O'Brien, Tim

O'Brien, Tim

▪ American author
in full  William Timothy O'Brien 
born Oct. 1, 1946, Austin, Minn., U.S.

      American novelist noted for his writings about American soldiers in the Vietnam War.

      After studying political science at Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota (B.A., 1968), O'Brien fought in Vietnam. When he returned to the United States, he studied intermittently at Harvard University and worked for the Washington Post (Washington Post, The) (1971–74) as an intern and reporter. He collected his newspaper and magazine articles about his war experiences in his first book, If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home (1973). By turns meditative and brutally realistic, it was praised for its honest portrayal of a soldier's emotions.

      The Vietnam War is present in many of O'Brien's novels. One of the two protagonists in Northern Lights (1975) is a wounded war hero. Set in an isolated, snow-covered part of Minnesota during a disastrous cross-country ski trip, the novel is an examination of courage. In Going After Cacciato (1978), a soldier abandons his platoon in Vietnam to try to walk to Paris, and a fellow soldier escapes the war's horrors by inventing elaborate fantasies about his journey. A man's lifelong fear of dying from a nuclear bombing is the subject of The Nuclear Age (1981), while The Things They Carried (1990) and In the Lake of the Woods (1994) return to the subject of the experiences and effects of the Vietnam War. O'Brien's writing took a new turn with publication of Tomcat in Love (1999), a nuanced comic novel about the search for love.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tim O'Brien — Tim O’Brien (* 1. Oktober 1946 in Austin, Minnesota, Vereinigte Staaten) ist ein US amerikanischer Autor, der besonders über seine Erlebnisse im Vietnamkrieg und den Einfluss, den der Krieg auf die kämpfenden amerikanischen Soldaten hatte,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tim O'Brien (politician) — Tim O Brien (born June 13, 1968) is a Connecticut State Representative. He is a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives and represents the Twenty Fourth Assembly District, which includes parts of New Britain and Newington,… …   Wikipedia

  • Tim O'Brien — can refer to:* Tim O Brien (author), American author * Timothy L. O Brien, American journalist * Tim O Brien (musician), American musician * Sir Tim O Brien, Irish born cricketer * Tim O Brien (politician), legislator in the Connecticut House of… …   Wikipedia

  • Tim Tebow — Données générales Nom complet Timothy Richard Tebow …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Tim O’Brien — (* 1. Oktober 1946 in Austin, Minnesota, Vereinigte Staaten) ist ein US amerikanischer Autor, der besonders über seine Erlebnisse im Vietnamkrieg und den Einfluss, den der Krieg auf die kämpfenden amerikanischen Soldaten hatte, schreibt. Tim… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tim Walberg — Timothy Lee „Tim“ Walberg (* 12. April 1951 in Chicago, Illinois) ist ein US amerikanischer Politiker. Zwischen 2007 und 2009 vertrat er den Bundesstaat Michigan im US Repräsentantenhaus. Nach se …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tim Tebow — 2010 Denver Broncos – Nr. N/V Geburtsdatum: 14. August 1987 Geburtsort …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tim Harrod — (born May 251968) is an American comedy writer. He has written for The Onion , The Late Show With David Letterman , and Late Night with Conan O Brien .Born in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, the son of Ronald and Susan Harrod (later Anderson), Tim had… …   Wikipedia

  • Tim Curry — (2010) Timothy James Curry (* 19. April 1946 in Grappenhall, England) ist ein britischer Film und Theaterschauspieler, Sänger und Songschreiber. Inhaltsverzeichnis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tim Brown — Données générales Nom complet Timothy Donell Brown Nationali …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”