Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Breakfast of Champions

I found it hard to engage with this book, it seemed like a set of observations rather than a coherent narrative. Some interesting ideas, and if you were familiar with the characters that appear from the author's earlier works it may be more interesting

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mollyhodg's review

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dark funny medium-paced

3.0

I liked the self-inserts. That was the most compelling part for me.

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twoheaded_boy's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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kierank's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Reading this after “the bluest eye” was an interesting experience. Both books had sprawling narration of minor characters and delved into psyches of people who won’t be seen after the next chapter. I think morrisons use of racial slurs and epithets was more impactful that Vonnegut’s since her black characters are front and center, not the racism they experience, if that makes sense. I was p frustrated by vonneguts professed objective narration even though he had obvious biases. Idk. I struggled at parts but I did like the ending, and I’m always a sucker for a meta narrative.

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kolbyfeesh's review

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dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book dragged on and on for the first couple hundred pages. I nearly didn’t finish it a few times over; Vonnegut was determined to write a story that focused on life, with every character and fact having equal importance. (pg215)
Since he was actively shunning storytelling, the story was difficult to engage with- the satirical framing of the issues of america was interesting, but nothing much *happened*. I will say that Trout’s short stories were an excellent plot device.

The ending absolutely blew me away. I was enthralled, through and through, and couldn’t put it down.

The fourth wall break, along with the idea of philosophical zombies “thinking machines” driving Dwayne crazy hit home in a big way.

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