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Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien - 5* - My Review

Published in 1978, this Vietnam War novel follows an unusual premise: a soldier named Cacciato decides to walk away from the war, heading toward Paris, and his squad sets out to retrieve him. The timeline is non-linear and includes three interwoven layers. We experience the pursuit of Cacciato, protagonist Paul Berlin's thoughts during his night watch at an observation post, and flashbacks to the brutal realities of his squad's war experiences. These layers blur together, creating a dreamlike quality where the line between reality and imagination becomes increasingly indistinct.

The novel explores how imagination and visualization can help soldiers cope with trauma, and the tension between survival instinct and sense of duty. O'Brien's prose is lyrical. He is skilled at evoking the psychological impact of war. It blends realism with surrealism. The story is told in a fragmented manner and is not a book for anyone looking for a traditional war narrative. It conveys a sense of what war can do to a person’s state of mind. It stands out as one of the most innovative and insightful works of war literature I have read.

After reading a couple of Tim O'Brien's books I put this on my tbr where it has remained for over a decade. Maybe your review will be the impetus to move it up.

I really enjoy his writing style, which, as you know, is one of the elements I most value in my reading.