When Fiction is Reality

I have never heard someone speak about the Vietnam War with first-hand recollections and experiences until Mr. O’Brien’s visit.

He told us that, as soldiers fighting, they understood that they were not ‘in this world’, but were in hell. That’s why so many of them sought escape through drugs, alcohol, and any other means possible. He stressed the horrific nature of war; saying that it should be the absolute last, last, last resort.

He showed us a picture of himself in army attire with a large gun outdoors. At the time, he was only slightly younger than Paul Berlin’s character in the novel. I could see the fictional character of Berlin alive in his recollections of being drafted and making his way as a young soldier.
I realized that this novel is not only a brilliant work of fiction. It represents reality for people like Mr. Obrien. The novel is all the more difficult to digest because it shows the realities we would like to believe never really happened.