Welcome to Mailbox Monday, the weekly meme created by Marcia from The Printed Page where book lovers share the titles they received for review, purchased, or otherwise obtained over the past week. Mailbox Monday currently is on tour, and this month’s host is Julie from Knitting and Sundries.
Here’s what I added to my shelves:
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes, which I received as a birthday gift from Serena and her husband (Thank you!!)
In the sweltering mountains of South Vietnam, a young lieutenant is flown to an isolated, anonymous hill between Laos and the DMZ where a company of Marines is building a fire-support base. It is his first day in the jungle. From the moment his feet hit the mud — the brass have names the hill Matterhorn — his senses are assaulted by a chaotic swirl of monsoon rain and fog, screeching radios and bulldozers, and the stench of almost two hundred men who are some combination of sick, exhausted, filthy, sodden, and scared out of their minds. He has no idea if he is up to this.
So begins the extraordinary story of second lieutenant Waino Mellas and his comrades in Bravo Company. The year is 1969 and Mellas, a reservist with an Ivy League education and a chip on his shoulder, has been assigned to lead a rifle platoon of forty Marines, most of whom are teenagers. He will need the help of his fellow officers: Fitch, the harried company commander who, at twenty-three, is already straining under the weight of his responsibilities; Hawke, the charismatic executive officer who is suspicious of Mellas’s ambition; and Mellas’s fellow platoon leaders, Goodwin and Kendall, who have troubles of their own.
Soon the company is ordered to abandon Matterhorn and embark on a dangerous mission to sever a crucial North Vietnamese supply line. As the Marines navigate the bewildering valleys and switchbacks of the jungle, they endure a series of deadly tests — firefights, mortar attacks, snipers — and are driven forward by a capricious colonel who, thanks to new technology, is trying to fight the war by long-range radio. They are also dogged by racial tension that threatens to tear the company apart. But when the Marines find themselves confronted by a massive enemy regiment, they are thrust into the raw and all-consuming terror of combat. As each man fights for his life and the lives of his friends, Mellas must face the reality of the war, the truth of his motives, and the depth of his commitments. The experience will change him forever.
Written over the course of thirty years by a highly decorated Vietnam veteran, Matterhorn is a visceral and spellbinding novel about what it is like to be a young man at war: the anxiety and anticipation before the first encounter with the enemy; the fear and exhilaration and brutality of fighting; the tedium and relief of downtime; and finally, the bonds between men, and the agony and despair of losing one’s friends. Matterhorn is an unforgettable novel 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. (publisher’s summary)
What books did you add to your shelves recently?
Disclosure: I am an Amazon associate.
© 2010 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
I can’t wait to do the readalong in December for this one.
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I’m excited about it, too. Thanks again! That was an awesome gift!
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I’m looking forward to your review, Anna!
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Look for it later next month. Serena and I are going to read it together for the Vietnam War Reading Challenge. 🙂
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Dunno if I ever have read a book about the Vietnam war..oh wait there was that Graham greene book for class
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I haven’t read Greene yet. You’ll have to let me know which book you read.
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I did not receive/purchase any book this week. Have a pile of unread books. lol…
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I hear you on that! 🙂
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Oh, wow — this looks crazy intense but good! Last year (perhaps the year previous), I read The Quiet American by Graham Green and For Rouenna by Sigrid Nunez — both set during the Vietnam conflict (although at very different points). I look forward to your review so I can decide if I should add it to my TBR.
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I haven’t read either of those. I have to check them out. Serena and I will be doing a buddy read next month. I’m just hoping we’ll finish it in time to count it for the challenge!
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Looks like an interesting book! Enjoy!
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Thanks, Kate!
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I love getting books as gifts. Sounds like a very interesting book!
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Books are the perfect gift for bookworms like us! 😉
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I’ve thought about reading this one eventually. I look forward to your thoughts on it.
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Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish it next month. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it.
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That looks like the perfect birthday gift for you! I hope you enjoy it.
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Thanks, Kathy!
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Ah Matterhorn! The ultimate Vietnam book, I guess? The size of it scares me. I’ve thought about tracking it down on audio maybe. I’ll be interested in what you think…the reviews have been good.
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Well, it really looks longer than it is. It’s only about 560 pages or so. I often read 400 page books, so I’m not intimidated. When I saw it, though, I really thought it was 800 to 1,000 pages!
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This sounds like an intense story. I love getting books as gifts. Enjoy your readalong!
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Thanks, Beth!
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Books are always such wonderful gifts. Enjoy!
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Thanks, Carol!
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Anna, I hope this one will be as good as it sounds! 🙂
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Oh, I hope so, too! 😉
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This sounds like quite an intense novel. I will definitely be looking forward to your review!
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Look for it in late December! 😉
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Happy belated B DAY! Are you a Scorpian too!
Enjoy the read and Happy B DAY!
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Thanks! Yup, I’m a Scorpio!
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happy belated birthday!!! hope you had a good one!
i heard great things about this book and it’s been on my wishlist! i’ll have to keep an eye out for your review to see if it’s worth getting.
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Thanks! It was a great birthday.
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A happy belated birthday wish to you. The book looks good.
I did this meme for the first time yesterday (its Tuesday morning right now!) please come visit.
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Thanks, Mystica! I will check out your post shortly.
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That’s an excellent book for your birthday!! Enjoy 😀
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Thanks, Staci!
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Sounds good! Hope you enjoy it!
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Thanks, Sharon!
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Oh, Matterhorn–excellent birthday present!
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I must agree! 😉
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That is such a great gift 🙂
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Serena knows me too well!
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I just bought this one for my Kindle. I hope to read it before the end of the year:-)
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Great! We might post some discussion questions on War Through the Generations and hope you’ll join us.
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THIS one looks like a great read! Happy Belated Birthday, too! Enjoy it, and I look forward to your review.
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Thanks, Julie!
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Karl Marlantes was in Vancouver in October for the Writers festival. He said it took 30 years to get his book published. You can read more about the event here: http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/2010/10/23rd-vancouver-international-writers.html
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Thanks for the link! I didn’t get a chance to go to D.C. when he was there, but I heard it was great.
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A belated Happy B-day Anna!
And happy reading!
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Thanks, Kim!
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