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In the Lake of the Woods: A Novel
Por Tim O'Brien
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A politician’s past war crimes are revealed in this psychologically haunting novel by the National Book Award–winning author of The Things They Carried.
Vietnam veteran John Wade is running for senate when long-hidden secrets about his involvement in wartime atrocities come to light. But the loss of his political fortunes is only the beginning of John’s downfall. A retreat with his wife, Kathy, to a lakeside cabin in northern Minnesota only exacerbates the tensions rising between them. Then, within days of their arrival, Kathy mysteriously vanishes into the watery wilderness.
When a police search fails to locate her, suspicion falls on the disgraced politician with a violent past. But when John himself disappears, the questions mount—with no answers in sight. In this contemplative thriller, acclaimed author Tim O’Brien examines America’s legacy of violence and warfare and its lasting impact both at home and abroad.
Vietnam veteran John Wade is running for senate when long-hidden secrets about his involvement in wartime atrocities come to light. But the loss of his political fortunes is only the beginning of John’s downfall. A retreat with his wife, Kathy, to a lakeside cabin in northern Minnesota only exacerbates the tensions rising between them. Then, within days of their arrival, Kathy mysteriously vanishes into the watery wilderness.
When a police search fails to locate her, suspicion falls on the disgraced politician with a violent past. But when John himself disappears, the questions mount—with no answers in sight. In this contemplative thriller, acclaimed author Tim O’Brien examines America’s legacy of violence and warfare and its lasting impact both at home and abroad.
Acciones del libro
Comenzar a leerInformación sobre el libro
In the Lake of the Woods: A Novel
Por Tim O'Brien
Descripción
A politician’s past war crimes are revealed in this psychologically haunting novel by the National Book Award–winning author of The Things They Carried.
Vietnam veteran John Wade is running for senate when long-hidden secrets about his involvement in wartime atrocities come to light. But the loss of his political fortunes is only the beginning of John’s downfall. A retreat with his wife, Kathy, to a lakeside cabin in northern Minnesota only exacerbates the tensions rising between them. Then, within days of their arrival, Kathy mysteriously vanishes into the watery wilderness.
When a police search fails to locate her, suspicion falls on the disgraced politician with a violent past. But when John himself disappears, the questions mount—with no answers in sight. In this contemplative thriller, acclaimed author Tim O’Brien examines America’s legacy of violence and warfare and its lasting impact both at home and abroad.
Vietnam veteran John Wade is running for senate when long-hidden secrets about his involvement in wartime atrocities come to light. But the loss of his political fortunes is only the beginning of John’s downfall. A retreat with his wife, Kathy, to a lakeside cabin in northern Minnesota only exacerbates the tensions rising between them. Then, within days of their arrival, Kathy mysteriously vanishes into the watery wilderness.
When a police search fails to locate her, suspicion falls on the disgraced politician with a violent past. But when John himself disappears, the questions mount—with no answers in sight. In this contemplative thriller, acclaimed author Tim O’Brien examines America’s legacy of violence and warfare and its lasting impact both at home and abroad.
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A connection that I have made to the book so far is the election that John is in somewhat relates to the current events happening today with the 2016 election coming up for the U.S president. This connection helped me understand the process that john is going through in the story and why his recent war incidents are now coming up and hurting his chances. Then It also helps me understand how devastating it is when he eventually loses and how it effects him and his wife and how he eventually makes the decision to move to the cabin after the loss. One Literary term I noticed was there was a lot of cool diction used throughout the story. I think the diction was at first a part of johns character and it was used to show that he was smart and could use the words and then it showed more detail and added emphasis on what was happening in the story. The diction was used to paint a picture in my head so I could further understand what was happening and gave the book a whole other aspect that made is way more interesting then a regular book with out diction had.
Rating: 4In speaking about this novel, O'Brien states that this work interrogates the fine line between biology and spirit," between some literal, if unknowable, "truth" and the "truth" whose only evidence is the story that contains it. And in my opinion, it is the incapacity to register reality that becomes the main character of this novel.In the Lake of the Woods begins conventionally enough. Rising politician John Wade, a decorated Vietnam veteran and Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota by 37, has lost the primary election for US Senate when secrets he thought were long buried emerge in the glare of public scrutiny. His opponent uncovered the fact that Wade was present at a massacre in the Vietnamese village of Thuan Yen, which is the local name for a place better known to history as My Lai, where on March 16, 1968, between 200 and 500 civilians were butchered by a company of American soldiers commanded by Lieut. William Calley. In the aftermath of these grisly revelations, John and his wife, Kathy recede to a secluded cabin on the lake. Only a few pages in, and thus not much time given to muster empathy for this character, Kathy disappears. At this point, the novel turns into a speculative meditation around the events of both Kathy's disappearance and the Vietnam war.Deeply affected by the brutality of war, John Wade lives in a reality rifled with smoke and mirrors to escape reality. Even as a child, Wade was obsessed with magic and would conjure up the image of a father who loved him. A Dostoevsky quote best sums up the state of John's character: "There are things man is even afraid to tell himself and ever decent man has a considerable number of such things stored away...Man is bound to lie about himself." And indeed, John is a calculated caricature of a loving husband, decorated war hero and dashing politician.The structure of this novel only serves to underscore John's fragmented psyche, but also leaves the reader wanting more. There are three kinds of story in "In the Lake of the Woods." The first is a conventional, remote third-person account of plain facts, the events that can be reconstructed without conjecture, more or less. The second kind of story appears in several chapters called "Evidence": collections of quotations, excerpts from interviews, actual court martial testimony, and readings that bear on the Wade case. The third kind of story appears in chapters called "Hypothesis"; it tries to suggest what might have happened to Kathleen Wade in the days after she disappeared. The reader doesn’t, and isn’t supposed to know, what is fact and what is supposition.At it's finest, In the Lake of the Woods reflects on the long lasting legacy of war and matters such as truth, time and inward responsibility. It questions whether culpability can be parceled out, whether it belongs to the deed or the doer or merely to what the narrator calls the "poisonous sunlight of Vietnam". But at it's worst, the novel is a derivative, slow and often too structurally messy to follow.
Rating: 3I'm shocked this book hasn't received a higher rating on Goodreads. O'Brien's message was beautiful, he wrote masterfully, and made me think immensely.
Here is what the book is actually about:
*Loving a person so much that you devote your life to becoming "one" with them, or, rather, losing yourself in them.
*Building "mirrors" in your mind, to shield yourself from the real world.
*Learning to deal with, or not deal with, a traumatic past.
*Realizing that when you fall in love with somebody so deeply, you are liable to do anything.. to have it take over your life.. to become nothing but nature acting upon itself.. think: "one plus one equals zero"
*Exploring the depth of human nature--what is at the bottom of our souls. How we are so completely unique at our depth, and yet the same, and yet still different. At what level can we relate, and therefore love?
O'Brien obviously left the ending to be open-ended, even drawing out beautifully described possible endings to this love story. I feel strongly that he did this to make a point--the ending is not so important. "Figuring out the ending" of this novel is NOT what the novel is about, and shame on those that think of this novel poorly for leaving such a wildly unclear mystery ending. What IS important is what leads up to the ending... the forces that could lead us to do a number of any of the suggested altnerative ending scenes to our lives.
This novel is about putting up so many mirrors and detaching yourself from reality so completely that you cease to exist in it. You become nothing, you are lost in the pattern and uncaring nature of the lake, you are in the middle world, of the not living but not accepted as dead, one plus one equals zero. Nothing. You could be anything but yet nothing. I think the story has a fantasty ending. I think John and Kathy slip into each other, into nothing, and out of the world. They lose themselves so completely that they become whatever the reader believes them to be, because they have lost their purchase on reality. They have swallowed each other up, and face the consequences: madness; uncontrollable, raging, poignant emotion; death?
Is man a monster for doing his best? Is man a monster for following his heart and loving so intensely? Is man a monster for losing control of himself? Is John Wade a monster?
I do not think so.
Rating: 5Here is what the book is actually about:
*Loving a person so much that you devote your life to becoming "one" with them, or, rather, losing yourself in them.
*Building "mirrors" in your mind, to shield yourself from the real world.
*Learning to deal with, or not deal with, a traumatic past.
*Realizing that when you fall in love with somebody so deeply, you are liable to do anything.. to have it take over your life.. to become nothing but nature acting upon itself.. think: "one plus one equals zero"
*Exploring the depth of human nature--what is at the bottom of our souls. How we are so completely unique at our depth, and yet the same, and yet still different. At what level can we relate, and therefore love?
O'Brien obviously left the ending to be open-ended, even drawing out beautifully described possible endings to this love story. I feel strongly that he did this to make a point--the ending is not so important. "Figuring out the ending" of this novel is NOT what the novel is about, and shame on those that think of this novel poorly for leaving such a wildly unclear mystery ending. What IS important is what leads up to the ending... the forces that could lead us to do a number of any of the suggested altnerative ending scenes to our lives.
This novel is about putting up so many mirrors and detaching yourself from reality so completely that you cease to exist in it. You become nothing, you are lost in the pattern and uncaring nature of the lake, you are in the middle world, of the not living but not accepted as dead, one plus one equals zero. Nothing. You could be anything but yet nothing. I think the story has a fantasty ending. I think John and Kathy slip into each other, into nothing, and out of the world. They lose themselves so completely that they become whatever the reader believes them to be, because they have lost their purchase on reality. They have swallowed each other up, and face the consequences: madness; uncontrollable, raging, poignant emotion; death?
Is man a monster for doing his best? Is man a monster for following his heart and loving so intensely? Is man a monster for losing control of himself? Is John Wade a monster?
I do not think so.
About Viet Nam. Though set in the 80s and 90s. The after effect. A couple. Crisis in the present because the husband was involved with atrocities in Vietnam that came to light. That trauma was the background, the ground of the marriage. The wife disappears. Narrative goes back and forth in time. Mmostly focalized with the husband but not entirely. His memory/ thought is unreliable. Mysterious even to him. What happened. Never entirely sure. Back and forth across an era and beyond. The narrative keeps circling in my mind. (Listened on audible.)
Rating: 4This novel has haunted me since I finished it over a week ago. The reader really isn't sure about much of anything in 'In the Lake of the Woods' except for the Vietnam passages and the fact that the main character lost an election. The rest almost seems like an extended dream sequence. Nothing is as it seems, or maybe some of it is? I've continued to think about it since closing it out and I assume that's what Mr. O'Brien intended.
The book has a unique structure. The 'evidence' chapters include a bunch of references, citations, quotations, interviews, and other material relevant to the main character's past, his current situation, and speculation about what may have occurred. It's a unique approach that I thought added context to the story line. The writing is superb, the dialogue is great, and the plot is both unusual and compelling. The ending isn't exactly what I expected, but it was a possibility I should have identified.
This was my first encounter with a Tim O'Brien book but won't be my last. He's a wonderful writer and this is a great book. I know he's characterized as a Viet Nam war-focused author, and although the war was certainly a key part of this story there were much bigger themes involved. It was a 'different' book, but I loved it.
Rating: 5The book has a unique structure. The 'evidence' chapters include a bunch of references, citations, quotations, interviews, and other material relevant to the main character's past, his current situation, and speculation about what may have occurred. It's a unique approach that I thought added context to the story line. The writing is superb, the dialogue is great, and the plot is both unusual and compelling. The ending isn't exactly what I expected, but it was a possibility I should have identified.
This was my first encounter with a Tim O'Brien book but won't be my last. He's a wonderful writer and this is a great book. I know he's characterized as a Viet Nam war-focused author, and although the war was certainly a key part of this story there were much bigger themes involved. It was a 'different' book, but I loved it.
This novel made me shiver.
Rating: 5John Wade has just badly lost a primary election for U.S. Senator from Minnesota after revelations that he was one of the soldiers involved in the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War. John and his wife Kathy have retreated to a secluded cabin at the Lake of the Woods. After Kathy and a boat go missing, neither to be seen again, there is speculation about whether she ran away or if John had a hand in her disappearance.John was known as Sorcerer in Vietnam because of his practice of magic and trickery. He began magic as a child as a way to control something in an unhappy life. He’s still a tortured person and his love of Kathy is so intense as to be unhealthy.The truth of what happens to Kathy, and later John, is withheld, just as John has always attempted to conceal the truth of who he is and what he’s done. He’s hidden his true self from the voters, Kathy, everyone.In The Lake of The Woods can be considered an indictment of politicians, politics in general, certainly the Vietnam War, and war itself. The book tries to explore what can’t be fully comprehended: why people do the terrible things they do to each other, and how do they attempt to overcome it.
Rating: 5This is one of those books that you need to read fairly quickly in order to get the full effect, but it is an easy read with an engaging (if nontraditional) format. O'Brien will draw you in and keep you engaged here, in what you could call nontraditional mystery or literary fiction. If you're looking for entertainment, it's worth a read.
Rating: 4This book is remarkable for several resons: its postmodern narrative; its ability to blend mystery with political and social commentary; and, its presentation of life's complexities, randomness, and uncertainty.This is a great book.
Rating: 5I don't read novels about war. If I am attracted to a book by an interesting cover design and I see the words, "Vietnam War," anywhere on the back cover, I immediately put it down. I found this book at a Goodwill and, despite its subject matter, was intrigued by the plethora of glowing reviews. I am thrilled that I ignored my initial instincts and would gladly read any book written by Tim O'Brien, no matter the topic. From the opening lines, Mr. O'Brien creates an atmosphere of foreboding, of impending horror. His language is spare, yet remarkably poetic. The story of a popular politician who has lost a big election due to the revelation of his involvement in the My Lai massacre plays out slowly, like a mystery. His almost complete denial of his role in the horror illustrates the utter mutability of truth in memory. How we can choose to revise history - our own personal history or the history of a nation. Like the boyhood magician seeking his father's approval, he cultivates a talent for making things conveniently disappear. Even his disillusioned wife -who has either been murdered or, if one chooses to believe the alternative version of her final hours that is presented, has merely drifted away, despairing, into the ether. This book is, at once, disturbing, heartfelt, beautifully written and deeply moving. Truly rates a full five stars.
Rating: 5A gripping and suspenseful exploration of wildnerness, boundaries, and illusion -- literal and psychological. There are many questions raised in this book, and really no conclusive answers. If you like your novels straightforward and pat, give this one a wide berth.If you find yourself drawn to books that explore the motivations (sometimes murky) of characters, feature narrators that may or may not be reliable, and ask tough questions about the reality of our lives (to what extent does illusion actually shape reality? what happens to our illusions/reality when we enter into uncharted territory?), then you will really enjoy this novel.Highly recommended.
Rating: 5This is a real page turner, creatively beautiful and exquisitely styled. It is an exceedingly unsettling and disturbing tale weaving history and mystery together.John Wade, is a 41 year old Viet Nam veteran whose recently failed Minnesota senatorial bid shatters his facade of success. As a child John was an illusionist and as an adult politician he honed these skills.Seeking solace from defeat, John and his wife Kathy vacation in the deep Minnesota woods where John's tether to reality snaps. A veteran of the My Lai massacre, John's flashbacks merge with the present day in a frightening nightmare quality.Late one night while boiling a kettle of water for tea, John decides to boil and kill the houseplants. Mentally disorganized and rapidly deteriorating, he vaguely remembers the possibility of walking down the hall to his wife's bedroom with another pot of boiling water...then awakens the next day to find her gone.O'Brien is masterful in his ability to use the dark woods as a metaphor regarding inner secrets and demons, blending illusion with reality as we walk the slippery path of insanity with John in his search for truth.
Rating: 5This novel is put together in way totally new to me. Some chapters are devoted to the story line. Others are Hypothesis, some are Evidence, and others are flash-backs. I ordinarily don't care for mysteries, but I couldn't put this down. Very well done,even though you know the outcome from the very beginning!
Rating: 5A dark and bleak story of one man's fight to stay sane, a man who was damaged by his father's alcoholism and suicide and then further by the Vietnam War, having been with the company that was at Thuan Yen with Lieutenant Calley. When John Wade's wife goes missing, questions and theories abound. This isn't a feel-good book, but it is a thought-provoking book showing the reader that there are many shades of black and white.
Rating: 5I hesitated about recommending this book, but it is so powerfully written, and some of the scenes – particularly the more horrific ones – are so vivid that I had to recommend it solely on that basis. (I won’t reveal the particulars of one very powerful scene, but I am sure the grotesque events described in excruciating detail will stay with me for a very long time.)The main problem I had with this book is that it focuses almost completely on two incidents in the main character’s life: his participation in the massacre at My Lai during the Vietnam War and an incident in an isolated cabin at a northern Minnesota lake many years ago. Granted, these are the pivotal events of John Wade’s life (as is the suicide of his father, which is also constantly touched upon), but the narrative continually circles these two events, so that after several chapters it feels as if we are going over the same ground over and over again. We crave some new information, and the horror loses its power to horrify, particularly in the Vietnam scenes. The book spirals back out of this pattern at the end when it becomes very dark, very disturbing and very engrossing yet again.Another reason I liked the book was its narrative structure; it reads like the unfinished manuscript of a frustrated true-crime writer. This unnamed writer gradually becomes another character in the story, whose obsession with what happened at the Lake of the Woods and the mystery of Kathy Wade’s disappearance drives the story forward. At the end, this mystery is never neatly solved, which may annoy some readers, but I enjoyed the ambiguity and the opportunity to make up my own mind about what happened between the husband and wife in the dark night.
Rating: 4It's not that long ago that the events surrounding the massacre of My Lai reverberated in the minds of Americans. The men of Charlie Company were sent on a search and destroy mission which got out of hand and resulted in the death of approximately 300 unarmed civilians."In the Lake of the Woods," tells of John and Kathy Wade, who are together at that lake. They are trying to figure out what John will do after a landslide loss in a political campaign. He had been a rising star, politically, being lieutenant governor at age thirty-seven. From this lofty success, he doesn't know how he'll deal with the end of his dreams.The author describes John and Kathy's early life at the U. Minnesota, the letters to Vietnam and his marriage after being discharged.They were offered the cabin after John's staggering political loss. At first things seemed normal. However, John awakens one morning and Kathy has disappeared. Perhaps there was a blackout but John cannot remember what might have caused this.What is interesting is that the author provides various scenarios. Did Kathy run off? Did John kill her and hide the body? Did she have an accident on the lake?With Tim O'Brien's journalistic manner of writing, he describes John's actions while stationed in Vietnam as a member of Charlie Company. The story is filled with quoted statements from other participants in the massacre. This adds realism and makes us wonder what the psychological effect of these actions were on John.John's character is well described as is the setting and historical happenings in Vietnam. Perhaps John is an extreme example of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome which not only caused the downfall of this politician on the rise but led to whatever happened between John and his wife.This dark novel is an imaginative and stimulating portrayal of the aftermath of war and the disolution of a man's spirit and possibly, his life.
Rating: 4Expectations - they ruin books. I picked this one from a line up at the library. Just entering October, there was a shelf of horror books. I thought that was where I got this book. However, I assume this book was actually in a "literary/mystery" shelf. I'm OK with mystery's, but I do not recall ever enjoying a book labeled "literary." Unlikeable lead characters - they also ruin books for me. There were many characters I liked in the book: the sheriff, the old/wise neighbor, and the neighbors wife, to name three. The senator, the one who killed his wife, and the senator's wife herself, were irritating. Unresolved mysteries - I think that is how this book ends. There is footnote in this oddly formatted novel that states the mystery will not be solved. Earlier in the review I wrote the senator killed his wife. I think he did it. However, I do not know for sure. I do not think it is revealed. The book was unreadable at the end. I started reading only the first and last sentence of paragraphs. I ended up not finishing.
Rating: 1Pretty good book...doesn't just TELL you what happens (you have to decide for yourself)...and it makes one wonder, what does your decision on the book say about your view of human nature?
Rating: 4Four stars for this one on the basis of the writing alone. Every time I closed this book, having to go off somewhere instead of finishing it all at once like I wanted to, I felt satisfied by the little taste of excellent writing I'd received. O'Brien pulls the reader right into the story, putting us in uniform right beside Sorcerer in Vietnam, and shoulder-to-shoulder with John as he sneaks around spying on Kathy. An overarching feeling of hopelessness seems to seep right out of the pages, making the reader sympathize with the characters, if not exactly like them. Yes, John's stalker-ish behaviour is strange and creepy, and the soldiers' actions in Vietnam horrific, but, in some way, O'Brien makes you understand where they're coming from.That said, if you're looking for a typical "mystery," in which we eventually find out what really happened and everything is explained, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Nothing in this story is as concrete as that, but it's beautiful to read.
Rating: 4How could I not have read this book sooner? It’s been around since 1994. Maybe you, too, have been missing out on IN THE LAKE OF THE WOODS for 20 years. Read it now.It’s about a politician and his memories and his need for love. It’s about keeping secrets, the effects of war, a missing wife, and some possible explanations. But it’s the way this story is told that makes this book unputdownable.I won’t tell you the story. Read it. And read the footnotes.
Rating: 5A fascinating psychological history-mystery with an ambiguous ending. Did the two snakes each each other up until they disappeared? Yes, but how?
Rating: 4The author of The Things They Carried is at it again with this book — and he’s at it again with equal acuity, adeptness and aptitude.
Tim O’Brien moves away from the trenches and rice paddies of Vietnam to come home to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (if memory serves…I read this book several months ago), but the trenches and rice paddies of Vietnam won’t move away from Tim O’Brien.
We, of course, are the ongoing beneficiaries of his authorial brilliance. I don’t know that he has another (or even several) book(s) in him whose focal point is not the Vietnam War, but let’s hope for all readers of serious literature that he does. I, for one, wouldn’t like to be deprived of one scintilla from Tim O’Brien’s particular pen.
RRB
04/16/11
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Rating: 5Tim O’Brien moves away from the trenches and rice paddies of Vietnam to come home to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (if memory serves…I read this book several months ago), but the trenches and rice paddies of Vietnam won’t move away from Tim O’Brien.
We, of course, are the ongoing beneficiaries of his authorial brilliance. I don’t know that he has another (or even several) book(s) in him whose focal point is not the Vietnam War, but let’s hope for all readers of serious literature that he does. I, for one, wouldn’t like to be deprived of one scintilla from Tim O’Brien’s particular pen.
RRB
04/16/11
Brooklyn, NY, USA
The Lake In The Woods by Tim O'BrienStory of Wayne and wife Cathy and his attempts to become a state senator are over with. They take a trip to the lake where there is a forest to recoup and reconnect with one another.Problem is there is a deep chasm between them and one day he wakes up to find his wife gone. He is investigated as the cops not found her and the story goes back in time to when he served in Vietnam.Horrid scenes unfold. Her sister comes to help search for her and her talks with Wayne reveal the past secrets and also how his wife hated the political campaigns. Magic, illusions, sorcery, Pat fears Wayne has killed Cathy...as a child his father bullied and teased him due to his weight...I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Rating: 3I could not put this book down. An often unsettling and uncertain story that O'Brien executes very well. Beginning with and exploring the issues related to the disappearance of the protagonist's wife in remote Minnesota, the book explores the character's childhood, experience in Vietnam, his marriage, and his political career. The book raises a number of interesting questions about the nature of many relationships, both intimate and otherwise, as well as the nature of memory, issues of loss, and magic, to name a few. A quick, gripping, and provocative read.
Rating: 4The first 40 pages of this book almost had me put the book down. I couldn't stand the "evidence" chapters. They seemed so gimmicky and lazy. I kept reading however and for the most part enjoyed the rest of the story. There are some truly well written passages, but I just couldn't get past the "footnotes as narrative" mechanism for telling this story. Perhaps it’s the history buff in me. Perhaps it’s my undergrad memorization of the Chicago Style Writing Manual. Whatever it is, using footnotes to indiscriminately describe fictional and nonfictional elements just irked me. From the get go, I knew that there was not going to be an official ending to this mystery. But by the time I got to the end, Tim O'Brien was inserting footnotes in the "evidence" chapters describing his personal feelings and takes on the characters as if they were real people. This really bothered me because these were fictional characters he created and he seemed to be trying to give us another point of view on them by implying that he really didn't know what they were up to. Post-modern some might say, but as far as story telling goes it was just confusing and it really didn't help me think about it in any new way. It just seemed like poor writing. I will give him this: the character of John Wade was a messed up dude, even before the war. A very convincing creeper. I really couldn't figure out why Kathy was in love with him. He didn't really exhibit any healthy qualities. Perhaps Kathy just found all the stalking and lack of communication romantic? Anyway, the chapters that dealt with the war were the most fascinating to me, and makes me want to read more something nonfiction by Tim O'Brien.Also, the setting of The Lake of the Woods was a good pick and he did a great job of making me feel the emptiness and monotony of the place, in spite of its apparent beauty. I ended up exploring the google earth Lake of the Woods for a good half hour, and indeed it is immense and foreboding. I could easily see someone getting lost in a boat out there. I also liked the cartographic anomaly of “The Angle” and how this could have been incorporated more into the book.So, what does Mr. O'Brien want us to get out of this story? Some things come to mind: the Vietnam War could make a kinda creepy guy into a really messed up creepy guy; or in the end it doesn't really matter if a guy gets away with murder, there is no point in having closure. Perhaps it is just that society can never be the judge of complex human lives. Was it ambiguity that O’Brien was going for? Or maybe he just couldn’t make up his mind.Overall, a pretty good story, scarred by creative yet confusing use of post-modern footnotes.
Rating: 3A great mystery that offers a dozen different answers but ultimately ends ambiguously, but he open feel only adds to the scintillating mystery. O'Brien's characters are slowly revealed through the chapters as more complex with deeper, darker secrets than you could imagine. One of the best features of this novel is the fact that the landscape, nature, and setting in general all reflect the emotions of the characters and their actions; it even reflects the reader's own suspicions. The symbolism in the lake of the woods--and the woods themselves--is amazing. This novel also begs the question, is a happy ending so difficult to believe in? And why do we need an answer? Isn't the fun of mysteries the not knowing? Once we know the secret to the magic trick, it's not half as charming or clever as we thought...Overall, a great book, if a little chilling. It certainly makes you think (but not overthink).
Rating: 5No one writes about the horrors of the Vietnam War, from those who were there, than O'Brien. Having long ago read "The Things They Carried" and loved it, picked up a copy of this one at a used book sale. This book is enormously disturbing on so very many levels, e.g., a U.S. soldier carrying out unhuman orders; a man living with the horror as he tries to assimilate back into life; reflection of an alcohlic father who died far too soon; a troubled marriage that was obsessive from the onset; and that past that brings a politician crumbling down. O'Brien is also a master of the surreal ... is it real, is it not, is it imagined? But all that said, the overt mystery we never see solved grew tedious for me. The character development is so excellent and the outside "evidence" sources fascinating, but the book basically has various endings and lets the reader draw conclusions as to what happened. That ultimately made it a rather unsatisfying read as it felt like snippets of life, not a true story. I guess the point is that life is a mystery, but still, I had hoped for more. But I am glad I read it, the vivid imagery, both good and bad, will resonate for some time, it is that powerful. Only recommended for those with incredibly strong stomachs (the most horrific "fictional" scenes of war in recent memory) and a desire to learn about the dark underbelly of human nature. Not for everyone, but if you like your fiction dark and disturbing, you will like this one.
Rating: 3This is many different stories rolled into one. It is the story of an abused childhood. It is a vicious Vietnam War documentary. It is a quiet mystery. It is a love-with-abandon story and a tangled tragedy. John Wade is an Vietnam vet who lost the election for a seat in the U.S. Senate. The campaign was a complete disaster prompting John to take his wife, Kathy, to a secluded cabin in Lake of the Woods, Minnesota, so that he might lick his wounds in private. After a week away from the world Kathy inexplicably disappears. Using flashbacks to John's childhood, college days, tour in Vietnam & relationship with Kathy, John's psychological history is revealed. As a young child his father taunted him about his weight, teased him relentlessly about his obsession with magic. John learned at an early age to hide his feelings by imagining mirrors in his head, mirrors that reflected the world he wanted to live in and how he wanted people to treat him. In college his obsession with his future wife Kathy was like a sickness. He would spy on her incessantly, claiming he loved her too much to leave her alone. He would not spend hours doing this, but entire days. Then there was Vietnam. His enduring love of magic prompted the soldiers in his company to nickname him "Sorcerer." This, along with the mirrors still in his head, allowed John to become someone else during the atrocities of war. He believed his violent actions were not his own because they belonged to Sorcerer. Throughout dating in college and during the political campaign as man and wife Kathy and John's relationship was never on the same page. He spied. She needed space. She wanted children but when she became pregnant he convinced her to abort. He loved the campaign trail. She wanted off it. But did that mean John had something to do with her disappearance? O'Brien introduces a kernel of doubt when he describes Kathy lost in the maze of rivers beyond Lake of the Woods. The boat is missing after all...
Rating: 5So very well written that you begin to accept that these events, or perhaps something very similar, have probably happened a time or two. Everyone has hidden places buried deep and Tim O'Brien explores those places inside John Wade in this terrific mystery. Two things I really liked. First, how the Lake of the Woods metaphorically sums up those hidden places. Second, how the phrase "one plus one equals zero" so perfectly describes the whole book. I loved it.
Rating: 5Pulls off a remarkably unified mystery, pollitical narrative, solitude story, and war recollection. Marriage issues are presented alongside war atrocities from Vietnam and native American conflicts to great dramatic effect. Feels specifically Minnesotan in both setting and character personalities. What ambiguity there is at the end is not the frustrating sort, because every possibility is implied or speculated on in the narrative
Rating: 5