Prior to reading The Things They Carried, I had minimal understanding of the Vietnam War. Honestly, I still cannot say that I am sufficiently informed of the subject. Sure, I've read some textbook information from US History, and few 'Nam documentaries have crossed my path, but this trifling pre-exposure to the war was nothing compared to the experience I had from reading The Things They Carried.
The difference between O'Brien's writing and the information I had previously read in textbooks was that his book was written on a completely different personal level. Using a keen balance of emotion and storytelling, he wrote a book that gave me a completely new perspective on the Vietnam War. While it was a fictional novel, The Things They Carried helped me get a better idea of the day-to-day lives of American soldiers. There were many aspects of the war -- things beyond the fighting -- that often remain untold. The way he carefully exaggerated at certain points allowed his stories to come through the pages and into my head; I felt as though I was in the story, feeling his emotions. This said, the novel further asserted my opinion that the war had very little purpose. I'm still puzzled as to why we were involved in the war in the first place.
At this point in my life, The Things They Carried is the only legitimate insight I have into Vietnam. While it may not be all truth, it has provided me with more accuracy than any textbook could.
