Comments on: Billy Lynn’s bogus journey

By: Mike Hicks

Mike Hicks — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 13:15:49 +0000

I say watch the movie so if it does piss you off its quicker so you dont waste all that time reading trash get same out come. as a movie entertainment but as history I couldn’t say. They wouldn’t let me inlist could not pass the physical had a couple back surgeries so a uniform and rifle weren’t in my plans I tried I said I don’t want school I just want a weapon and my check sent to my child and they said no. But if it was fact I’m disappointed in our country for treating the soldiers the way they did in the movie. The only war the America was in that I didn’t care for is when they took all my ancestors land property women whatever they chose to Cherokee nation. That’s it they have backed us protected us and kept us and our family’s safe at in our beds why they are in cold mud, hot sand, anywhere but home in bed with there loved ones. God bless our troops!

By: BM

BM — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 06:32:13 +0000

Thank you so much for your review, for your insights and stating truth I needed to read. I just tonight came from a book club, where Billy Lynn… was reviewed. Everyone else loved the book. I did not and I even had to stop reading it at some point, but well into the pages. The book made me angry for its assumptions, for its broad sweep of a superficial characterization of America, it’s people, and while the soldiers (mainly Billy) had personalities, they lacked a complex makeup as soldiers, as men, and of course none in the squad seemed to be clear about why they were there, or i missed it. Perhaps that is too easy for me to say, as I have not been part of war. Never stop writing…Ang Lee’s movie of Billy Lynn is due out in November. The trailer is out now.

By: chrishernandezauthor

chrishernandezauthor — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 17:15:28 +0000

In reply to Kelly.

I wrote an essay about the book, not a review. The essay was an opinion piece. In that essay I admitted I didn’t read the book, but I was still angry with what I knew of it. I thought that was the most honest way to express my opinion.

And I did eventually read the book, and wrote an actual review.

https://chrishernandezauthor.com/2012/12/24/billy-lynn-part-2-this-time-its-personal/

Now that I’ve answered your questions, and taken the time to actually read and review the book, I invite you to respond to the actual points and criticisms I have about Fountain and his writing.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 16:55:33 +0000

You have certainly put a lot of effort into reviewing a book you haven’t read. You aren’t doing much to promote the intellect and open-mindedness of American veterans with this type of so called opinion “writing”. Can I ask why you didn’t take a couple days to read the book before spewing this uninformed essay?

By: chrishernandezauthor

chrishernandezauthor — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:33:43 +0000

In reply to Lauren.

Lauren,

It’s true that many things are waiverable, but the old style “go to jail or join the Army” doesn’t happen anymore. In the female soldier’s case that you described, she wasn’t given a choice; she went to a recruiter specifically to get the judge to dismiss charges. A judge granting leniency because someone is joining the military, or the military waiving criminal history, isn’t the same as giving someone a choice between jail and the military.

As I recall, Billy Lynn did get the “jail or Army” choice. Maybe I’m recalling that wrong, but I don’t remember it being a matter of having charges dropped if he joined the military, or of him getting a waiver. If I’m wrong, I’m happy to admit that.

Thanks for bringing this up. I don’t have the book anymore, I’d appreciate if you check that out for me.