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  October's Alternate Author: Kurt Vonnegut

  Our other alternate author for October is Kurt Vonnegut, who was chosen by JudithAnn.
  
  He was chosen based on our theme for this month: Authors Who Made Time Magazine's "All-Time 100 Novels" List.
  
  Please add the books you read by him, along with your reviews and ratings, so Tenia can add them to our shelf. And discussions are always welcome.

  LibraryCin started this discussion 3 months ago. ( reply )

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  Author, Author Shelf 

  Shelf Updated 6Oct09

  posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

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  Tenia F 

  Breakfast of Champions Kurt Vonnegut

  3 stars

  Kilgore Trout, one of Vonnegut's favorite character,is aging. He finds that a Midwest car dealer is taking his fiction as truth, and he is on a way to find him and explain that he is just a made up chacter. This book is ahead of it's time in the way it looks at pollution, sex, racism and it reminds us how to look at things at the truth.

  posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

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    Mary B 

    The references to the future of sex were too funny. I listened to this one read by Stanley Tucci and I was laughing at work.

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

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  Cora R 

  Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut

  4 stars

  I enjoyed reading Cat's Cradle, a satire about the end of the world. I felt that there were a bunch of deep thoughts in the novel and I only caught about half of them, the rest of them went right over my head. But the ones I did get really made me think. It was a quick read and contained a good deal of humor. The characters were an interesting mix, but I felt like I never really knew any of them. I really liked what the book had to say about war, science, religion, and the ridiculousness of the world. The book was written in the sixties, but I thought most of the observations were timely for today.

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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    drunkenlibraria 

    this is my favorite vonnegut novel and i had so much fun the few years i got to teach it to high school juniors! the concept and precepts of bokononism, in particular, were fascinating to them...they couldn't seem to get over the fact that it wasn't a *real* religion or philosophy, that vonnegut had just made it up, and i think it really made them think about the way we accept what "truth" is. of course, it also reinforced their idea that the only books i like are either depressing, about the end of the world, or both. :)

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  Author, Author Shelf 

  Shelf updated 16Oct09

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  Don K. (edited)

  Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

  Four Stars

  Cat’s Cradle is the story of an author, Jonah, who is interviewing the “chief creators” of the atom bomb for a book to be titled “The Day the World Ended”. Jonah is especially interested in the inventors’ activities on the day the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. His research on one of the inventors, Dr. Felix Hoenikker, leads him first to Ilium (NY) then to the Republic of San Lorenzo to meet with Dr. Hoenikker’s family. When he reaches San Lorenzo, well, things happen.

  Cat’s Cradle is my favorite Vonnegut book. San Lorenzo reminds me of Haiti under the Duvaliers and the House of Hope and Mercy in the Jungle reminds me of Hopital Albert Schweitzer Haiti. Vonnegut manages to treat some very difficult metaphysical topics with intelligence and gentle humor. I especially like Jonah's discussion with little Newt and Dr. Castle (pgs 113-116 in my edition) from which Vonnegut took his title.

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  Tenia F 

  Hocus Pocus Kurt Vonnegut

  4 stars

  One of Vonnegut's latest books, deals with an Vietnam Veteran's look at the world while dealing with a crazy mother in law and a wife whose going crazy. He's fired from the college he's working at due to some things he says about Hitler, and goes to work for a Prision as a teacher. When the inmates break free, and take over the small towns, he becomes one of the prisoners instead of a teacher.

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  John Gorman 

  Welcome to the Monkeyhouse is one of his most amazing works. I'm particularly fond of "Harrison Bergeron" which drums up a horrific depiction of a newfangled world that strips out all feeling, sensation, and recognition. The pour parent's only have a shred of recollection of their fair-haired boy dancing on television before their senses are numbed.

  "More Stately Mansions", also from the collection, is a testament to the versatility of the Big V's writing abilities. You would swear it was penned by another author. It could be Updike, Cheever, Irving, or even Lorrie Moore. It has Vonnegut's sense of irony, but non of the futuristic stuff that pigeon-holed him into being a so-called sci-fi writer.

  And who doesn't love Billy the Poet, the Howdy Doody of rapists, from the title piece of the collection.

  5 Stars for this collection

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  Kristel 

  Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
  3.5 stars
  This is a anti-war book. The book is semi-autobiographical and he uses time-travel as a plot device. The author spent time as a prisoner of war in WWII. Billy Pilgrim spends in the war and sees the destruction of Dresden, Germany. He is not much of a soldier. The book is also about time and the dimensions of time. He uses Tralfalmadores to explain time. Because of his themes of time travel and the space aliens, the author and his books are sometimes considered science fiction. I think it is more a statement of philosophy and he uses these structures to make his statements. Another theme was death and after each paragraph that referenced death he would say. "So it goes". In the book, the author makes statements about rich and poor in the United States and religion. The book is considered humorous but it was more dark than funny.

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  JudithAnn 

  Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

  4 stars

  A typical Vonnegut story, of the style of Slapstick. It follows a great part of the life of Billy Pilgrim, who spends a year as an (American) soldier in Germany in WWII when he is 18 years old.

  He survives the bombing in Dresden and after this, while he gets married and has a good job, he keeps returning, by means of time travel, to his war years in Dresden. Also, he is captured by some aliens who make him live in their zoo, but because of his time traveling, he can escape every now and then for a while.

  Interesting book, although I could not really say what it really was about. The book was uplifting, even though some horrific scenes are described.

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  Amanda L 

  Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut
  4 stars

  This dystopian novel takes place in Ilium New York in an age where most of the jobs people used to do are being done by machines. This creates two distinct social classes: the upper class of engineers who maintain the machines and the lower class of people who have nothing to do because the machines have made them obsolete. Our protagonist is Dr. Paul Proteus, a successful engineer who begins to question the quality of life after his occasional trips across the river to where the other half lives.

  Vonnegut’s fiction is like a roller coaster ride for me. I go from liking the book, to not liking it, to liking it again, etc. every fifty pages or so. By the time I got to the end of this one, I was back to liking it, but it wasn’t an easy read. One of the things I liked most about Player Piano is that I can see how Vonnegut has extended some of the ideas from one of my favorite books, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Overall, it was worth reading, and I think I even liked it better than Slaughterhouse-Five.

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  Nicole R 

  Okay, I REALLY want to read Slaughterhouse Five and put it on hold and the library but it' hasn't come in :( My review might be a bit late this month...

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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    Mary B 

    I think all of my reviews will be late this month so you're not alone.

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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    Nicole R 

    Well, at least my late review will be in good company ;)

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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    Nicole R 

    This is FINALLY in transit and on its way to my library for me to pick up :)

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  againstthetide 

  Breakfast of Champions
  2 stars

  Ok, Vonnegut fans, I guess I need some help here. I felt like there was supposed to be something hip, cool, interesting, political, creative, groundbreaking about this book.

  But, whatever it was, I didn't get it. At all.

  The plot (such that it was) revolved around an author, Kilgore Trout, and a car dealer, Dwayne. Dwayne is slowly losing his mind, and upon reading a book by Trout, ends up believing that everyone in the world is a robot, and he is the only person with free will. Which leads to a rather ominous result.

  This plot description makes the book sound a LOT more linear than it is. In addition, at the end, the narrator, who is also an author, gets in on the plot. But again, I didn't really get it.

  There are also lots of hand drawn pictures, and those were probably some of the more humorous parts of the book. There was also a number of snide comments about capitalism, which in this age of 24/7 snark seemed somewhat tame. And since I'm fairly conservative and definitely pro-capitalism, again, I really couldn't relate.

  So, I'm giving two stars just on the basis of sheer creativity and some clever bits of humor, but all in all, I mostly found the book fell flat for me. I was very happy it was brief!

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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    Nicole R 

    I am SO glad I didn't pick this one up! I thought about grabbing it at the library because it was the only Vonnegut that my library had on the shelf but opted to put Slaughterhouse 5 on hold instead....I'm glad I did! Have you read any other Vonnegut?

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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    drunkenlibraria 

    this is probably my second favorite vonnegut book, behind _cat's cradle_, but it's def. a sort of love or hate title. it is almost completely non-linear and largely nonsensical, particularly if you haven't read much vonnegut before and don't get all the allusions to his other plotlines and characters. similarly, when you read later novels, many allude back to characters and situations in this one...he's a very self-referential guy which, again, is cool if you're into it and baffling if you're just giving it a try. i am hugely anti-capitolist/anti-consumerist and liberal, so, of course, he's playing my song again with that!
    i hate to say it, but this book might be falling into the situation of being valuable for being a first of its kind...many other authors have followed who make this rhetoric tame and quirky style more familiar than it was when it first came out.
    for me, i love the connections and the characters and the musing about fate and free will, as well as the style, but i concede that it's certainly not a book that everyone would get or enjoy.

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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    Mary B 

    Anytime someone said wide-open beavers, I started laughing.

    I think this one is most central to Vonnegut's central ideology, which might make it a not-so-great introduction to him. He's always defined himself primarily as a humanist, which I think this book most explicitly relates to. The way society dehumanizes people to the point that they can be seen as machines or that porn dehumanizes people to the point of making sex uninteresting clearly directly relate back to it. It's also not the best book in demonstrating what I love about him and post-modernists most - mixing the humour with the tragedy. Society is humourous in its absurdity but there are tragic consequences to the folly. It's evident in this book but I think it would be better appreciated after reading more of his books. Oh and I wouldn't describe Vonnegut as anti-capitalist. He mostly just likes to break down society and see what's left.

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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    againstthetide 

    This is what I LOVE about Shelfari. I admit to being totally baffled, and two people immediately come to the rescue without being defensive or incredulous.

    You not only helped me understand WHAT I didn't get, but also WHY I didn't get it.

    I can definitely also comprehend how a book like this would be seen as innovative at the time it was written . . .and it makes sense that he would have a fan base given his creativity.

    Soooo, it almost sounds like I need to give Vonnegut another shot, and maybe start with his first novel? I may never really LIKE the writing, but I would like to at least appreciate it.

    Thanks so much for taking the time to explain, Mary and DL, as I found both of your explanations very enlightening and helpful.

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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    againstthetide 

    Nicole - I have NOT read Vonnegut before. I actually attempted it once as a teen. My parents had one of his books lying around. In fact, I think it may have been Breakfast of Champions. I didn't get it then either . . .but I figured I was way too young to appreciate it.

    I'm going to try again with an earlier work at some point. Just because I feel I really ought to like him more than I did.

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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    drunkenlibraria (edited)

    it's nice that you're willing to give him another chance! i don't know if i'd start with his first book, but maybe one that has a more linear plotline, to break you in gently? i seem to remember _deadeye dick_ being fairly brief and straight-forward...oh! or some of the short stories from monkeyhouse! "harrison bergeron" is a classic.
    still, as much as i do love him--he's my favorite author, along with em forster!--i get that he's not for everyone. you gave it a good try with an open mind and that's the best anyone can hope. :)

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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    Mary B 

    They're all at least a bit non-linear. It was awhile ago, but I would guess that Cat's Cradle is one of the most linear?

    That's one of the reasons I go nuts over the multiple sittings rule. It takes so long to get back into his rhythm that you miss things and don't end up enjoying it.

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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    againstthetide 

    I'm a fan of short stories so maybe I should try some of those?? Thanks for the recommendations on a novel that might be a bit "easier" to absorb . . .

    posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  Author, Author Shelf 

  Shelf Updated 27Oct09

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  kairilily 

  Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
  5 stars

  Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. There's not a lot more I can say without writing a book myself. Funny and sad at the same time. Original. I look forward to reading more Vonnegut.

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  Author, Author Shelf 

  shelf updated Nov. 7/09

  posted 2 months ago. ( reply )

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  Jen M 

  Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut
  Rating: 3 stars

  Review: I think satire must not be my thing. In this book,Vonnegut tells the story of a man who goes from professor to warden to prisoner, all at the same location: a small, well-to-do college in New England. As mentioned in the preface, the "memoirs" were written on hodgepodge scraps of paper and relayed in the same fashion. Thus, the book is composed of tiny segments of thought separated by solid lines to indicate a break in writing, ranging from a few paragraphs to single word segments. The result is very much like listening to someone relay a long story rather than a complete fictional storytelling as one might be accustomed.

  The problem for me, I suppose, is that I just didn't find it interesting enough to hold my attention. I actually started the book back in October, and clearly had no problem setting it aside in favor of other books. While it entertained me when I actually was reading it, it was never something I was in a hurry to get back to. Amusing, but eh.

  posted 13 days ago. ( reply )

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