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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Alright first off- tallys:
poo-tee-weet: 4
And so on: 19
So it goes: 98
This was an incredibly inventive way to convey Vonnegut’s story and deconstruction of war propaganda. As we follow Billy Pilgrim through his ‘childrens crusade’ during wwii, it becomes immediately apparent that no, war is not like the movies/books/etc, it’s random, it’s senseless, it’s violent and there isn’t anything to admire in the slaughter of fellow human beings. I considered Billy’s ‘time travelling’ to be a creative representation of memory and trauma- flashbacks but also lots of random associations that ‘unstick’ us in time.
“So it goes”- what the tralfamadorians say when someone dies, at the start of the book was reserved for actual death/disturbing harm to human beings. It felt more like a reminder/coping mechanism of “that’s life”, and a way to deal with death, vs what it later became. By the end of the book & war, ‘So it goes’ follows any mention of the words “death”, “dying”, “killed” etc, but isnt reserved only for people. One of the last uses is following people discussing the “death of the novel”, and imo shows the desensitization to death that accompanies war. It feels more like a knee-jerk internal response to “death”etc, in order to not have to really feel it or think about it.
This book did a fantastic job of de-glorifying war, as stated it would attempt to in the beginning. By the end, you have the sense that war is not some organized machine that will bring soldiers glory- it is random. It is Billy Pilgrim without boots in a fur-lined vest.
poo-tee-weet: 4
And so on: 19
So it goes: 98
This was an incredibly inventive way to convey Vonnegut’s story and deconstruction of war propaganda. As we follow Billy Pilgrim through his ‘childrens crusade’ during wwii, it becomes immediately apparent that no, war is not like the movies/books/etc, it’s random, it’s senseless, it’s violent and there isn’t anything to admire in the slaughter of fellow human beings. I considered Billy’s ‘time travelling’ to be a creative representation of memory and trauma- flashbacks but also lots of random associations that ‘unstick’ us in time.
“So it goes”- what the tralfamadorians say when someone dies, at the start of the book was reserved for actual death/disturbing harm to human beings. It felt more like a reminder/coping mechanism of “that’s life”, and a way to deal with death, vs what it later became. By the end of the book & war, ‘So it goes’ follows any mention of the words “death”, “dying”, “killed” etc, but isnt reserved only for people. One of the last uses is following people discussing the “death of the novel”, and imo shows the desensitization to death that accompanies war. It feels more like a knee-jerk internal response to “death”etc, in order to not have to really feel it or think about it.
This book did a fantastic job of de-glorifying war, as stated it would attempt to in the beginning. By the end, you have the sense that war is not some organized machine that will bring soldiers glory- it is random. It is Billy Pilgrim without boots in a fur-lined vest.
This is by far the heaviest book I’ve read that also involves aliens. So it goes?
good read if you're looking for something out of the norm. quick and captivating little read.
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A really absurd book! The narrator is really unreliable bc he’s a wwii vet recounting PTSD but he believes he was captured by aliens and can time travel. It’s told all out of order. It is a litttleeee bit hard to understand but not that bad there’s a full circle moment in the second to last chapter where everything he has been recounting kind of reconnects in a book shop. It was really interesting I’ve never read a book like this
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A funny and at times confusing story that makes one reflect on the meaning of death, the stupidity of war and our understanding of how to see the world
Well, I wasn't expecting that. Very strange, meta, disjointed, occasionally hilarious story about the Dresden bombing. Not even sure if I enjoyed it, but it will certainly stay with me.