The Things They Carried
*The Things They Carried* (1990) is a collection of linked short stories by American novelist Tim O'Brien, about a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War. His third book about the war, it is based upon his experiences as a soldier in the 23rd Infantry Division.
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Across twenty-two linked stories, Tim O'Brien follows the men of Alpha Company through the jungle of 1960s Quang Ngai province in Vietnam, opening with the literal weight each soldier carries on patrol. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, medic Rat Kiley, and a fictional version of O'Brien trade the same war.
The Things They Carried was written by Tim O'Brien and published in 1990. O'Brien served as a U.S. soldier in Vietnam and has written extensively about the war in fiction and nonfiction.
Tim O'Brien intentionally blurs the line between fact and fiction. The book is structured as connected short stories drawing on his Vietnam War experience. Some events are real; others are invented; the framing essay How to Tell a True War Story addresses the ambiguity directly.
The Things They Carried is 256 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Things They Carried takes most readers 4 to 6 hours to finish.
The Things They Carried is a standalone novel by an unknown author, not part of a series.
The Things They Carried is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
