Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War
Matterhorn A Novel of the Vietnam War
Author: Karl Marlantes
Intense, powerful, and compelling, Matterhorn is an epic war novel in the tradition of Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead and James Jones' The Thin Red Line. It is the timeless story of a young Marine lieutenant, Waino Mellas, and his comrades in Bravo Company, who are dropped into t...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780802119285
ISBN-10: 080211928X
Publication Date: 4/1/2010
Pages: 592
Edition: 1
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 30

4 stars, based on 30 ratings
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 1
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

BigGreenChair avatar reviewed Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War on + 464 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Well written, understandable, very HUMAN. You don't have to be a man to love this book and empathize with the 'kids' whose lives were in the hands of military brass interested in promotion, status, how they were viewed by their peers. As I read it, I thought of the Civil War too--and World War I, and what my father said about being a young kid serving in freezing Korea--well worth the read. Best I've read about Vietnam.
reviewed Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War on + 22 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
While I've never been one to read books about war, I was intrigued by all of the glowing reviews for "Matterhorn" and decided to give it a try. The fact that my scant knowledge of the history of the Vietnam War didn't extend far beyond the knowledge that it was basically a bloodbath also served as a catalyst to crack this open. I'm really happy that I did because not only did I learn quite a bit about the war but this also happens to be one of the best books I've read in quite some time.

Upon reading the Matterhorn's first few sentences you are immediately thrust into the middle of battle, chopping through 6 foot tall jungle, fearful of what horrors lie ahead. You can sense the inner turmoil each of your fellow soldiers feels as they try and remain focused on the task at hand despite the overwhelming trepidation welling up within them...Thinking about their families anxiously awaiting their return home...Listening intently for the faintest of sounds that may signal the enemy's approach...Wondering what they're fighting for in the first place. Remember that amazing opening scene in "Saving Private Ryan" where you see through the eyes of a soldier storming the beach at Normandy? Now imagine reliving the Vietnam War in a similar fashion, over the course of nearly 600 brutally honest, gripping, tension filled pages.

Marlantes, a Vietnam vet who to this day suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of his experiences, has managed to write what feels to me to be an incredibly authentic tale of Bravo Company's experiences during the war. Severely graphic at times, I found myself cringing at the brutal and terrifying accounts of battle. While this story is a work of fiction, Marlantes does indicate in a 2010 interview with the London Times that many of the events described were based off of his own experiences, which makes the stories all that more frightening.

Not only does Marlantes manage to tell an amazing tale of war, but he adeptly tells the story from many points of view. We see war through the eyes of African American soldiers who find themselves fighting not only the Northern Vietnamese Army, but also intense racism from within their own Company. We experience what it was like to be a field nurse, running from victim to victim, having to choose which soldiers to save vs. which to let die, due to the limited medical supplies on hand. We feel the intense pressure of leading a Company of men to battle despite not agreeing with decisions made by their superiors. We listen in on meetings as commanders determine the fate of their troops while also keeping in mind how each decision will enhance or hurt their chances of advancement within the ranks. And finally, we see through the eyes of the troops as they witness their friends being brutally murdered before their eyes.

Having never fought in a war I realize that I can never truly comprehend what Marlantes went through, however I am very thankful that he took the time to write this novel, which must have been an incredibly painful task. "Matterhorn" is a tense and thrilling must read for those looking to learn more about the Vietnam War and what our troops experienced in defense of our country.

I'll leave you now with a powerful quote that sums up the novel very nicely:

"It was all absurd, without reason or meaning. People who didn't know each other were going to kill each other over a hill none of them cared about."
Read All 9 Book Reviews of "Matterhorn A Novel of the Vietnam War"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

reviewed Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War on + 9 more book reviews
Matterhorn is well written and I felt like I was in the middle of the conflicts in Vietnam. It is a page turner and reflects the challenges facing our Marines as the higher brass pushed our soldiers to take positions that exposed them to untimely deaths. Our main character survives and the the narrator as well as sharing his internal experience. It was a long book but worth the time. I did not have to go to Vietnam in the early 60's but I had a greater appreciation for what our military faced during those years
Charles Merrill
reviewed Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War on + 5 more book reviews
At almost 600 pages it seems like a daunting book to read but it's one I couldn't put down. Excellent book and would recommend to anyone even if they are not interested in "war novels."
DieHard avatar reviewed Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War on
This debut novel is based on actual events experienced by author Karl Marlantes who was a Marine Lt. during the Vietnam war. The authenticity of the war experience is evident on every page. This is perhaps the finest war novel I have ever read.


Genres: