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What Members Thought
I don't usually love short fiction, and this was a hard read (emotionally). But it is extremely well-written and so compelling. I can see why it won the National Book Award.
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Upsetting and terrifying stories, all of which are riveting.
Except the one that was almost all acronyms. I got the point, but it didn't make for a good story.
The rest were so moving and agonizing and intense that I can't believe how pleasurable the reading experience was. The content is as excruciating as the form is elegant.
WHY I wanted to read this book, and why I "enjoyed" it so much, is what I've really been reflecting on, probably more than anything in the text itself. As a matter of cours ...more
Except the one that was almost all acronyms. I got the point, but it didn't make for a good story.
The rest were so moving and agonizing and intense that I can't believe how pleasurable the reading experience was. The content is as excruciating as the form is elegant.
WHY I wanted to read this book, and why I "enjoyed" it so much, is what I've really been reflecting on, probably more than anything in the text itself. As a matter of cours ...more
Very quick, horrifying, and sad collection of short stories about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. I'm not sorry I read it, but after accidentally reading a bunch of war books with varying descriptions of war crimes over the past week, I need some fluff next.
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This is a nice example of how a short story collection can be cohesive without trying to be a novel. Everything takes place with some connection to military service in Iraq, and all of the characters are men managing their roles and experiences in it. The details are vivid, the characters feel realized, the themes are rarely heavy-handed, and tropes are often upended. I really enjoyed it and thought it earned its praise, though I can’t say with any certainty the degree to which it illuminated th
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These stories are wonderful -- brutal and hard and full of pain, and also vivid and powerful. A few too many acronyms, but otherwise so very good!
SO GOOD. I'm glad it's part of the ToB shortlist, as I was avoiding it because I was sure it would be The Things They Carried 2.0. Which is a dumb reason because how good is The Things They Carried?!?!? And this may even be... dare I say it? Better!
Anyway, I was an ass, and I'm glad this won the National Book Award. ...more
Anyway, I was an ass, and I'm glad this won the National Book Award. ...more
The best book I've read all year.
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Nov 21, 2014
Carleen Huxley
marked it as to-read
Dec 05, 2014
s_evan
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Dec 05, 2014
Isabel
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Jan 06, 2015
Sarah
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Jan 29, 2015
Kate
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Feb 09, 2015
Christine
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Mar 31, 2015
Kerry
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May 25, 2015
Denise Cormaney
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Jun 20, 2015
Lisa
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Feb 19, 2018
Colleen
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Feb 26, 2021
Kate
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Jan 25, 2024
Jotong
marked it as to-read
