Shadows. Over Memorial Day weekend, I had the honor and pleasure of reading Karl Marlantes debut novel, Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War. Weighing in at almost two pounds and just under 600 pages, this is a finely written novel that seemed to cover with great respect and care so many key components of that war: brave soldiers performing heroically in bad situations; the pointlessness and futility of why we were there and what we were doing; the foibles of leadership and the relentless politics. Protagonist Lieutenant Waino Mellas becomes a memorable and complex character on these pages, and by the time I turned the last page, I wanted the story to keep going. The memories of the Marines of Bravo Company, especially those killed in battle, remained with me like shadows after I finished the book. Any veteran and anyone who wants a glimpse of what Vietnam was like will likely find this book well worth reading. Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Matterhorn from amazon.com.
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