Temporary Archive: Suzanne Brockmann's Message Board

What did you like most about Jarhead? After reading your posts I had to rethink my opinion of it. Yes, it's raw and not for the faint of heart, but that wasn't what bothered me the most. I saw him as so self-destructive and egotistical that he made me angry. OTOH, as you both pointed out, his story is compelling. Two years after I borrowed his book from the library I still remember scenes vividly that affected me. That is telling. He definitely had talent as a writer to evoke such strong emotions of anger, sorrow and frustration. What bothered me about the book was that he embraced the abuse. Not sure if I'm being clear. The scene where the instructor rams his head into the chalkboard sets the tone for the book. When he talked about how he wanted to thank him and how he should have hit him harder. That all Marines should be shoved headfirst into the wall, that's what made me want to scream. What are your opinions?
Laura