"Matterhorn" by Karl Marlantes

Well, perhaps enough time has now passed by that we can finally embrace a brutally frank portrayal of the Vietnam War. Author Karl Marlantes’ recent novel ‘Matterhorn’ has been called the definitive novel of Vietnam. And it probably is just that. ‘Matterhorn’ is extremely well written and provides an unflinchingly realistic account of the war from the perspective of the Marine infantry and their officers.

Marlantes portrays the war on the ground with a frightening realism while at the same time illustrating tactical decision-making remote from the front lines which is often based upon political and career considerations that have little to do with what the troops are ultimately asked to deliver. For example, Matterhorn is a fictional peak where the Marines are asked to ‘dig in’ to fortify a key offensive and defensive location not far from Laos and the DMZ. Over the course of the novel, we see Bravo Company fully establish the Matterhorn base only to be asked to abandon it immediately upon completion only to, of course, be ordered to retake the same hill after it is occupied and fully defended by the Viet Cong – at great, great cost.

Bravo Company is a mix of new recruits and seasoned troops who carry with them very recognizable hopes, aspirations, fears, bad habits and prejudices – some which eventually explode with horrible consequences. But – in the midst of terrible battle conditions, shortage of food and supplies, oppressive weather, and almost impossible objectives - the men bond in a way that goes beyond easy explanation. And that bond propels them to battle to support each other in a land far away from global objectives that seem to have little relevance. However, by reading this great work even those of us not experienced in the awful reality of war come to understand some of that bond and their eventual courage in the face of probable death - even how they can ultimately give themselves completely to ‘the god of war within.’

The battle scenes are incredibly realistic and heart-pounding-ly, hard-to-stop reading. Marlantes skillfully builds the novel’s tension and fills in accurate details from his own experiences – leaches and more leaches, mud, jungle rot, depleted rations, lack of water in the midst of downpours, hungry tigers, and never-ending wet, mud and fog. We feel like we are there with him in the jungle, viscerally sensing the ever-mounting tension waiting for the next inevitable confrontation with the enemy and possible death.

Marlantes doesn’t preach but manages to fully convey the frustration, stupidity, and blindness that marked much of this war effort.

Karl Marlantes himself is a highly decorated Marine veteran who wrote ‘Matterhorn’ over the course of thirty years as he worked through his experiences from the war and his love for those he fought beside, memories still fresh today. He currently lives in Woodinville, Washington and graduated from Seaside High School before joining the Marines and attending Yale and then Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar prior to his service in Vietnam. Marlantas was an inexperienced Marine lieutenant much like Mellas, the main character of this outstanding novel, when he arrived in Vietnam. We are fortunate that he survived with such a dedication to share his story – and those of his comrades – so movingly in this great novel.

‘Matterhorn’ is a lot to take on emotionally. But, if you do, you won’t regret it.