39 Tim O'Brien Quotes for You to Enjoy

Tim O'Brien

American Author

Born: Oct 1, 1946

About Life Me People War You

When you're so close to material, it would be as if you had come out of a bad marriage. You would be so close to it that you would be paying attention to detail that may not mean a whole lot for the reader. Tim O'Brien

You Marriage Out Bad Detail Would Would-Be Had Attention Come Reader Material Lot Close May Mean Paying Whole

Place is so important to me. The Midwest is like a ghost in my life. It's present as I look out the window now. I see Texas, but if I close my eyes and look out the same window, I'm back in my hometown in Worthington, Minnesota, and I cherish those values and that diction. Tim O'Brien

Life Me Eyes Values My Life Important Back Ghost Those I See Out Minnesota See Window Like Look Cherish Texas Close Diction Same Place Midwest Now Hometown Present

What do you do when you get a draft notice and you think a war is wrong? And I struggled with that for months prior to my being inducted into the army, and I'm still struggling with it, 40 years later. Tim O'Brien

War You Army Think Later Months Struggled Struggling Wrong Prior Still Years Get Being Notice Draft

For me, the way to approach a subject such as Vietnam is through storytelling. Tim O'Brien

Me Approach Way Through Subject Storytelling Vietnam

I didn't get into writing to make money or get famous or any of that. I got into it to hit hearts, and man, when I get letters not just from the soldiers but from their kids, especially their kids, it makes it all worthwhile. Tim O'Brien

Man Writing Money Soldiers Kids Worthwhile Make Makes Got Hit Get Hearts Any Just Famous Letters

In books or films, it is desirable to have a climactic battle scene, but the world does not operate in those gross dramatic terms. In Vietnam, there was a general aimlessness, not just in the physical sense, but beyond that in the moral and ethical sense. Tim O'Brien

Most of the things in 'The Things They Carried' didn't happen to me. Ninety-five percent of it's invented. It's not what occurred. Tim O'Brien

Me Carried Percent Invented Most Occurred Happen Things

Everyone acts stupid at some time in order to be loved. Tim O'Brien

Time Stupid Everyone Some Order Loved Acts

For me, at least, Vietnam was partly love. With each step, each light-year of a second, a foot soldier is always almost dead, or so it feels, and in such circumstances, you can't help but love. Tim O'Brien

Love Me You Soldier Circumstances Foot Step Almost Feels Dead Partly Always Least Vietnam Help Each Second

Unlike Chicago or New York, small-town Minnesota did not allow a man's failings to disappear beneath a veil of numbers. People talked. Secrets did not stay secret. Tim O'Brien

Man People Beneath Secret Unlike Secrets Minnesota Stay Allow Disappear Veil Failings New Talked Chicago Did York New York Numbers