Tree of Smoke: A Novel
by Denis Johnson
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Book Reviews of Tree of Smoke: A Novel
Book Review: On The Cutting Edge of Reality
Summary: 5 Stars
"Tree of Smoke" is long, yes, and mostly talk. Especially for a war book, keep in mind that it's mostly talk. It's also compelling and riveting in its own unique way. I don't know what I would compare it too, but it's dense like Ken Kesey or Charles Dickens and epic like, say, "Catch 22." It works on the fringes of the war, as one character calls it, "on the cutting edge of reality, where it turns into a dream."
So, a caution right up front: if you are looking for Vietnam war action like the movie "Platoon," look elsewhere. This book takes place, for the most part, above and around the war. There are a few exceptions, but the book seems to be as much about what it takes to fight and to win a war. It's about the psychological warfare, deception and spies. But at every level, "Tree of Smoke" examines what it takes to go to war, to conduct a war, to believe in war. "We've lost the war, we've lost the heart," says one character and we all know where Vietnam ends up, so the arc is predictable but Johnson's ability to imagine these conversations and these characters is what keeps you going.
I think what Johnson is saying more than anything is that it takes faith and firm belief to wage war and to win one.
Recommended for readers who enjoy a long, thoughtful and hearty meal. This is the opposite of a quick-paced thriller; it's slow and contemplative.
One note: I listened to this book on audio CD. I've seen some other comments about Will Patton's performance being less than stellar. Hardly. Patton's delivery is brilliant. Terrific and subtle nuances in his delivery made each character distinct - a Brit, a Filipino, the Americans, the Vietnamese - and his inflection was nearly as brilliant as the dialogue. What a great book to listen to, particularly with Patton as your guide.
Book Review: Don't waste your precious time reading this and hoping it gets better
Summary: 1 Stars
I've read hundreds of novels and I have never been moved to write a review one way or the other, but purchasing and attempting to read "Tree of Smoke" changed that. Of all of the books I've read I can't think of any one of them that I put down and couldn't finish - but that's exactly what I did with this book. I can appreciate that Mr. Johnson's writing is unique and sometimes very good - but a novel is supposed to be more than stringing together well crafted sentences and seemingly unrelated thoughts and situations. A novel should flow, not confuse the reader, and should contain interesting characters and storylines that the reader is still thinking about hours after he/she stops reading. I bought this book because I have always enjoyed historical fiction involving past American wars and I was also swayed somewhat by the high praise heaped upon the book and its author by friends and acquaintances. But after reading about 200 pages I began to realize that I wholeheartedly disagreed with these people and couldnt for the life of me figure out what they saw in this book. Perhaps because Mr. Johnson wrote books in the past that were considered "literature" as opposed to just run of the mill novels - its possible some critics are hesitant to bash subsequent works by the author because they want to appear as if they "get it" - even when the book is terrible (sort of an emporer has no clothes situation.) Nobody wants to be the one who says they don't like it for fear they will appear to be too daft to appreciate it. Well, I may be way off on this one but I am willing to state that I do not think this is a good book regardless of the author's past accomplishments and I would not recommend it.Book Review: A very good Vietnam war era read.
Summary: 4 Stars
The tree of smoke is a crazy drug addled ride through the Vietnam war. It easily could have become a derivative of such Vietnam classics as Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" or Robert Stone's "Dog Soldiers." But the author is able to take similar elements from these and other books about this subject and turn out something different. The plot roams and rampages about, which will probably be disconcerting to some, but it is really just a metaphor for the craziness of war, and this war in particular. It's the story of the American experience in Vietnam and is particularly timely given the current situation in Iraq. The story follows Skip, a CIA operative, Young and eager to prove himself and defeat communism. Skip believes in the American dream of democracy for everyone and the essential goodness of America and America's interest in Vietnam. I do not like to give too much away in my reviews but suffice to say Skip Witnesses the brutalities of war and sees things that question is allegiances. He learns that not all is black and white.
This is not the first book on the follies of war and surly will not be the last. Overall it deserves five stars even though the plot is unwieldily at times. The greatness of this book is how the author was able to bring the reader back to the hallucinogenic era of that bloody little war and display the fallout on his characters psyche. This is a must read! this was my favorite read of the summer! This was my first Denis Johnson novel, now I am going to order Jesus' Son: Stories by and Fiskadoro.
Book Review: Long, tedious, sad, angry and confusing. It was awful!
Summary: 1 Stars
I can't resist novels about Vietnam. And this 1997 book had absolutely rave reviews. It even won the National Book Award. Reviewers called it a masterpiece. I just HAD to read it. Now, 702 pages later, I'm sorry I did. This book was just plain awful. And the only satisfaction I got out of slogging through this long and tedious read is to be able to review it and say, "well - I tried".
The book starts in 1963 and spans about 20 years. During this time we see various characters go through their sad lives. There's Skip who is a CIA agent. There's his uncle who's a colonel, a war hero who's something like the part Marlon Brando played in Apocalypse Now. There are two Vietnamese men, one from the north and one from the south, who become part of the covert operations. There are two young brothers in the American army who just can't make it in the outside world. There's a Canadian nurse who provides a bit of romance for Skip. There are other characters too, all of them sad and angry. That's actually the theme of the book - sad and angry.
The most characteristic thing about the book though is that it is confusing. I found it impossible to follow the plot. And all the characters seemed to blend together and I kept mixing up who was who. There are no bad guys and no good guys either. Everyone here is a loser. Reading this book is a downer. I hated it.
Despite the rave reviews of the critics I cannot recommend this book at all. If you attempt to read it, don't say I didn't warn you.
Book Review: A mixed bag..
Summary: 3 Stars
The inside of the jacket:
This is the story of William "Skip" Sand, CIA - engaged in Psychological Operations against the Vietcong - and the disasters that befall him. This is also the story of the Houston brothers, Bill and James, young men who drift out of the Arizona desert and into a war where the line between disinformation and delusion has blurred away. In its vision of human folly, this is a story like nothing in our literature.
First of all, I read this book, sort of the same way I watch The Unit on television. When I watch The Unit, I am usually sitting on the couch, paging through a magazine. When a scene comes on with the wives, I put down my magazine and watch, when the war story comes back on, I pick back up my magazine. Why do I even watch The Unit?? Because I control about 99% of our Tivo watching, my husband's 1% is The Unit and a couple of shows from Spike TV. If he can watch Project Runway, Criminal Minds, Top Chef, Real Housewives of Orange County, and all the other shows that I make him watch, then I can watch The Unit.
So, anyway. I did read this book, all 614 pages of it. I could tell that it was a good book and an interesting book if you like war stories, and covert operations, and things like that. I just kind of paid more attention to the characters and their personalities and less on the covert operations part, and even then it held my interest. So, if you like war based stories, then you would probably really like this!