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A review by thekarpuk
Bagombo Snuff Box by Kurt Vonnegut
3.0
Did you like "Slaughter House Five" and "Cat's Cradle"? Were you like me and totally blown away by the 4th wall breaking in "Breakfast Of Champions"? Well then scale back your expectations before you crack open "Bagombo Snuff Box".
These are stories written back in Vonnegut's magazine days, and as such are far more reserved than the stories he would later become a legend for.
Not to deny it's good qualities. For Vonnegut completists it's a fascinating collection, and for fans of short fiction it has plenty of gems, but betrayed expectations often make fans angrier than an actual lack of good craftsmanship.
The awkward part for me was the introduction, where Vonnegut complained about the way the magazine industry changed due to the rise of television. Ranting about the idiot-box was a passe old man activity by the 80's, and reading it in a book released in 2000 made my eye roll a bit in spots.
Even if someone's a genius, I'm still not that wild about hearing nostalgic rantings about the way things used to be.
These are stories written back in Vonnegut's magazine days, and as such are far more reserved than the stories he would later become a legend for.
Not to deny it's good qualities. For Vonnegut completists it's a fascinating collection, and for fans of short fiction it has plenty of gems, but betrayed expectations often make fans angrier than an actual lack of good craftsmanship.
The awkward part for me was the introduction, where Vonnegut complained about the way the magazine industry changed due to the rise of television. Ranting about the idiot-box was a passe old man activity by the 80's, and reading it in a book released in 2000 made my eye roll a bit in spots.
Even if someone's a genius, I'm still not that wild about hearing nostalgic rantings about the way things used to be.