Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Audio CD
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Audio CD
Terry D. (tmdaviss) - , reviewed on + 72 more book reviews
When preparing for combat there are many expectations laid upon the soldier-in-training. When the time finally arrives it is seldom what he expects, and how he handles it changes him forever. Matterhorn: A Novel of the Viet Nam War by Karl Malantes is a study in just such an event.
We join Marine 2nd Lt. Mellick as he arrives at his first in-country command and follow his progress over the next few months, as he accepts the shock of war and grows through his experiences into a trusted combat veteran. Through him we get to experience a full range of emotions as he lives through the receiving end of death and injury, political madness, racial struggles, and eventually choosing the person he wants to become.
This is a first novel by a Vietnam veteran, who draws on his own experiences to show us what the war taught him. The characters are seldom deep and often only seen through Lt. Mellick's eyes, although we follow some of them into situations unknown to our main character. The development of the story early on leaves us struggling to grasp 'who, why and how' right along with the Lt. But before long we have everyone figured out and are deeply involved in the story.
I enjoyed this book by listening to the unabridged CD version, read by Bronson Pinchot. Often the voices chosen for the characters seem at odds with what I might have wanted, but the distinctions help the listener to easily follow the action and the dialog.
This book was not written to glorify the war or to condemn it. Instead we have a chance to meet men and women who were drawn into the war by choice or by force, and to come away with a better understanding of their pasts and their futures. Join the company and enjoy this novel.
We join Marine 2nd Lt. Mellick as he arrives at his first in-country command and follow his progress over the next few months, as he accepts the shock of war and grows through his experiences into a trusted combat veteran. Through him we get to experience a full range of emotions as he lives through the receiving end of death and injury, political madness, racial struggles, and eventually choosing the person he wants to become.
This is a first novel by a Vietnam veteran, who draws on his own experiences to show us what the war taught him. The characters are seldom deep and often only seen through Lt. Mellick's eyes, although we follow some of them into situations unknown to our main character. The development of the story early on leaves us struggling to grasp 'who, why and how' right along with the Lt. But before long we have everyone figured out and are deeply involved in the story.
I enjoyed this book by listening to the unabridged CD version, read by Bronson Pinchot. Often the voices chosen for the characters seem at odds with what I might have wanted, but the distinctions help the listener to easily follow the action and the dialog.
This book was not written to glorify the war or to condemn it. Instead we have a chance to meet men and women who were drawn into the war by choice or by force, and to come away with a better understanding of their pasts and their futures. Join the company and enjoy this novel.
