Matterhorn

A Novel of the Vietnam War

By: Karl Marlantes

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 21 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

An incredible publishing story—written over the course of thirty years by a highly decorated Vietnam veteran, a New York Times bestseller for sixteen weeks, a National Indie Next, and a USA Today bestseller—Matterhorn has been hailed as a "brilliant account of war" (New York Times Book Review).

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 the mountain jungle of Vietnam as boys and forced to fight their way into manhood. Standing in their way are not merely the North Vietnamese but also monsoon rain and mud, leeches and tigers, disease and malnutrition. Almost as daunting, it turns out, are the obstacles they discover between each other: racial tension, competing ambitions, and duplicitous superior officers. But when the company finds itself surrounded and outnumbered by a massive enemy regiment, the marines are thrust into the raw and all-consuming terror of combat. The experience will change them forever.

Matterhorn is a visceral and spellbinding novel about what it is like to be a young man at war. It is an unforgettable story that transforms the tragedy of Vietnam into a powerful and universal story of courage, camaraderie, and sacrifice—a parable not only of the war in Vietnam but of all war, and a testament to the redemptive power of literature.

A bonus PDF is included, with maps, a Chain of Command hierarchy, a glossary, and other interesting facts and information.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2010 Karl Marlantes (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“ Matterhorn is one of the most powerful and moving novels about combat, the Vietnam War, and war in general that I have ever read.” (Dan Rather)

“Brings a long, torturous war back to life with realistic characters and authentic, thrilling combat sequences.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“Unforgettable.… A beautifully crafted novel of unrivaled authenticity and power, filled with jungle heroism, crackerjack inventiveness, mud, blood, brotherhood, hatred, healing, terror, bureaucracy, politics, unfathomable waste, and unfathomable love." (Christina Robb, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist)

Tough, truthful and beautiful

Hard book to get through because the subject matter can be frustrating. Great characters. Well written. Truthful... and in that lies the beauty in the book.

And who knew the Balki from 'Perfect Strangers' can narrate the hell out of a book?

Excellent Book

Great Story, sorry when the story ended. The story made me think deeply because the author so clearly described what the characters were thinking .

Engrossing and fantastic

Any additional comments?

I found this to be a powerful novel masterfully read by Bronson Pinchot.

Addicting

This was easily the best book I've come in contact with. I was sad when it ended, wishing for a few more hours. I'm sure my wife is glad it's over, as I couldn't help but sit and listen for hours every night. I certainly hope it doesn't take another 30 years for Lt. Marlantes to write another, I'll be waiting in line if he does.

A masterpiece of writing and narration.

War novels are not my usual reading choice but an interview with the author on the radio intrigued me so I picked it up. I found the first hour or so to be quite dry and slow, but Just as I was at the point of putting the book aside it suddenly came to life. I am not qualified to say whether this book is the best american war novel ever written as some have described it, but it is one of the best books that I have read this year and maybe ever. Yes, It is a graphically brutal, violent, profane, bury you head in your hand in despair read, but it is also a thoughtful. profound study of love, courage, endurance and humanity.It has the most heart of any book I have ever read.
I took a multi media approach to this book as I often do, listened to the audio version concurrently with reading the text version. The audio version is in my opinion a masterpiece. Bronson Pinchot, the narrator, was so brilliant at portraying the action of the plot and the emotions, accents and personality of the many characters in this book that the audio experience was almost traumatic. Can you get PTSD from a book?
I highly recommend this to every reader.

Outstanding

The writing and narration are among the top 5% of the hundreds of audiobooks I've heard. Simply outstanding from every aspect.

An interesting take of the Marines in Vietnam

I am usually not a big war fiction reader and prefer history but this kept showing up in my feed so I broke down. This was a good interest read that spoke to race, motives of war and loss. Some of the characters can be stereotyped but I enjoyed it.

couldnt put the book down good story

Where does Matterhorn rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

it was like i was there and could see it all happening ,men trying to survive the war and do there duty.

A gut level understanding for one who did not go

If you could sum up Matterhorn in three words, what would they be?

Intense, riveting,

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I normally listen an hour at a time as I walk. With this book every opportunity I got I had the headphones on and was listening.

Any additional comments?

For someone who missed being drafted by one year while several friends when over and fought, it finally gave me at least a beginning of the feelings and experiences they must have gone through. I will always have the highest respect for those who go into combat for the US.

Disappointing Narration

Would you listen to Matterhorn again? Why?

No. While the story was good the narration was slow, uninspired and generally a disappointment considering the other works of Pinchot.

How could the performance have been better?

It would have been a big improvement to have a narrator who didn't seem to be bored with the whole thing. There were many times, despite being interested in the narrative, that I wanted to just give up on the book because of the lackluster performance of Pinchot.