Fallen Angels
Fallen Angels chronicles the experiences of Richie Perry as a soldier in the Vietnam War.
It begins on September 15, 1967, when Perry is flying to Vietnam. It is a coming-of-age story; Perry arrives in Vietnam as a lonely adolescent, and his experiences change him into an adult who shares strong bonds with the members of his squad.
The novel is also about the Vietnam War. Its structure imitates the pattern of the war. The action is episodic and does not rise to one climax, thus reflecting the way U.S. soldiers experienced the war. Brief periods of battle are interspersed with long periods of inaction - "hours of boredom, seconds of terror."
It begins on September 15, 1967, when Perry is flying to Vietnam. It is a coming-of-age story; Perry arrives in Vietnam as a lonely adolescent, and his experiences change him into an adult who shares strong bonds with the members of his squad.
The novel is also about the Vietnam War. Its structure imitates the pattern of the war. The action is episodic and does not rise to one climax, thus reflecting the way U.S. soldiers experienced the war. Brief periods of battle are interspersed with long periods of inaction - "hours of boredom, seconds of terror."
Setting & Style
Fallen Angels is dominated by its setting - the Vietnam War before, during and immediately after the Tet Offensive. The horrors of war that Perry witnesses are a major part of the novel. The reader is not spared any of the gruesome details of the war.
Myers uses the first-person point of view: The reader experiences the war through Perry, the narrator. To make his vision of the war as realistic as possible, Myers also uses strong language and military jargon.
Myers uses the first-person point of view: The reader experiences the war through Perry, the narrator. To make his vision of the war as realistic as possible, Myers also uses strong language and military jargon.
Major Characters
Richie Perry: the narrator, who joined the army because he could not afford college and "just didn't want to be in Harlem anymore"
The Squad
Peewee: Perry's best friend
Johnson: a powerful soldier the squad grows to respect
Brunner: a domineering, bullying soldier Perry dislikes
Monaco: who is friendly with Perry and Peewee
Walowick: Perry describes as "a rock"
Brew: a religious solider
Lobel: a soldier who thinks of the war as a movie
Jamal: a medic forced to fight
The Squad
Peewee: Perry's best friend
Johnson: a powerful soldier the squad grows to respect
Brunner: a domineering, bullying soldier Perry dislikes
Monaco: who is friendly with Perry and Peewee
Walowick: Perry describes as "a rock"
Brew: a religious solider
Lobel: a soldier who thinks of the war as a movie
Jamal: a medic forced to fight