Tree of Smoke: A Novel
by Denis Johnson
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Book Reviews of Tree of Smoke: A Novel
Book Review: Tree of Smoke
Summary: 5 Stars
A deep and sad book about the American hallucinogenic involvement in Asia, specifically the Philippines and Vietnam. It's a novel but like all great novels is more real that any factual account can be. Other reviewers cover the plot and the characters; suffice it to to say the characters are helpless against the inevitability of tragedy. I served in Korea ( before the time of the novel which begins in 1963) and for me the tone of the prose is exact. I detected perhaps Graham Greene as an influence and also maybe John Dos Passos - this book is a great companion to the Dos Passos' masterful ( and neglected) "USA" written in the 30s.
Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars
After all the hype about this one I couldn't wait to read it when published in paperback. I've read thousands and thousands of books in my life and hardly ever give up, but I gave up on this one about a fourth of the way. It should have been titled "Impressions of Smoke" because it was just about as vague, wandering, and lost. I'm not asking to have everything spelled out for me, but this one was all over the place. Worst of all, it has no heart, its characters unknowable and uninteresting. Maybe as an allegory of the Vietnam experience it works, but I could never find the thread.Book Review: Too much, too long, too little
Summary: 3 Stars
Having written a novel about the Vietnam War and read every fictional account of the tragedy, I picked up Tree of Smoke with great anticipation. It had garnered praise from the reviewers and been nominated for awards. I was greatly disappointed, but somewhat entertained. There is no comparison with Tree of Smoke to The Things They Carried or a dozen other Vietnam War works. Tree of Smnoke is much too much in its length, bloated prose, and too little in the soul of those who fought this misguided war.
Ron Lealos author of Don't Mean Nuthin'
Book Review: not another vietnam novel
Summary: 2 Stars
The book has some patches of good writing, and it does suck the reader in. However, one soon realizes that one is trapped in a swamp of shallow characters and murky events. The portrayal of the war seems to owe more to repeated watching of Apocalypse Now than any direct or original insights. The reality is much more weird and stunning than fiction, so you're better off reading histories and biographies.Book Review: Ponderous, pointless bore
Summary: 1 Stars
I see this book is on Amazon's suggested summer reading list, and must warn innocents: don't buy it! Your summer will be gone with nothing to show for it. The story moves slooooowwwwwly and is boring to boot. Do yourself a favor: read a few pages before you buy; you can tell right away. It's only the third book I gave up on (Ship of Fools was first, then Walden). Save yourself.