The Things They Carried

By: Tim O'Brien

Narrated by: Bryan Cranston

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

This modern classic and New York Times best seller was a finalist for both the 1990 Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award and has become a staple of American classrooms. Hailed by The New York Times as "a marvel of storytelling", The Things They Carried’s portrayal of the boots-on-the-ground experience of soldiers in the Vietnam War is a landmark in war writing. Now, three-time Emmy Award winner Bryan Cranston, star of the hit TV series Breaking Bad, delivers an electrifying performance that walks the book’s hallucinatory line between reality and fiction and highlights the emotional power of the spoken word.

The soldiers in this collection of stories carried M-16 rifles, M-60 machine guns, and M-79 grenade launchers. They carried plastic explosives, hand grenades, flak jackets, and landmines. But they also carried letters from home, illustrated Bibles, and pictures of their loved ones. Some of them carried extra food or comic books or drugs. Every man carried what he needed to survive, and those who did carried their shattering stories away from the jungle and back to a nation that would never understand.

This audiobook also includes an exclusive recording “The Vietnam in Me,” a recount of the author’s trip back to Vietnam in 1994, revisiting his experience there as a soldier 25 years before, read by Tim O’Brien himself.

The Things They Carried was produced by Audible Studios in partnership with Playtone, the celebrated film and television production company founded by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, and producer of the award-winning series Band of Brothers, John Adams, and The Pacific, as well as the HBO movie Game Change.

For more from Audible and Playtone, click here.

©1990 Tim O'Brien (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Cranston may be the most charismatic embodiment of moral ambiguity we currently possess. There was always something comforting as well as menacing in Walter White's voice, and Cranston attacks O'Brien's sober, sinewy prose with slightly scary authority.... [I]f you were a binge-watcher of Breaking Bad it will be no big deal to spend six hours in his company here." ( The New York Times Book Review)

"Structurally the novel gestures to William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, while Ryan's sensitive observations on Irish life seem responsive to the work of his compatriot Patrick McCabe. That Ryan does not look out of place in such literary company is a measure of his achievement." ( The Financial Times)

"The best of these stories--and none is written with less than the sharp edge of honed vision--are memory and prophecy. These tell us not where we were but where we are, and perhaps where we will be. . . . It is an ultimate, indelible image of war in our time, and in time to come." ( Los Angeles Times)

"O'Brien's haunting collection of connected stories about the Vietnam War is more alive than ever in this narration. Bryan Cranston's resonant, sometimes formal, performance often leaves the listener reeling. Cranston's voice is deep and patient, laying back to let the characters' collective pain take the fore. Memorable scenes include a man's receipt of his draft notice in "On the Rainy River," battle scenes in "The Man I Killed," and aspects of the war's aftermath in "Speaking of Courage." In all the works, Cranston offers a measured, compassionate voice. O'Brien's stories emphasize the importance of telling the truth of war stories, and Cranston's respect for his intent is clear and comforting. At times, his sonorous tone is hypnotic, but this is more an asset than a liability. All the better to make the listener feel." ( AudioFile)

You may die today. What do you bring?

How do you bring a sense of humanity to war? This book takes a novel approach to telling the stories of soldiers through the things that they carried and why they were so important to them. Faith mixed with superstition mixed with hope, despair, fear, love and honor. I found myself asking what I would take if I were told to go into battle and may not survive the next few hours/days/weeks. I was unable to answer the question personally, but it was fascinating to hear what these young men carried and why it was important enough to bring along.

Excellent Book

What made the experience of listening to The Things They Carried the most enjoyable?

Wonderful stories . it seems that I am with him in that war field .

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Things They Carried?

When he visits that place after 2 decades

What about Bryan Cranston’s performance did you like?

Excellent

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I am planning to carry this along with me all the time . We cry and shout about small fuss in life this real life war story make us feel humble.

Any additional comments?

Would love to read/hear more from this author . i would love to have the authors email id for a direct communication .

What war is really like. Cranston is AWESOME!

Bryan Cranston should read all audiobooks; his voice is the best. This book presents war as like most other human endeavors: messy, disorganized, occasionally terrifying and deadly. Heroism and service exist, but so does inhumanity.

Superior, Provocative, Poignant Vietnam Memoir.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Things They Carried to be better than the print version?

Don't know. Would probably enjoy both equally.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author. What courage.

What does Bryan Cranston bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Profound, compelling, appropriate matter-of-fact telling.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

In every instance in which the author admitted would ordinarily be considered short comings, which actually turned out to be humanizing strengths.

Any additional comments?

On a scale from one to ten, this is a ten.

a bit cumbersome for my taste

Bryan Cranston is an excellent narrator, but the book quickly became a chore about a third to halfway through. It seems like the story is too wordy at times.

Amazing

Vivid
Impeccable
Captivating
Incredible
Righteous
This book is truly amazing. It really conveys an amazing perspective on Nam. Tim is a genius.

A masterpiece!

Would you listen to The Things They Carried again? Why?

I would absolutely listen to this book again. It was extremely well produced, with a great sound quality, masterful writing and amazing performance. Bryan Cranston managed to give life the the characters written by Tim O'Brien in a way that was so poignant, so vivid that it brought the writing to new heights. It was a wonderful and intense experience that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone in search for a high-quality audiobook.

Great profomance classic book

Would you consider the audio edition of The Things They Carried to be better than the print version?

This book works better as an audiobook, not every book is like that. But Tim O'Brien's writing style really lends it's self to to the audio version

Good read for millennials!

This book brought tears to my eyes. It provided me a different perspective of my cousins and uncles who served in the Vietnam war. Excellent writing and reader was phenomenal.
Millennials should listen to this book to gain a perspective of what True human sacrifice and strength is.

Takes you so close to the raw emotions

Would you consider the audio edition of The Things They Carried to be better than the print version?

I hadn't read this so I can't say. However, the audio experience was engrossing.

What about Bryan Cranston’s performance did you like?

The pacing and phrasing, the matter of fact delivery that still conveyed great affect.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Many did.