This past week, I read Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien. Though it was long (395 pages), the story was rich, layered, imaginative, and hopeful - despite the background of 'Nam. In this National Book Award winner, a team of soldiers goes after one of their own - Cacciato - who planned to walk from Vietnam to Paris. The men who give chase (Stink, Oscar, Paul Berlin, Doc, Eddie, and the lieutenant) call it a mission, but aren't they, like Cacciato, just running from the war? And is the act of running brave or cowardly? The men trace Cacciato into the Middle East and finally through Europe. They met a girl en route, Sarkin Aung Wan, who helps them escape from tunnels and wants desperately to settle down in an apartment in Paris. Along the way, they encounter water buffalos, earthquakes, jail, sickness, love, monotony, and measures of happiness.
At the same time, the novel skips back to stories from the war, told from Paul Berlin's perspective.
And as per Tim O'Brien's usual, the question of what is real and what is imaginary, what is story and what is fact looms throughout.
The prose here doesn't just pull off a winning story of war; it elevates the tale into the realm of meaningful reflection on life, humankind, and war.
Does Cacciato make it to Paris? Does the team trailing him make it? Can the trip even be made? Here's a tale of a journey that is worth taking.
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