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Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
by Ben Fountain
by Ben Fountain
Billy Lynn is a 19 year old grunt home for a two week victory tour after he and the team now named Bravo became national heroes after footage of an attack they successfully defended against hit the news. The quiet secret is that they're headed straight back to Iraq after attending the Thanksgiving Superbowl, where the story takes place (aside from a few flashbacks). Billy reflects on a lot of the things that happen while there, such as finding love, trying to get a movie deal for Bravo, dealing with civilians wanting to thank them, the media aspects, and on top of that, the open secret that the next day, Bravo is shipping back out to Iraq. Billy's thoughts are poignant and smart, even if he only considers himself a young grunt.
I would like to talk about how realistic this book is, and how it totally gets into the mind of an American soldier and hero, but I can't claim that knowledge. So I'll just say that based on what I've read in the past and what I've seen on TV (I know, horrible comparison, but it's all I've got), this book really seems to be a good example of the soldier psyche.
It's very raw and realistic without having to actually describe the death and war fights seen by Bravo. Instead, the reader sees the impact those events had on Billy, and what he now thinks of the media circus going on around him. It's a really smart book, and though it can be a little slow in places, the thoughts throughout are definitely worth powering through. The book also has a good sense of humor, a little crass as one might expect from grunts, but funny nonetheless.
What I especially enjoyed, aside from the insights, were the depictions of the internal workings not only of the US Army, but the media, Hollywood, and a football team as well. I had to wonder how much research Fountain might have done. From his scant Wikipedia page it doesn't appear that he was ever in the military, but he might have been on the inside track of a football game.
Regardless, it's a powerful story and I'll be interested to see what soldiers think of it.
This book is scheduled to be released on May 1st.
I would like to talk about how realistic this book is, and how it totally gets into the mind of an American soldier and hero, but I can't claim that knowledge. So I'll just say that based on what I've read in the past and what I've seen on TV (I know, horrible comparison, but it's all I've got), this book really seems to be a good example of the soldier psyche.
It's very raw and realistic without having to actually describe the death and war fights seen by Bravo. Instead, the reader sees the impact those events had on Billy, and what he now thinks of the media circus going on around him. It's a really smart book, and though it can be a little slow in places, the thoughts throughout are definitely worth powering through. The book also has a good sense of humor, a little crass as one might expect from grunts, but funny nonetheless.
What I especially enjoyed, aside from the insights, were the depictions of the internal workings not only of the US Army, but the media, Hollywood, and a football team as well. I had to wonder how much research Fountain might have done. From his scant Wikipedia page it doesn't appear that he was ever in the military, but he might have been on the inside track of a football game.
Regardless, it's a powerful story and I'll be interested to see what soldiers think of it.
This book is scheduled to be released on May 1st.
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