War fiction · Short stories · Literary
The Things They Carried
Linked stories about a platoon in Vietnam, drawn from the author's own experience, list what the soldiers carried and blur fact and memory to show what war does to them.
Facts last checked 2026-10-17
- First published
- 1990
- Pace
- Medium
- Length
- Short
- Pages
- 236
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you like short, literary war fiction that dwells on memory and truth.
Skip this if you want a conventional battlefield plot with a single storyline.
The feel
Content warnings
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Quick answers about The Things They Carried
- What is The Things They Carried about?
- Linked stories about a platoon in Vietnam, drawn from the author's own experience, list what the soldiers carried and blur fact and memory to show what war does to them.
- Who should read The Things They Carried?
- Read it if you like short, literary war fiction that dwells on memory and truth. Skip it if you want a conventional battlefield plot with a single storyline.
- How long and how fast is The Things They Carried?
- It is a medium-paced, short read of about 236 pages, first published in 1990.
- Does The Things They Carried have content warnings?
- Content we flag: War, Death, Violence, Suicide.
- Can I borrow The Things They Carried for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends The Things They Carried; the borrow button above searches it for you.
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| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
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| Ebook | ||
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| Audiobook | ||
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