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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
dark
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Felt good to finish a book quickly again!
I think the part I enjoyed the most was Vonnegut’s honest, raw, introspective opening narration. The rest isn’t necessarily as poignant; Vonnegut’s tools felt a little blunt - “so it goes” - though I think he might say there’s little nuance to mass devastation. I suppose I’m just not sure how many images will stick with me, though the triumphant let down of the teapot theft being tossed aside in one line after repeated reference feels like a prime example. Then there’s the sci-fi elements used to justify to the time skipping; I can’t say I found it as graceful as Alan Moore’s deployment of the same technique in Watchmen, but the fatalism adds to the desperation and melancholy pervading everything. I liked it sad more than funny.
I think the part I enjoyed the most was Vonnegut’s honest, raw, introspective opening narration. The rest isn’t necessarily as poignant; Vonnegut’s tools felt a little blunt - “so it goes” - though I think he might say there’s little nuance to mass devastation. I suppose I’m just not sure how many images will stick with me, though the triumphant let down of the teapot theft being tossed aside in one line after repeated reference feels like a prime example. Then there’s the sci-fi elements used to justify to the time skipping; I can’t say I found it as graceful as Alan Moore’s deployment of the same technique in Watchmen, but the fatalism adds to the desperation and melancholy pervading everything. I liked it sad more than funny.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
01/25 Started to start over as took me so long. Not super vibing but will make it happen
10/25 Weirdly boring but once I focused on his love of irony was more interesting.
2 stars brought up to 3 for the part where he basically says there are no characters in this book because war takes the character from us all
10/25 Weirdly boring but once I focused on his love of irony was more interesting.
2 stars brought up to 3 for the part where he basically says there are no characters in this book because war takes the character from us all
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've heard a lot of great things about this book and I'm delighted that it lived up to the hype! I didn't expect the sci-fi elements but I ended up really loving it, and I think the time travel and alien stuff were a great vehicle to discuss the sort of dissociation Billy was experiencing and pose a lot of great philosophical questions. Probably might reread it once or twice through my life, especially if I experience a bad loss and need some comfort, as the discussion of death and time were oddly soothing. That being said, I'm taking off a full star cause of the weird portrayal of women that I didn't rock with at all, especially the fatphobia towards Valencia. It's an old book written by a man, so there's bound to be some bullshit. "So it goes," as they say 😭
There's a lot to say about the book, but I'll just leave with the quote that I loved most, that left me sobbing, and that will likely stay with me forever, right from chapter one:
There's a lot to say about the book, but I'll just leave with the quote that I loved most, that left me sobbing, and that will likely stay with me forever, right from chapter one:
[...] there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Fatphobia
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Recommend this as someones intro to Kurt Vonnegut!
dark
funny
fast-paced
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I definitely understand why this book is considered such a classic because wow was it amazing. I listened to the audiobook version, but I think I want to get a physical copy so that I can reread and annotate it. The writing was just incredible in this book. It felt like every individual word was meaningful and intentionally chosen, which is not a common observation I have about books.
I had heard that this book was somewhat confusing, due to the time travel element, but I found that it made sense because there were only a couple different points in the timeline that it was switching back and forth between. And within those individual points things were pretty linear. Like for example if you only read the parts where he was in the war, the timeline of that was normal.
I also really liked the alien element. Especially how much the book described how the aliens perceive time differently. And I think there is a way you could read this book where you do not believe the aliens are real, and are just the imaginings of an old man, but personally I think the idea that he spent some time in a human zoo is very funny to interpret literally.
Overall, this book made me feel so many different emotions, a lot of them sad, but I was left feeling inspired as to what one can do with the medium of literature to tell a story. I would definitely recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, War
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No