Reviews

• Something

  The story carries quite a punch. It brings a lot of memories forward. I'm much older now, but this story does an excellent job of going back, reliving, and growing.

• The ultimate betrayal

  Moving away, beginning anew, recreating yourself are what everyone looks forward to when they begin a new project. So, it is when going away to school, starting again in a new city or joining the army. The novel begins with a description of family life for Philip Bishop. He's graduated from high school with poor grades. His father is gone, his brother, Keith has left home and his mother wants him found. Philip can think of no other solution to his problems than to join an army that's presently fighting the Vietnam War. His barrack mates are Lewis and Hubbard. Both, like Philip, are new recruits and all have been rejected by other members of the unit as untested and unworthy of companionship. The three form a bond when they share guard duty over an ammunition depot. Local officials seek their help to fight a bush fire that could endanger the integrity of their explosives however they refuse. Personalities impact on the stories direction, the barracks thief emerges and life doesn't not unravel as it should. The army can only enforce the appearance of conformity. People are still people.

• Short book - big impact.

  My first Tobias Wolff book - and it is a very good book. Only 100-odd pages it is certainly a quick read, but that in no way diminishes the impact or the power of its story. Wolff gives you just enough subtlety for your brain to get into top gear as you fill out the picture of the three main characters' lives. The story is very simple - of mid-1960s recruits at the end of training and waiting in the limbo that surrounds them before posting to Vietnam. The three bond after their shared guard duty of a remote ammo dump and their cavalier behaviour there. As the characters' lives are filled out the plot develops with some mysterious thefts. The attention to detail in this slim volume is remarkable, and I wanted to know more about where these boys were going and what happens to them in the future. The atmospheric descriptions really put you there - right into their lives. I really felt like I was left wanting more! Maybe that is the best way? I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Wolff's writing.

• Give it a try. You won't regret it.

  I have just discovered this writer after I read a review of one of his books. This is the second one I have read. It is a very slim novel for the price. Wolff is convincing, but I am hesitant to accept the novel as authentic. The novel's main interest is about one man among 3 who enlist in the military during the Viet Nam War. I think that would indicate that Wolff is a contemporary and knows his subject well. In this novel, the reader sees and knows from one character's perspective; however, the entire barracks seems known as well through details. The book limits itself to about 3 or 4 events. More than that would detract from the book rather than enhance it. The ending seems an afterthought, but it's nice to know that things work out without knowing how they worked out.

• Five Stars

  great writer

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