Matterhorn
"A novel of the Vietnam War"
by Karl Marlantes
Category: Fiction
This was a good read. I can't say I enjoyed it because it deals with a terrible war and some very sad stuff, however, the writing both conveyed the enormity of what was going and kept it at a light enough tone that you don't want to throw the book down in despair.
The book doesn't go into the overall politics of the war or the evilness of communists. It concentrates on a particular person in a particular Marine company, and the interactions of the company members. Since it's written by a Marine, I find the camaraderie of the group believable, and I rather like some of the characters' personalities, which is heartening since I have read some terrible portraits of soldiers in other books and sometimes heard some things in real life.
Nor does the story paint a glorious picture of war suitable for movie audiences. You're watching a guy cope. You're not waiting to see if he wins or loses, you're waiting to see what he will do and what the world will throw at him. He's just a guy doing his best, and it's comforting to see.
There is a helpful glossary in the back which isn't necessary since you can get the meanings from context in the actual story, but there is a little bit of additional commentary about some of the terms in there too.
I would recommend this book.
by Karl Marlantes
Category: Fiction
This was a good read. I can't say I enjoyed it because it deals with a terrible war and some very sad stuff, however, the writing both conveyed the enormity of what was going and kept it at a light enough tone that you don't want to throw the book down in despair.
The book doesn't go into the overall politics of the war or the evilness of communists. It concentrates on a particular person in a particular Marine company, and the interactions of the company members. Since it's written by a Marine, I find the camaraderie of the group believable, and I rather like some of the characters' personalities, which is heartening since I have read some terrible portraits of soldiers in other books and sometimes heard some things in real life.
Nor does the story paint a glorious picture of war suitable for movie audiences. You're watching a guy cope. You're not waiting to see if he wins or loses, you're waiting to see what he will do and what the world will throw at him. He's just a guy doing his best, and it's comforting to see.
There is a helpful glossary in the back which isn't necessary since you can get the meanings from context in the actual story, but there is a little bit of additional commentary about some of the terms in there too.
I would recommend this book.