Title: Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War

Author: Karl Marlantes

Narrator: Bronson Pinchot


Length of Audio book: 21 hours, 10 minutes

First Released: 2010

Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell’s Books): “Intense, powerful, and compelling, Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War is an epic war novel in the tradition of Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead and James Jones’s The Thin Red Line. It is the timeless story of a young Marine lieutenant, Waino Mellas, and his comrades in Bravo Company, who are dropped into the mountain jungle of Vietnam as boys and forced to fight their way into manhood. Standing in their way are not merely the North Vietnamese but also monsoon rain and mud, leeches and tigers, disease and malnutrition. Almost as daunting, it turns out, are the obstacles they discover between each other: racial tension, competing ambitions, and duplicitous superior officers. But when the company finds itself surrounded and outnumbered by a massive enemy regiment, the Marines are thrust into the raw and all-consuming terror of combat. The experience will change them forever.

Written by a highly decorated Marine veteran over the course of thirty years, Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War is a spellbinding and unforgettable novel that brings to life an entire world — both its horrors and its thrills — and seems destined to become a classic of combat literature.”

Comments and Critique:  Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War is hands-down the best book I’ve read/experienced this year. Mr. Marlantes not only explores a realistic portrayal of life as a Marine during the Vietnam War, he expands into human nature, the idea of relationships, and how ambition and race can impact them.

Through his cast of characters, their experiences, and their growth over a short period of time, Mr. Marlantes hints at questions that everyone should consider prior to committing to future wars. War is indeed hell, but who exactly does it impact/affect the most? For the Vietnam War, who exactly was the enemy? Was it truly the North Vietnamese Army, the politicians in Washington, rear command? Should we not figure this out before committing ourselves and our soldiers?

Mr. Marlantes is not afraid to present the truth in all its horror. More importantly, he forces us to evaluate the idea of ambition versus heart – something to which even a reader in high school and college can relate. Should we let ambition rule our decisions, or is heart more important? Is there room for both in our life/careers? Much like the battles and situations faced by the Marines, the answers to these questions are not easy but need to be addressed if one hopes to grow as a person, just as Mellas has to address.

What made this audio book so special was the narrator. Bronson Pinchot was fantastic. He inflected humor, respect, and emotion into each sentence. Each character not only has a unique voice, the personality shines through so clearly that the listener will always know which character is speaking through just a few words. The narration contributed greatly to my overall enjoyment of the novel and the fact that I had such a visceral reaction to the story as it unfolded. I laughed out loud, cried, gasped in horror, grew angry, and listened nervously at different points in time, all while at work. (My co-workers thought I was crazy.) It takes a lot to get me to react so violently to a book; the fact that I repeatedly reacted to it is a testament to not only the narration, but to Mr. Marlantes’ ability to tell a vivid story.

I will confess that part of my reaction is that my experiences as an Army wife helped me to be able to understand the acronyms, the organization, and life in the military. Indeed, I felt like I was living back in Germany, listening to my husband and friends share their anecdotes about their jobs and experiences as young lieutenants and captains in the Army. Mr. Marlantes is a veteran himself, and his first-hand knowledge of military life displays itself in the idiosyncrasies and the bureaucracy of the military. There is a timelessness behind these details that will make  Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War relevant for decades to come.

I have been recommended Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War to anyone who will listen. It is an amazing novel, and all of my raving is not going to do justice to this historical novel. This is one of those stories people will have to experience for themselves. I sincerely hope you do.