Going After Cacciato.1

Tim O'Brien is one of my favorite authors. And to my surprise, I was not disappointed with the only novel of his I have not read. I do wonder, however, just how much of these novels is able to transcend pages? My cousin was in Vietnam and he has torn through all of O'Briens novels with the speed of lightening because he calls them "books that bring back bad memories in a good way". Because of the poignancy behind his statement, and the strength of the emotions behind the statement, I just wonder- can I possibly, in any small way, truly understand anything about this novel? Is there a heart behind a man that transcends situation, space, and time? Or did Vietnam really change the insides of man, change their being so much, that the heart is unrecognizable through all of the pain?