Dese Patches are Scattered!

when i initially sat down to read the book, i didn't have a clear idea of what to expect. then i hit the first page, and after the a few paragraphs, my newly found expectations were crashed to the ground. whatever happened to the little blurb on the back of books that give the reader a little synopsis of what they'll see when they open it? im tired of seeing reviews of what "important people think of the books." i want the nice user-friendly paragraph saying so and so takes us on a journey ...this and that. now just because i'm ranting and practically throwing a minor tantrum on my keyboard doesn't mean i despise the work. on the contrary, i kinda like it. however, what i don't like is the fact that i'm not 100% clear on how to read this. the first few pages almost take the shape of a novel, describing the map on the wall. in this scene i drew my expectations, im expecting the narrator to introduce themselves, tell us how they got to where they are, and what they hope to accomplish by sharing their story with us. but, no dice...we get thrusted into a war and the subject matter is just as scattered as the dirt left behind by a sudden explosion.
i don't feel as if there is any real flow from one exerpt to the next (but then again SHOULD there be?) if this were a novel, then i would hope events would be given more coherance, but since its not (IS IT?), i've come to the conclusion that i will just read one memory to the next, accepting each as its own entity. even when i try to do this, though...i still have some trouble accepting how jumbled things are. when i sit down with someone at lunch, and they tell me a short story of an experience, i can't express any more how irksome it is if they get all A.D.D. with everything and things just don't add up appropriately. granted herr has an awesome experience to share, and i enjoy hearing all the bits and pieces, but if things just lined up better i'd be a lot happier of a reader.
here's another rant: what's the deal with the italics? if everything's a memory...why accent another more than it's predecessor, or perhaps the next in line? im still trying to figure out what to do with those (i learned in a previous class that font, and style are used as tools to tell the reader how the piece should be read - correct me if im wrong susan ;) but when i come across these suckers in this book im like "whoa, what the heck?!"
so wait...is there ANYTHING i like? truth be told : yes. i love this guy's ability to take his memories and just totally blow it up in the words so that the reader feels like they are there. dialog is realistic, too. the way it's on print is how i imagine the soldiers talking. his use of description and dialog are like tasty spices in an otherwise bland sauce (forgive the analogy - i had indian food recently). the writing style itself isn't difficult to read (hmmm just hard to follow / flow....hmmm....and maybe an army - terms - glossary would be good.
all in all, i'm not done reading it yet so we'll see where this goes.
last thought....how do i pronounce lz....i mean is that an "l" or a 1? is it a code term or is it a word? see a glossary would help.