Matterhorn

In the lush jungles of Vietnam, a young, green lieutenant named Waino Mellas is immersed in the quagmire of war, trying to discern meaning amongst the chaos. Karl Marlantes’ Matterhorn is an audacious tapestry of combat, camaraderie, and the human spirit, and with the mellifluous cadence of Bronson Pinchot, the audiobook soars into an evocative spectacle.

Waino Mellas, fresh out of college, is thrust into the pulsating heart of the Vietnam War. He is stationed with Bravo Company, a battalion of the 24th Marines, on the edge of a remote and menacing jungle. Amid the cacophony of artillery, the rustle of leaves and the incessant monsoon rains, he must lead his men to seize and secure Matterhorn, a mountaintop firebase near the border of Laos. But the terrain is treacherous and the enemy, both discernible and insidious, abounds.

As the journey to Matterhorn becomes a mesmerizing Odyssey, we encounter an eclectic ensemble that adds depth and gravitas to the tale. There’s First Lieutenant Fitch, a seasoned officer struggling with the burden of command; Corporal Vancouver, the amiable radio operator; and the inscrutable Hawke, a soldier who traverses the fine line between sanity and madness. Other characters such as Cassidy, the affable machine gunner, and the cryptic Jax, the company’s scout, whirl and weave through the maze of Mellas’ journey.

Bronson Pinchot, known for his ability to conjure multitudes through his voice, fashions an astoundingly distinct persona for each character. Through his fluid interpretations, the dialogue between Mellas and his comrades crackles with intensity.

As Mellas and his company move through dense vegetation and ascend the fog-laden Matterhorn, the true adversary reveals itself – not just the concealed enemy combatants, but the tangled web of bureaucracy, racial tensions, and the sheer desolation that nibbles at their sanity. We are taken through skirmishes, battles, victories, and losses, but woven through the bloodshed is the tender, fragile human element.

Mellas finds himself haunted by the weight of command, the specter of mortality, and the blurring of lines between right and wrong. His journey becomes an alchemy of soul, his youthful idealism corroded and reshaped by the crucible of conflict. The men, initially a discordant ensemble, forge bonds that transcend the battleground. What It Is Like to Go to War and Deep River concluded marvelously and this next thriller goes one step ahead of all of that.