BookTalk at BSC features ‘Matterhorn’
Published: Jan 26 2016
Readers gather for the second installment of BookTalk at BSC Sunday, Feb. 7, to discuss “Matterhorn: a Novel of the Vietnam War” by Karl Marlantes.
Exploring the theme, “War Stories: Vietnam,” this second of three discussions at Bismarck State College runs from 1 to 3 p.m. in the new Library-English-Art building at 1400 Schafer Street.
Perry Hornbacher, BSC professor of history, facilitates the book about what it is like to be a young man at war.
Written during the course of 30 years, “Matterhorn” is an epic war novel that transforms the tragedy of Vietnam into a story of courage, camaraderie and sacrifice. It is a parable not only of Vietnam but all war and testament to the redemptive power of literature.
The story is set during the winter monsoon of 1968-69 and recounts the experiences of a Marine lieutenant and his company, who are dropped as boys into the mountain jungle and forced to fight their way to manhood.
Karl Marlantes, a Yale University graduate and Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, served as a Marine in Vietnam and is recipient of 16 service medals. “Matterhorn” won the William E. Colby Award from the Pritzker Military Library, Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, Indies Choice Award for Adult Debut Book of the Year, New York Times Notable Books of the Year, and other recognitions.
Series books are available at local libraries and booksellers. Discussions are open to all. For more information, call 224-5450. The 16th annual series is funded by the BSC Library and a grant from the BSC Foundation.
About Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities.