Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

32 reviews

thesvnthsense's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Racial slurs, Violence, and Rape

ranflanflana91's review

dark funny fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

pralanda's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Suicide and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Homophobia, Slavery, Racial slurs, Rape, and Racism

kierank's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Violence, and Car accident

Moderate: Death and Suicide

paulwesterberg's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I am better now.
Word of honor: I am better now.

probably my least favorite vonnegut thus far—but also the kurt vonnegut, jr. narrator feature is simply peak. not sure if this was the perfect time of my life, or absolute worst time, for me to read this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide, Transphobia, Rape, and Homophobia

joensign's review

dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Sexism, Rape, Suicide, and Animal death

Minor: Death of parent

crabbynico's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This being my third Vonnegut novel, I knew roughly what to expect: tongue-in-cheek dark humor, a universal inter-connectedness, random asides with no point but enriching the world of the story.

At some point, I will review this more in depth when it is fresher in my mind.  For now, I will say that this was a wild ride that goes almost nowhere, like a roller coaster making a loop, and is no less fun for it. There’s more slapstick here than some of his other works, the narration is at times absurd and there is rather heavy usage of some racial slurs and stereotypes. Yes, they are used to mock racist ways of thinking and the systems that support it, but it’s done in a very dry way that might not be immediately apparent to everyone. That’s not so much a criticism as a caution. There is also a smaller amount of similar content regarding homophobia and one thing near the end that is quite upsetting in that regard. 

My big takeaway was mostly just feeling sorry for everyone involved. It wasn’t a bummer of a book by any means, with Vonnegut’s trademark absurdist humor providing the levity to float me through it all. That said, I would not relish another trip to the city of Midland, as it is a very bleak place. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Suicide, and Mental illness

To put it bluntly: a violent hate crime is perpetrated on a man by his father, in the midst of a psychotic episode. While not deeply graphic, it is implied that his face is barely recognizable as a face afterwards. Also, a former convict waxes nostalgic about prison sex and fucking cows so—yeah, there’s that.

meekumoh's review

challenging dark funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

First book of Vonnegut's I've finished. You can really tell he's been trying to unclog that pipe for a while (he says so in the prologue). His view of American humanity is both a wide lens yet steeped in underfoot ugliness. I can't say I enjoyed the commentary on racism but overall it was a provoking read. A little like being fed eight experimental meals at once. Would recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, Racism, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Addiction, Death, Grief, Ableism, and Death of parent

krisroll's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

I usually love Vonnegut, this one was very scattered. It kept my attention throughout the first half, but the last parts of the book I found myself skimming. I understand the nuances, but the ending was very hard to push through. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Car accident, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Rape, Self harm, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Slavery, Blood, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual content, War, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

zosiablue's review

emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

We all know Vonnegut juxtaposes tragic and absurd because that's exactly what life is and through the first half of this, I thought - ah, we're going only absurd here, OK, I'm in. And then there was an astonishing perspective change that nailed me so hard I started crying! I'm not a crier and it came on so suddenly that I shocked myself. He does this every fucking time to me. What's this book about? A writer on a road trip to speak at an arts festival. What's this book about? The festival of everything (TM).

(Though I know what he's doing, the race stuff doesn't age well at all. That's worth more than a parenthetical for sure, but just a warning.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexism, Classism, Suicide, and Grief