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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
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:
Yes
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was just odd… like so odd. I’m not sure how it became a classic.
The only real explanation I could come up with for the time jumping and alien stuff was Billy’s brain trying to protect him from what was happening in the present (WWII).
It wasn’t a terrible read. But there isn’t exactly a cohesive plot.
The only real explanation I could come up with for the time jumping and alien stuff was Billy’s brain trying to protect him from what was happening in the present (WWII).
It wasn’t a terrible read. But there isn’t exactly a cohesive plot.
“There are almost no characters in this story, and almost no dramatic confrontations, because most of the people in it are so sick and so much the listless playthings of enormous forces. One of the main effects of war, after all, is that people are all discouraged from being characters. But old Derby was a character now…Somewhere in there the poor old high school teacher, Edgar Derby, was caught with a teapot he had taken from the catacombs. He was arrested for plundering. He was tried and shot” (pg 164 and 214).
So it goes.
So it goes.
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
I was a little unsure how I would enjoy this book after not loving The Sirens of Titan, and I wasn’t I wasn’t convinced of this book’s goal for almost half of it, especially when science fiction made an appearance. My mind and perspective broke open when I read, “So they were trying to re-invent themselves and their universe. Science fiction was a big help.”
This story is incredibly and tragically layered in its meanings of life, death, and living through and after death. I interpreted Billy Pilgrim as innocence, especially viewing WWII as the Vonnegut’s idea of a “Children’s Crusade.” Billy’s consistent nonchalance, from the remembering the war to getting married to having a mental breakdown etc, punches the reader harder with the level of trauma a child faced. Even as he reached personal and financial success decades later, it meant nothing. It was easier to be abducted by aliens and live in a safe bubble with a beautiful woman that you could easily express your grief to than to overcome the PTSD of war. The actual bombing of Dresden is such a small portion of the book, and it needs to be as to not sensationalize the “heroics” of war and to focus on the lifelong impact such events have on survivor. The genius of Vonnegut is also seen in the anecdotes and side characters sprinkled throughout the journey. Truly a thought-provoking novel.
This story is incredibly and tragically layered in its meanings of life, death, and living through and after death. I interpreted Billy Pilgrim as innocence, especially viewing WWII as the Vonnegut’s idea of a “Children’s Crusade.” Billy’s consistent nonchalance, from the remembering the war to getting married to having a mental breakdown etc, punches the reader harder with the level of trauma a child faced. Even as he reached personal and financial success decades later, it meant nothing. It was easier to be abducted by aliens and live in a safe bubble with a beautiful woman that you could easily express your grief to than to overcome the PTSD of war. The actual bombing of Dresden is such a small portion of the book, and it needs to be as to not sensationalize the “heroics” of war and to focus on the lifelong impact such events have on survivor. The genius of Vonnegut is also seen in the anecdotes and side characters sprinkled throughout the journey. Truly a thought-provoking novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, War
Moderate: Antisemitism
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated