About this title: The winner of the 1979 National Book Award for fiction, GOING AFTER CACCIATO captures the peculiar blend of horror and hallucinatory comedy that marked this, the strangest of wars. Reality and fantasy merge in this fictional account of one private's sudden decision to lay down his rifle and begin a quixotic journey from the fields of Indochina to the streets of Paris. Will Cacciato reach his destination? Or will he be yet another casualty of a conflict that seems to have no end? In its memorable evocation of men both fleeing and meeting the demands of the battle, GOING AFTER CACCIATO stands ...
read more
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Delta
Date Published: 1979-02-01
ISBN-13:9780385283496ISBN:0385283490
Description: Fair. Paperbacks are previously owned. They are all in readable condition. They may have previous owners stamps, labels or names written or on them. The covers and spine may have creasing from previously being read. The corners may be bumped and there may be a small number of bent pages. Older books may have fading/discoloration due to light exposure. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Dell
Date Published: 1987
ISBN-13:9780440329657ISBN:0440329655
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Cover shows wear with creases/corner curls; name on inside front cover, pages appear unmarked & only lightly tanned. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Dell 1992. Winner of the National Book Award. Loose Binding. Previous Owners Notes on Inside Front Cover. Worn Along Spine and Edges. All books in VG or better condition. read more
"This is a tough book to give five stars to. Not because it isn't worthy, but because it is bound to be misleading. Going after Cacciato begins innocently enough. We meet Paul Berlin, a private in Vietnam and we meet his squadmates and we begin to see the struggles and the triumphs of these men. Then Cacciato, a happy idiot along the lines of Chancy the gardener (from the film Being There) who decides he's had enough and he's going to walk the 8,600 miles to France. Thus begins the chase and thus begins the book in earnest.
Going After Cacciato is a book about the war. It is a war that not that many people agree about and fewer people understand. And so Paul Berlin is not a reliable narrator. He knows he is not reliable, but he is attempting to straighten out the facts and to understand them. Also, however, he is trying to deceive himself. This makes for some surprising reading. The book takes a series of more and more surprising turns that begin to make the reader question what, exactly is going on. What is going on, however, is a war that is a just as crazy.
Is this an anti-war book? Sure. It's certainly not pro-war. I would argue that it seems to be, instead, a representation of the war as it was perceived, both by the soldiers as well as the public. It succeeds amazingly, both in its representations of the real and the unreal. It is confusing, but with reason and it will become clear to the astute reader who pushes forward."
"I read this book for a class, and I never thought I was going to enjoy it. People in my class were struggling with the point of view, the changing timelines, and the general narrative structure of it. And yet, it turned out to be so very enjoyable. It was the first book about combat in Viet Nam that I have actually enjoyed without walking away feeling horribly depressed. It was a fast read that struggles with the concepts of how to pass time during wartime. It was funny in places that you wouldn't expect comedy at all. Definitely worth the hype by the professor."
"I'm still planning on getting to O'Brien's Vietnam memoir, and I hope it's as driven by honest insecurity as Going After Cacciato. This book was like a mix between Pynchon and Mailer, gritty detail and expansive imagination. O'Brien's demons skulk in the background, only able to be confronted in his middle shift guard duty as he watches and ponders the unlikely union between himself and the land of Vietnam. Paul Berlin, the main character, asks hard questions and avoids them at the same time, rarely venturing an answer when that answer is just another guess. He looks to others, takes their and his own absurdity in stride, and becomes, in a sense, redeemed. He doesn't stop at existential dilemma. He keeps going further and asking why, not as a member of a deluded youth movement, but rather as a representative of a generation of children who have not yet understood the world."
This book is like a puzzle that needs to be pieced together requiring a second read. There are several stories going on in the book. One focusing on Paris, the Observation post, and lastly the war. Interestingly, there are imaginary characters all in the Paris story. For instance, Sarkin Aung Wan as hinted by her gold hooped earrings. The reason for the scatterred events is murder. Paul Berlin wants to forget and as a result scatters his memories involving the murder of Lt. Sidney Martin. Afterall, he did touch the grenade as did everyone else except Cacciato. And in reality, the real reason they are going after Cacciato is because he holds their secret.
Yes, there was a flaw concerning Rudy like how he was on the plane but never got off that I will let slide as should the rest of you. =)"
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
