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jwells's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
This was something like my fourth book by Vonnegut, and I can't quite decide whether I actually enjoy him or not. (Should I keep reading until I decide? Or give up? lol)
About halfway though I lost patience somewhat, and decided that I'd finish this one, but it would be my last. His tendency to throw out the rules began to strike me as self-important. The book meanders all over the place and includes a lot of seemingly pointless detail, some of which is apparently supposed to be shocking. Or, actually, what would the 1970s readership have made of the penis measurements and stuff? Would it have been funny? I started skimming past them, TBH. (Though I did observe that absolutely every woman described by bust-waist-hip measurement has an hourglass figure. LOL. You aren't as observant - or as subversive - as you think, Mr. Vonnegut. Outside of porn, women have more than one body type.)
I started to feel like all of this breaking of fictional convention was Vonnegut's way of saying that he alone had some sort of special access to secret truth, which he could only convey by making his books Difficult (read: tedious). He thinks he is too special to obey the Rules (which are there to make fiction enjoyable to us mere readers). I started to think, I don't need to suffer through this; there are plenty of men ready to tell me all about how special and insightful they are, without me having to spend my leisure reading time on it.
What I didn't expect was that Vonnegut had the clarity to say exactly what he thought was wrong with the Fiction Rules, and why he's spending the entirety of Breakfast of Champions flouting them. It's in the middle of chapter 19, using the poor writer character Beatrice Keedsler as a scapegoat representative of traditional fiction. That's what she writes, the kind of fiction with "leading characters, minor characters, significant details, insignificant details... lessons to be learned, tests to be passed, and a beginning, a middle, and an end." The kind of fiction I was wishing this book was. lol
Vonnegut, self-inserted into this book, says he thinks that some of the problems in society come from treating each other as if we are living in this kind of fiction. He therefore won't tell stories like that. Instead:
"I would write about life. Every person would be exactly as important as any other. All facts would also be given equal weightiness. Nothing would be left out. Let others bring order to chaos. I would bring chaos to order..."
If that's not a perfect mission statement of this book. In the last chapter, he's still introducing new characters and telling us their back stories (the doctor in the ambulance and his inability to handle criticism).
Maybe we'd question whether he's right; does traditional fiction really cause us to mistreat one another? I've read that fiction readers actually develop more empathy, compared to non-readers. But at least you can't say he didn't explain what he's doing, and why. He just doesn't want anyone to be treated as a "minor character" in real life.
Two other points:
About halfway though I lost patience somewhat, and decided that I'd finish this one, but it would be my last. His tendency to throw out the rules began to strike me as self-important. The book meanders all over the place and includes a lot of seemingly pointless detail, some of which is apparently supposed to be shocking. Or, actually, what would the 1970s readership have made of the penis measurements and stuff? Would it have been funny? I started skimming past them, TBH. (Though I did observe that absolutely every woman described by bust-waist-hip measurement has an hourglass figure. LOL. You aren't as observant - or as subversive - as you think, Mr. Vonnegut. Outside of porn, women have more than one body type.)
I started to feel like all of this breaking of fictional convention was Vonnegut's way of saying that he alone had some sort of special access to secret truth, which he could only convey by making his books Difficult (read: tedious). He thinks he is too special to obey the Rules (which are there to make fiction enjoyable to us mere readers). I started to think, I don't need to suffer through this; there are plenty of men ready to tell me all about how special and insightful they are, without me having to spend my leisure reading time on it.
What I didn't expect was that Vonnegut had the clarity to say exactly what he thought was wrong with the Fiction Rules, and why he's spending the entirety of Breakfast of Champions flouting them. It's in the middle of chapter 19, using the poor writer character Beatrice Keedsler as a scapegoat representative of traditional fiction. That's what she writes, the kind of fiction with "leading characters, minor characters, significant details, insignificant details... lessons to be learned, tests to be passed, and a beginning, a middle, and an end." The kind of fiction I was wishing this book was. lol
Vonnegut, self-inserted into this book, says he thinks that some of the problems in society come from treating each other as if we are living in this kind of fiction. He therefore won't tell stories like that. Instead:
"I would write about life. Every person would be exactly as important as any other. All facts would also be given equal weightiness. Nothing would be left out. Let others bring order to chaos. I would bring chaos to order..."
If that's not a perfect mission statement of this book. In the last chapter, he's still introducing new characters and telling us their back stories (the doctor in the ambulance and his inability to handle criticism).
Maybe we'd question whether he's right; does traditional fiction really cause us to mistreat one another? I've read that fiction readers actually develop more empathy, compared to non-readers. But at least you can't say he didn't explain what he's doing, and why. He just doesn't want anyone to be treated as a "minor character" in real life.
Two other points:
- The theme of free will wraps up in the dual metaphor that humans are both "meat machines" and "bands of sacred light." Extremely Vonnegut, to spend an entire book being gratingly cynical and then end on a note of touching humanity. Still can't decide if I want another book like that or not. LOL
- Trigger warning for the N-word. Second god-damned book in a row for me. W-t-everloving-F. I got to read something that's either prior to the 60s or later than the 70s.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, and Racism
N-word used multiple timeswhysoserious's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, and Suicide
Minor: Excrement and Homophobia
sophiegorecki's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
this is the first vonnegut book i’ve read and i really love his satire and the little drawings he has throughout. he really is a genius at character building and having them all tie together in the end. the references to indianapolis made me happy too :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, and Racism
patrickdm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Violence
sashpointah's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This ping-pongs from being so prescient and representative and understanding of the human condition and the systems of oppression it's constructed to being outright transphobic, homophobic, misogynistic, and devolving into racial stereotypes. Severe whiplash but generally well-meaning, and a potential queer interpretation save this one. If you can get past the ugliest bits there's some pretty powerful philosophy to take away from it, it just would be far better if it weren't about race at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, Death of parent, Hate crime, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Rape, Racism, Mental illness, Violence, Suicide, Death, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Blood, Classism, and Alcohol
Minor: Fatphobia
louiseadelusi's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Violence
Moderate: Racism
so___a's review against another edition
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Sexual content, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Cursing
its_kievan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.5
Utterly bizarre, terribly paced, kind of racist, navel-gazing, and way better than Slaughterhouse-Five. I think I was much too young when I read this book for the first time and it kind of broke my brain a bit. I think if I read it a third time I would have depression.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Violence, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Rape
lily1304's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Suicide
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Rape
charlottejones952's review
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Mental illness
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Suicide, and Violence