Review of In the Year of the Rabbit

[LinaMueller]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "In the Year of the Rabbit" by Terence A. Harkin.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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In the Year of the Rabbit by Terence A. Harkin is a historical fiction book set during the Vietnam War. The protagonist is the Cameraman, Brendan Leary, a rather peculiar "soldier." In addition to his musical talents as a drummer, he has certain moral reservations about bloodshed. Throughout the book, the author clarifies that the protagonist is not an absolute pacifist, as he considers some wars valid (to annihilate Hitler's armies, for example).

As the pages go by, the character is losing loved ones and starts to question the purpose of that specific war. In one part of the book, this dialogue represents well what the character begins to question: "Seriously, how the hell is bombing North Vietnam and the mountains of Laos into the Stone Age going to help make South Vietnam democratic?"

It is not uncommon to see films or books with characters as protagonists who consider the war a disastrous and unjust event. That's not where the originality of this book lies. Have you ever read a story of an American Combat Cameraman who gave up on the Vietnam War and wanted to become a Buddhist monk? At worst, this story would seem goofy. At best, it would be something tough to narrate with the necessary psychological density. However, Terence A. Harkin managed to create original and brilliant work. This book reminded me of Hacksaw Ridge in many ways. Due to the time limit, a film director cannot develop the psychological part of the characters much. And it is precisely in this aspect that In the Year of the Rabbit stands out: in psychological depth. The protagonist will go through several traumatic situations: losing his lover, miraculous survival in different situations, and moral objection to the conflict. All of this will make him want to be a monk, and the author's psychological analysis of current events and the past was brilliantly done. That's what I liked the most about the book.

I can't imagine anything negative to mention. Some might say that there are an excessive number of profane words, and I would certainly agree. However, in a war scenario, one can expect that the military men wouldn't care about political correctness. Maybe today, but certainly not in the Vietnam War. That's why I can't consider it to be a defect. Since I couldn't find one single grammatical error, it's clear that the book's editing is exceptional.

In the Year of the Rabbit by Terence A. Harkin is a book of war and redemption. In addition to narrating the famous conflict, the book also brilliantly recounts the psychological battle of the protagonist and his constant effort to overcome his inner demons. It's flawless, and the author deserves to be praised for creating such original work on a well-worn subject. Therefore, it deserves four out of four stars. I recommend it to historical fiction lovers, especially those pacifists who would like to read about a soldier's psychological evolution in search of peace. Due to the excessive number of profane words, I can't recommend it to anyone under 16.

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In the Year of the Rabbit
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[Ellylion]

A story of a soldier who wants to become a Buddhist monk is worth exploring I'm glad that the author managed to find a unique approach toward well-known historical background. Thanks for a great review!

[Alhassan Sterling]

the story was too short buh It's very interesting and wonderful story I will rate the book four out of four

[Yasmine M]

Thanks for the great review; the story of a soldier who would like to become a Buddhist monk is original. Not many soldiers became monks during or after the Vietnam war, did they? I like that the author does not only narrate a series of events that lead the soldier to this decision, but he also gives us an insight into the psychological and spiritual process the soldier went through.

[Jatto Onimisi]

What a review! Thanks for doing justice to this fictional, yet relatable story. I have always wondered what the opinion of war observers are about any particular war. This book seems to provide a lens through which to see from.

[Deval Sodha]

This is a book of war and redemption. In addition to narrating the famous conflict, the book also brilliantly recounts the psychological battle of the protagonist and his constant effort to overcome his inner demons.
It is a must read.
Congratulations on Botd

[Alex Reeves]

Really? A pacifist in the military. Doesn't sit well with me. I don't think that someone who doesn't see the need for bloodshed joining the army at such critical time; the Vietnam war. Sounds like a good story though. Great review.

[Pandora10]

I do not care for books based on the Vietnam War, but finding out more about life and the rituals in a Buddhist monastery might be interesting. Thanks for an insightful review on this book.

[Temi Book]

Wow! This is the first hearing that an ex soldier wants to become a monk, while most would have turn to still be part of the security system. This is intriguing and worth reading.

[CharlesC+Esq]

While that Vietnam War still leaves a bitter taste on many tongues just like the Jewish holocaust, or the Rwanda-Burundi war, or the Anglo-boer War, just to mention a few well known genocides, such personal experiences as the American Combat Cameraman had, were censored out of historical books in order to stamp out anything that could null the justification of such a worthless war and not hold accountable the real cuplrits and profiteering figures behind the war.
As it's not a work of fiction, it is worth reading and should be treated like a memoir that espouses why shell-shocked soldiers psychologically continue being in the warfront even when out of service and why it's difficult for them to re-intergrate with normal folks.

[Rocky Ellery James Tumbelaka]

Thank you for the review. I don't read books like this very much, but I will give this one a try. I'm really curious what a cameraman soldier do. It is definitely traumatizing seeing what he caught with his camera.

[Marie Chalupová]

I love books that really concentrate on character's psychology. I recently read Starship Troopers which is a very pro-war book so would be interesting to get the opposite view now, both from people that are in the war themselves. Thanks for the review.

[Bertha Jackson]

The Vietnam War hurt many people psychologically, and this book portrays that. Thank you for your review.

[Amprye]

The psychological conflict that comes with war is often horrible. It is so nice that this book recounts some of that in a positive way. Congratulations on the book of the day!

[Nawaal De Maar]

The author appears to have taken an interesting approach that leads people to being reachable. Clearly there is something to learn, for everyone. A wonderful and unique insight into a life we could have lived ourselves.