Book Review 'Flour and Shower'

‘716^th. Flour and Shower’ by Jacob Jingle Book reviewed by Pete Christensen

  The Flour and Shower is a tongue in cheek war novel along the lines of ‘M*A*S*H’ or ‘Catch 22’. It shows both the revulsion and absurdity of war while taking the reader on an alternately swaying ride from horror to hilarity.

  This takes place in the Vietnam theater with a quartermaster corps (supply unit) behind the lines. Jacob Jingle writes with the flow of conversation. It’s an easily understandable work lacking the pretense and overly descriptive nature that bogs down so many otherwise good books. 

  Throughout the 420 pages Jingle weaves a tapestry of stories and anecdotes from people and events in his past while moving the plot forward with the dangers and comical situations he’s experiencing in Vietnam. All this is done in a narrative form where he actually talks directly to the reader. It’s a unique format that he delivers well in a very comfortable, folksy style.

  The main character Jacob Jingle is a down home Oregonian with absolutely no ambition to be a war hero or even see combat for that matter. He does however have the one quality so lacking in so many anti-war protestors. His loyalty and sense of duty demands he serve his country and (as corny as some may think it sounds) he does his duty. I also enjoyed the way he consistently showed empathy for his advisories. There was always a very upfront and honest realization that there were no real bad guys here, just soldiers on both sides following orders. All too often war stories center around demonizing the enemy rather than understanding them.  

  The story opens with the Jingle’s first night in Nam. The author instantly develops a sort of ying and yang type writing that mixes witty dialogue with humorous situations all enveloped in a constant sense of danger. While the humor is mostly self-deprecating it’s never over the top or absurd. He takes a simple situation of going to the bathroom in the middle of the night and turns it into a comic adventure story.

  He keeps the dialogue flowing while Jingle introduces us to such interesting characters as Westy, Uncle Ho, Buttons, Lieutenant Miles, Digger, Captain Donahue, and his best friend Matt. There are humorous events associated with each but more importantly the author makes each person real and human. Even the people you find rude, demanding, or outright obnoxious are believable and interesting in their own way.

  Much of the piece is done in flashback. After throwing us into the Vietnam action he returns to boot camp and his training days at Fort Polk in Louisiana and his attempt at paratrooper duty at Fort Benning in Georgia.    

  I found his religious observations while remembering his baseball experiences at Serra Catholic High School interesting and amusing. But for all out laughs the absurdity of a soldier saving another from being prematurely body bagged and left for dead was hilarious in a bizarre sort of way. His explanation of how a court martial works and its various types was insightful and detailed. He followed that up with the experience of an actual court martial (no not his own) that left me laughing out loud.

  In chapter fifty-three Jingle gives a dissertation on smoking that’s funny enough to work in any stand-up routine. It’s fraught with irony, and observational humor and ends with the ultimate smoke moocher prank.

  I enjoyed this book and think you will too. Unlike ‘M*A*S*H’, or ‘Catch 22’ Jingle never sets himself up as some kind of crusading anti-war hero determined to teach the system where it went wrong. Instead he simply unveils a well told tale of a good natured person making the best of a bad situation with a sense of humor that allowed him to laugh at himself in hindsight.