The Black Echo vs The Things They Carried: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Vietnam War, Veterans, Fiction
The Black Echo
The Black Echo is the debut novel by American crime author Michael Connelly. The story follows on a centered on Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective Harry Bosch. It is the first book in the Harry Bosch…
vs
The Things They Carried
The Things They Carried (1990) is a collection of linked short stories by American novelist Tim O'Brien, about a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War. His third book about the war, it…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Things They Carried is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 8 for The Black Echo.
- The Things They Carried has the widest readership — 355032 ratings behind its score.
- The Black Echo runs the darker storyline; The Things They Carried stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Black Echo | The Things They Carried | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (221964) | 4.2 (355032) |
| Hardcover | 3.9 (334) | 4.2 (494) |
| Google Books | — | 3.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (2542) | 4.5 (257) |
Reception
| The Black Echo | The Things They Carried | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 221964 | 355032 |
| Editions | 13 | 36 |
| Citations | 2 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 107791 | — |
| Pages | 457 | 256 |