'Brien himself is the one who recommended bookdrum and made me aware of it. While you are reading, you might enjoy seeing an overview of the places he mentions and additional background info.

Beth wrote: "I just finished Chapter 4. It was heart wrenching and so real. O'Brien's account of his deep struggle over going to war vs going to Canada rang so true. Elroy and the Tip Top Lodge was what, where ..."

I agree Beth. Chapter 4 was very emotional, I was crying at the end of the chapter.

Dawn wrote: "I'm new to the group so I don't know if this has already been brought to your attention, but I wanted to make sure you all knew about a website called www.bookdrum.com. (This is not spam.) That sit..."


I never heard of Bookdrum before but it looks pretty cool. I couldn't get the map to load but it had interesting pictures under settings and bookmarks.

Blueberry wrote: "...it had interesting pictures under settings and bookmarks. "

Yes, the bookmarks section is really helpful. You can follow along by chapter and find out more information about anything from P-38 can openers, to the different weapons used in Vietnam, to Abbie Hoffman, to the old Private SNAFU cartoons. I find that section the most helpful to me, especially with this book because I don't have a military background. I'm clueless about the weapons.

The Google maps things isn't working for me either right now. I checked on another book and for a couple seconds, I could see the map with the red pins which can be clicked on for more information, but then it would disappear. It looks like there's a problem with Javascript. Hopefully they'll get that sorted out.

I avoided reading this book for years. I thought it was nonfiction and that I would cry through the entire book. I didn't love it as much as most people but it was a powerful story.

I'm still just about half through this book. I usually find war movies / books very emotional. However, this one fails to strike a chord with me. I am unable to figure out why.

Hmm, this one sounds intriguing and I own a copy on my shelf - so I should really get to it here. Now or never, lol!

I just started this one: I was suppose to read it for an in-person group last month (as well as for this group) but just got swamped with other reading. That group had some interesting insights though. One of the ladies remember living through the times from living in America and the politics going on at the time and how taboo so much of it was.

I'm just a few chapters in, but I'm liking the rawness and yet the heart of the storytelling. He gives just enough bits to get the idea without going into gory detail (at least thus far) and I think it's far more compelling than many fictional accounts that revel in the gore and miss the point. I love this metaphor (and truth) of the mental, emotional and physical weight of everything they are "humping" along the "journey" (which really has no destination, on the actual war goals).