What do you think?
Rate this book
Vyletí ptáček
Nechcete si koupit naslouchátko, které vám mohutně pozvedne sebevědomí? Je soused odvedle prachsprostý sňatkový podvodník, nebo geniální hypnotizér ohýbající hranice časoprostoru? Existovala v druhohorách vyvinutá mravenčí civilizace? Šlápli jste na kuří oko Edu Lubymu a bojíte se o holý krk? Pokud zjistíte, že se vaše město hemží vražednými paranoidními psychopaty, znamená to, že jste taky paranoidní?
Kurt Vonnegut opět vstává z hrobu a také v druhé posmrtně vydané sbírce doposud nevydaných povídek ohromuje srdečným humorem, kuriózními nápady, výstředními postavami a naprosto nečekanými pointami.
Kurt Vonnegut opět vstává z hrobu a také v druhé posmrtně vydané sbírce doposud nevydaných povídek ohromuje srdečným humorem, kuriózními nápady, výstředními postavami a naprosto nečekanými pointami.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
542 people are currently reading
6359 people want to read
About the author
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
710 books36.8k followersKurt Vonnegut, Junior was an American novelist, satirist, and most recently, graphic artist. He was recognized as New York State Author for 2001-2003.
He was born in Indianapolis, later the setting for many of his novels. He attended Cornell University from 1941 to 1943, where he wrote a column for the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun. Vonnegut trained as a chemist and worked as a journalist before joining the U.S. Army and serving in World War II.
After the war, he attended University of Chicago as a graduate student in anthropology and also worked as a police reporter at the City News Bureau of Chicago. He left Chicago to work in Schenectady, New York in public relations for General Electric. He attributed his unadorned writing style to his reporting work.
His experiences as an advance scout in the Battle of the Bulge, and in particular his witnessing of the bombing of Dresden, Germany whilst a prisoner of war, would inform much of his work. This event would also form the core of his most famous work, Slaughterhouse-Five, the book which would make him a millionaire. This acerbic 200-page book is what most people mean when they describe a work as "Vonnegutian" in scope.
Vonnegut was a self-proclaimed humanist and socialist (influenced by the style of Indiana's own Eugene V. Debs) and a lifelong supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
The novelist is known for works blending satire, black comedy and science fiction, such as Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), Cat's Cradle (1963), and Breakfast of Champions (1973)
He was born in Indianapolis, later the setting for many of his novels. He attended Cornell University from 1941 to 1943, where he wrote a column for the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun. Vonnegut trained as a chemist and worked as a journalist before joining the U.S. Army and serving in World War II.
After the war, he attended University of Chicago as a graduate student in anthropology and also worked as a police reporter at the City News Bureau of Chicago. He left Chicago to work in Schenectady, New York in public relations for General Electric. He attributed his unadorned writing style to his reporting work.
His experiences as an advance scout in the Battle of the Bulge, and in particular his witnessing of the bombing of Dresden, Germany whilst a prisoner of war, would inform much of his work. This event would also form the core of his most famous work, Slaughterhouse-Five, the book which would make him a millionaire. This acerbic 200-page book is what most people mean when they describe a work as "Vonnegutian" in scope.
Vonnegut was a self-proclaimed humanist and socialist (influenced by the style of Indiana's own Eugene V. Debs) and a lifelong supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
The novelist is known for works blending satire, black comedy and science fiction, such as Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), Cat's Cradle (1963), and Breakfast of Champions (1973)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 719 reviews
January 8, 2021
Up until now, I've read very few posthumous works that are of any value. With a single volume, the brilliant short story collection Look at the Birdie, Kurt Vonnegut has reached up from the grave and single-handedly changed my opinion of posthumous literature forever. This is the finest posthumous work I have read yet, and is one of the greatest short story collections I've ever read, period.
Unlike some posthumous work, this doesn't seem rushed or exploitative. The cover is beautiful, it has a great foreword by someone who personally knew Vonnegut, and art drawn by Vonnegut himself can be found at the beginning of many of the stories, adding a great personal touch to the collective whole of this book. It doesn't feel like a quick way for an estate to make a buck, it feels like a love letter to Kurt Vonnegut.
The stories themselves, with one or two exceptions, are superb, and some are utterly perfect. It's completely mind-blowing, and a little tragic, that these treasures were never published during Vonnegut's lifetime. The stories are clearly well-thought-out; one even consisted of three numbered parts and an epilogue. It's also very evident the stories weren't written just to make money; they carry powerful moral insight, and several stayed with me after reading them. They are essentially fables, attempting to teach a greater truth to the reader: that money can't buy you happiness, that you should try to see the good things in life, that sometimes bad things happen to good people, etc.
In typical Vonnegut fashion, a secret or event or truth is usually concealed until the very end of each story; Vonnegut skillfully pulls the reader along toward these endings, and his command in these stories (which unbelievably were written very early in his career) invoke memories of his later novels The Sirens of Titan and Cat's Cradle. You have absolutely no clue what's going to happen until the very end, but the journey toward that ending is completely captivating. And the ending itself usually delivers and is incredibly satisfying, whether it's a happy ending or not.
The stories also have the Vonnegut "feel". It's hard to explain, but his stories have a certain feel to them. Vonnegut readers will know what I'm talking about. These stories are vintage Vonnegut in this respect. There were some peculiar similarities in several of the stories: used car lots (which made me smile, because one of the characters in one of Vonnegut's most famous later novels, Breakfast of Champions, is a car salesman), funeral homes, and the revealing that, though they seem like very nice people on the surface, a person's neighbours are really horrible people with a lot of nasty secrets. Maybe Vonnegut hated the neighbours he had when he was writing these stories? We'll never know!
In summary, Look at the Birdie is a diamond in the rough, a sparkling flotsam treasure chest in a sea of mostly unworthy posthumous rubbish. It's a masterpiece. It's vintage Vonnegut. It's an absolute must-read.
Highly recommended!
Unlike some posthumous work, this doesn't seem rushed or exploitative. The cover is beautiful, it has a great foreword by someone who personally knew Vonnegut, and art drawn by Vonnegut himself can be found at the beginning of many of the stories, adding a great personal touch to the collective whole of this book. It doesn't feel like a quick way for an estate to make a buck, it feels like a love letter to Kurt Vonnegut.
The stories themselves, with one or two exceptions, are superb, and some are utterly perfect. It's completely mind-blowing, and a little tragic, that these treasures were never published during Vonnegut's lifetime. The stories are clearly well-thought-out; one even consisted of three numbered parts and an epilogue. It's also very evident the stories weren't written just to make money; they carry powerful moral insight, and several stayed with me after reading them. They are essentially fables, attempting to teach a greater truth to the reader: that money can't buy you happiness, that you should try to see the good things in life, that sometimes bad things happen to good people, etc.
In typical Vonnegut fashion, a secret or event or truth is usually concealed until the very end of each story; Vonnegut skillfully pulls the reader along toward these endings, and his command in these stories (which unbelievably were written very early in his career) invoke memories of his later novels The Sirens of Titan and Cat's Cradle. You have absolutely no clue what's going to happen until the very end, but the journey toward that ending is completely captivating. And the ending itself usually delivers and is incredibly satisfying, whether it's a happy ending or not.
The stories also have the Vonnegut "feel". It's hard to explain, but his stories have a certain feel to them. Vonnegut readers will know what I'm talking about. These stories are vintage Vonnegut in this respect. There were some peculiar similarities in several of the stories: used car lots (which made me smile, because one of the characters in one of Vonnegut's most famous later novels, Breakfast of Champions, is a car salesman), funeral homes, and the revealing that, though they seem like very nice people on the surface, a person's neighbours are really horrible people with a lot of nasty secrets. Maybe Vonnegut hated the neighbours he had when he was writing these stories? We'll never know!
In summary, Look at the Birdie is a diamond in the rough, a sparkling flotsam treasure chest in a sea of mostly unworthy posthumous rubbish. It's a masterpiece. It's vintage Vonnegut. It's an absolute must-read.
Highly recommended!
December 8, 2010
Kurt Vonnegut has always been one of my favorite authors; he was one of the very first writers that was able to change the way I think. I had always loved books, but after my first encounter with KV in high school, I amazingly realized what a novel could actually do. But it's more than than that. Vonnegut has always reminded me of my grandpa, though thinking about it, I'm not really sure why. The only things I know of that they had in common were their age, WWII, and Pall Mall cigarettes.
Maybe it's that reading KV's books have clued me in to a side of my grandpa I was never able to know. So many times, I would ask him about his experiences during WWII, only to hear, "Aww honey, you don't want to hear about all that." Then he would quickly tell a joke to change the subject. This man, who practically raised me, and gave me everything else I'd ever wanted, never gave me that. I didn't know if he really just didn't want to talk about it; I mean, who knows what he saw and what things he had to do over there. I remember my grandma telling me that he never even said much about it to her. She told me he thought it was inappropriate to talk about certain things in front of women. It's not that he thought women were inferior, to him it was a matter of respect. He was from a different era, that's just how he was. Awhile ago, my GR friend Cait sent me a great article about Vonnegut attending the Connecticut Forum shortly before he passed away. At the interview, Joyce Carol Oates went all feminist on him in front of everybody. After reading that, I still can't bring myself to read one of her books. Bitch. (JCO, not my friend Cait) Seriously Joyce, he's an old man. Lay. The. Fuck. Off.
I'm not sure when all of these stories were written, but some of the ideas in them do seem a bit dated. Most of them wouldn't seem spectacular to anyone who hasn't read any Vonnegut before, but considering the sub-title of the book, Unpublished Short Fiction, I'm okay with the fact it wasn't a phenomonal collection. Who knows if Vonnegut, who was always re-writing, even wanted these to ever be published? One high point, this book has some of KV's illustrations that I'd never seen before. (yay, pictures!!!) Here's my favorite, drawn only a few months before he died.
Reading this felt like it gave me an extra inside look into Vonnegut. Kind of like finding a picture or letter from a loved one who's passed away. No matter what it looks like, or what it says, it still feels like a treasure. Certain things can remind us of who people actually were, and this book shows that Kurt Vonnegut above all, was a writer. In my eyes, just like my grandpa, there is nothing he could do that I wouldn't absolutely love.
Maybe it's that reading KV's books have clued me in to a side of my grandpa I was never able to know. So many times, I would ask him about his experiences during WWII, only to hear, "Aww honey, you don't want to hear about all that." Then he would quickly tell a joke to change the subject. This man, who practically raised me, and gave me everything else I'd ever wanted, never gave me that. I didn't know if he really just didn't want to talk about it; I mean, who knows what he saw and what things he had to do over there. I remember my grandma telling me that he never even said much about it to her. She told me he thought it was inappropriate to talk about certain things in front of women. It's not that he thought women were inferior, to him it was a matter of respect. He was from a different era, that's just how he was. Awhile ago, my GR friend Cait sent me a great article about Vonnegut attending the Connecticut Forum shortly before he passed away. At the interview, Joyce Carol Oates went all feminist on him in front of everybody. After reading that, I still can't bring myself to read one of her books. Bitch. (JCO, not my friend Cait) Seriously Joyce, he's an old man. Lay. The. Fuck. Off.
I'm not sure when all of these stories were written, but some of the ideas in them do seem a bit dated. Most of them wouldn't seem spectacular to anyone who hasn't read any Vonnegut before, but considering the sub-title of the book, Unpublished Short Fiction, I'm okay with the fact it wasn't a phenomonal collection. Who knows if Vonnegut, who was always re-writing, even wanted these to ever be published? One high point, this book has some of KV's illustrations that I'd never seen before. (yay, pictures!!!) Here's my favorite, drawn only a few months before he died.
Reading this felt like it gave me an extra inside look into Vonnegut. Kind of like finding a picture or letter from a loved one who's passed away. No matter what it looks like, or what it says, it still feels like a treasure. Certain things can remind us of who people actually were, and this book shows that Kurt Vonnegut above all, was a writer. In my eyes, just like my grandpa, there is nothing he could do that I wouldn't absolutely love.
June 12, 2013
THIS IS AMAZING.
Put that on repeat 13 more times - for all the 14 short stories in this compilation.
Like I said in my only status update while reading this, it seems unbelievable that these stories, written in the early part of Vonnegut's career, never saw the light of day until two years after his death. This is the second such compilation of short fiction by him published posthumously (four have been released till date, the first being 'Armageddon in Retrospect').
I happened to read somewhere that Vonnegut wrote these 'purely for money' & they were rejected by the 'slick' magazines of that time. Perhaps, the editors might have realised that the stories appearing in their own magazines wouldn't possibly match up to these.
The stories in this compilation dabble in a variety of genres - ranging from sci-fi to romance to whodunit to allegory to Depression-era coming-of-age tales to life's tragicomedies. There is a maverick inventor who creates a billion-dollar talking machine that delves into the darkest recesses of one's mind ('Confido') & then they are tiny beings who fly around in a spaceship that looks like a paper knife ('The Nice Little People'). You have a dull, boring PR officer whose bright new assistant gives him love & his life back ('FUBAR'), a squabbling couple who have lost love on account of one spouse finding fame ('Shout About It from the Housetops') & then you see two naive rich love birds having their first brush against poverty in the Depression era ('King and Queen of the Universe').
There are two tales of crime & mystery too - 'Ed Luby's Key Club' moves at the blistering pace of a thriller while 'The Honor of the Newsboy' is a classic whodunit. And let's not forget the one from which the compilation gets its title, where a once-upon-a-time quack finds a new way to make his living. My personal favourite, however, has to be 'The Petrified Ants' - all I can say that for me, it's somewhat of a short story equivalent of George Orwell's two greatest works. I'm not kidding.
True, there are always a few stories that aren't probably as good as the best of the lot. But in each of the stories here, you find that touch of humanity in the narrative, the raw emotions, the deep understanding of how people react to different situations & Vonnegut's uncanny ability to find humour in the unlikeliest of places. The storytelling is simplistic & straightforward but yet so good & pleasant to read.
4.5 to 5 stars for 'Look at the Birdie' by Kurt Vonnegut. This happened to be the first time I'm reading Vonnegut & this definitely won't be the last, since I'm a fan already. Highly recommended for those who enjoy short stories & fans of the author, for it does provide valuable insight into the making of one of America's greatest post-war writers.
P.S. Watch out for the illustrations throughout the course of this book. One heck of a talented artist that Vonnegut chap was.
Put that on repeat 13 more times - for all the 14 short stories in this compilation.
Like I said in my only status update while reading this, it seems unbelievable that these stories, written in the early part of Vonnegut's career, never saw the light of day until two years after his death. This is the second such compilation of short fiction by him published posthumously (four have been released till date, the first being 'Armageddon in Retrospect').
I happened to read somewhere that Vonnegut wrote these 'purely for money' & they were rejected by the 'slick' magazines of that time. Perhaps, the editors might have realised that the stories appearing in their own magazines wouldn't possibly match up to these.
The stories in this compilation dabble in a variety of genres - ranging from sci-fi to romance to whodunit to allegory to Depression-era coming-of-age tales to life's tragicomedies. There is a maverick inventor who creates a billion-dollar talking machine that delves into the darkest recesses of one's mind ('Confido') & then they are tiny beings who fly around in a spaceship that looks like a paper knife ('The Nice Little People'). You have a dull, boring PR officer whose bright new assistant gives him love & his life back ('FUBAR'), a squabbling couple who have lost love on account of one spouse finding fame ('Shout About It from the Housetops') & then you see two naive rich love birds having their first brush against poverty in the Depression era ('King and Queen of the Universe').
There are two tales of crime & mystery too - 'Ed Luby's Key Club' moves at the blistering pace of a thriller while 'The Honor of the Newsboy' is a classic whodunit. And let's not forget the one from which the compilation gets its title, where a once-upon-a-time quack finds a new way to make his living. My personal favourite, however, has to be 'The Petrified Ants' - all I can say that for me, it's somewhat of a short story equivalent of George Orwell's two greatest works. I'm not kidding.
True, there are always a few stories that aren't probably as good as the best of the lot. But in each of the stories here, you find that touch of humanity in the narrative, the raw emotions, the deep understanding of how people react to different situations & Vonnegut's uncanny ability to find humour in the unlikeliest of places. The storytelling is simplistic & straightforward but yet so good & pleasant to read.
4.5 to 5 stars for 'Look at the Birdie' by Kurt Vonnegut. This happened to be the first time I'm reading Vonnegut & this definitely won't be the last, since I'm a fan already. Highly recommended for those who enjoy short stories & fans of the author, for it does provide valuable insight into the making of one of America's greatest post-war writers.
P.S. Watch out for the illustrations throughout the course of this book. One heck of a talented artist that Vonnegut chap was.
July 12, 2017
فضای فانتزی و ترکیب اتفاقای فانتزی با واقعیش رو خیلی دوست داشتم.
و معنای پشت هر داستان، که نشون میداد داستانها، صرفن جالب نیستن و پشتشون فکر و انتقاد هم هست!
ترجمهش یکخورده خندهدار و مسخره بود البته، ولی قابل چشمپوشی! (اکثر چیزا قابل چشمپوشی ان)
و معنای پشت هر داستان، که نشون میداد داستانها، صرفن جالب نیستن و پشتشون فکر و انتقاد هم هست!
ترجمهش یکخورده خندهدار و مسخره بود البته، ولی قابل چشمپوشی! (اکثر چیزا قابل چشمپوشی ان)
November 19, 2017
Dio la benedica, Mr. Vonnegut
La sua prima regola era: “Non sprecare il tempo del lettore”, e già dall’esordio letterario (questi sono i primi racconti che ha scritto) Vonnegut la rispetta in pieno. 14 racconti caratterizzati dall’essenzialità e dall’immediatezza, oltre che dall’ironia dissacrante; quello di Vonnegut è uno sguardo stralunato, ironico, ma acuto, che rivela sensibilità e grande umanità, uno sguardo che trasforma in letteratura le nostre piccolezze (meschinità, vizi, paure, manie, fragilità).
Con questi racconti, tutti godibili, Vonnegut attraversa stili e generi diversi:
Confido è la storia di un tecnico di apparecchi acustici che inventa una macchinetta che comprende i pensieri più reconditi delle persone che la usano.
In Gridalo dai tetti una casalinga scrive un bestseller in cui smaschera l'ipocrisia di vicini e conoscenti: diventerà ricca, ma ne avrà la vita rovinata.
Il club privé di Ed Luby (il racconto più lungo) descrive l’incubo in cui precipita un uomo onesto.
Una canzone per Selma è una parodia del genio e del quoziente di intelligenza, che viene confuso dagli allievi di una scuola con il peso corporeo.
Labirinto di specchi è un racconto sull'ipnosi e su talune conseguenze imprevedibili.
Ne Il tagliacarte Lowell Swift scopre che un tagliacarte è in realtà una navicella spaziale su cui viaggiano microscopici esserini che inizieranno a idolatrarlo.
E ancora: un uomo che seduce e abbandona le sue allieve subirà una terribile vendetta; due ricercatori fanno una scoperta sorprendente che riguarda la società delle formiche… e molto altro.
L’11 febbraio 1951 (questi racconti sono di quel periodo) Vonnegut, in una lettera a Walter J. Miller scrive: “…e dal momento che ho lasciato la General Electric, se non sono uno scrittore, io non sono più nulla”.
Credo non ci siano dubbi sul fatto che Vonnegut fosse già allora uno scrittore. Il tempo, poi, gli darà ragione.
La sua prima regola era: “Non sprecare il tempo del lettore”, e già dall’esordio letterario (questi sono i primi racconti che ha scritto) Vonnegut la rispetta in pieno. 14 racconti caratterizzati dall’essenzialità e dall’immediatezza, oltre che dall’ironia dissacrante; quello di Vonnegut è uno sguardo stralunato, ironico, ma acuto, che rivela sensibilità e grande umanità, uno sguardo che trasforma in letteratura le nostre piccolezze (meschinità, vizi, paure, manie, fragilità).
Con questi racconti, tutti godibili, Vonnegut attraversa stili e generi diversi:
Confido è la storia di un tecnico di apparecchi acustici che inventa una macchinetta che comprende i pensieri più reconditi delle persone che la usano.
In Gridalo dai tetti una casalinga scrive un bestseller in cui smaschera l'ipocrisia di vicini e conoscenti: diventerà ricca, ma ne avrà la vita rovinata.
Il club privé di Ed Luby (il racconto più lungo) descrive l’incubo in cui precipita un uomo onesto.
Una canzone per Selma è una parodia del genio e del quoziente di intelligenza, che viene confuso dagli allievi di una scuola con il peso corporeo.
Labirinto di specchi è un racconto sull'ipnosi e su talune conseguenze imprevedibili.
Ne Il tagliacarte Lowell Swift scopre che un tagliacarte è in realtà una navicella spaziale su cui viaggiano microscopici esserini che inizieranno a idolatrarlo.
E ancora: un uomo che seduce e abbandona le sue allieve subirà una terribile vendetta; due ricercatori fanno una scoperta sorprendente che riguarda la società delle formiche… e molto altro.
L’11 febbraio 1951 (questi racconti sono di quel periodo) Vonnegut, in una lettera a Walter J. Miller scrive: “…e dal momento che ho lasciato la General Electric, se non sono uno scrittore, io non sono più nulla”.
Credo non ci siano dubbi sul fatto che Vonnegut fosse già allora uno scrittore. Il tempo, poi, gli darà ragione.
July 18, 2017
بعضى داستاناش خيلى عالى بود
از لبخندى كه بعد از خوندنشون ميزدم ، متوجه ميشدم كه خوب بوده :)
از لبخندى كه بعد از خوندنشون ميزدم ، متوجه ميشدم كه خوب بوده :)
July 29, 2023
Kurt Vonnegut benim için bir noktada her şeydir. "Neden yaşıyorum" sorusunu onun sayesinde sordum kendime ve sormaya da devam ediyorum. Neyse. Kuşa Bak'a benden elbette beş yıldız. Kurt Vonnegut'un yazdığı her metin, yaptığı her iş "çok şey"dir çünkü. Ama bu baskı, bu çeviri hakkında söylemeden edemeyeceklerim de var maalesef. Eksik harfli kelimeler, olmayan noktalama işaretleri, bir cümlede Türkçe, diğerinde orijinal hâliyle bırakılmış ifadeler... Unuttuğum daha neler var bilmiyorum şu ana kadar fakat gerçekten üzüldüm. Koskoca bir yayınevi muazzam bir yazarın Türkçede ilk defa yayımlanan eşsiz bir kitabına doğru dürüst editoryal süreci çok görmüş sanırım? Dilerim yerine ulaşır bu yazı da bir sonraki baskıda en azından göz atarlar kitaba.
March 20, 2018
Reading an author’s posthumous, previously unpublished work never sits completely right for me. In almost any forward of a deceased author’s “uncovered work” you can find someone vouching for the guy (or gal) as being a real stickler for editing, a tireless craftsman, someone who always wanted to get each turn of phrase just right. And I get that. It really resonates. Anyone who has ever written anything would be mortified to have an unprepared version of it sent out to an audience of strangers, especially if the person’s literary credentials were on the line. So, that said, how to go about reading LatB?
It’s nice, mostly tidy collection of short fiction. Most of the stories sit more firmly on the realism side of the fence than on the sci-fi one, but Vonnegut can shine on either. Perhaps it’s best to review each story individually then.
Confido- Eerie enough with a finish a bit like an episode of the twilight zone. 4 stars
Fubar- Ho hum. Youth vs old age. 2 stars
Shout it from the housetops-I had to go back to remember what this story was even about. Perils of creation and all that. Suburban monotony? 3 stars
Ed Luby’s Key Club- Great premise, riveting story, likable characters, Kafkaesque problems. The end moves quicker than I would have liked. This felt like notes for a novel too... 4.5 stars
A Song for Selma- The worst of the lot. Some humor. Not enough. 1 Star.
Hall of Mirrors- Maybe the best story in the collection for my money. Again, the ending felt a bit rushed, but this had some excellent narrative control. 5 Stars.
The Nice Little People- Tralfamadorians? Proto-Tralfamadorians? This felt most like the Vonnegut of Cats Cradle, Slaughterhouse V, and Sirens of Titan. Great voice. Most complete feeling of all the stories. 5 stars.
Hello, Red- Goodbye, Red. 1 Star.
Little Drops of Water- I don’t even recall. 1 Star
The Petrified Ants- Better left submerged, methinks. 1 Star
The Honor of a Newsboy- Pleasantly quaint, though I imagine some might be turned off by how aged it feels. 3 stars.
Look at the Birdie- Quick and cutthroat. 4 stars.
King and Queen of the Universe- Ho hum domestic yarn. 2 stars.
The Good Explainer- A weak ending to a decent collection of stories. I was ready for this one to be over. 2 stars.
And really I was ready for the collection to be over throughout most of the listen. There are some seriously nice nuggets of writing here, and Vonnegut is never truly deplorable, but so much of this collection should have been laid to rest with the author. So it goes. 2.5 stars.
It’s nice, mostly tidy collection of short fiction. Most of the stories sit more firmly on the realism side of the fence than on the sci-fi one, but Vonnegut can shine on either. Perhaps it’s best to review each story individually then.
Confido- Eerie enough with a finish a bit like an episode of the twilight zone. 4 stars
Fubar- Ho hum. Youth vs old age. 2 stars
Shout it from the housetops-I had to go back to remember what this story was even about. Perils of creation and all that. Suburban monotony? 3 stars
Ed Luby’s Key Club- Great premise, riveting story, likable characters, Kafkaesque problems. The end moves quicker than I would have liked. This felt like notes for a novel too... 4.5 stars
A Song for Selma- The worst of the lot. Some humor. Not enough. 1 Star.
Hall of Mirrors- Maybe the best story in the collection for my money. Again, the ending felt a bit rushed, but this had some excellent narrative control. 5 Stars.
The Nice Little People- Tralfamadorians? Proto-Tralfamadorians? This felt most like the Vonnegut of Cats Cradle, Slaughterhouse V, and Sirens of Titan. Great voice. Most complete feeling of all the stories. 5 stars.
Hello, Red- Goodbye, Red. 1 Star.
Little Drops of Water- I don’t even recall. 1 Star
The Petrified Ants- Better left submerged, methinks. 1 Star
The Honor of a Newsboy- Pleasantly quaint, though I imagine some might be turned off by how aged it feels. 3 stars.
Look at the Birdie- Quick and cutthroat. 4 stars.
King and Queen of the Universe- Ho hum domestic yarn. 2 stars.
The Good Explainer- A weak ending to a decent collection of stories. I was ready for this one to be over. 2 stars.
And really I was ready for the collection to be over throughout most of the listen. There are some seriously nice nuggets of writing here, and Vonnegut is never truly deplorable, but so much of this collection should have been laid to rest with the author. So it goes. 2.5 stars.
July 28, 2011
When I was 16 and started working my way through the Vonnegut library, the man could do no wrong. That is, until I turned 22 and read Jailbird. What an awful piece of shit that book turned out to be.
And now that I've read all of his major and minor works, save some of his post-Timequake work, I can stand back and analyze it without being so starry-eyed as I was in younger years. Even though he was my first literary love, and will always be number one in my heart, I can honestly say that these works could have remained unpublished and the world would have been just the same. If we could somehow cut approximately 60% of these stories, the book would have been more powerful and 5 stars. However, it is perfectly clear why some of these stories remained unpublished and uncollected for so long. because they stink to high heaven.
And if you don't like what I have to say about it then why don't you take a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut Why don't you take a flying fuck at the mooooooooooooon?
And now that I've read all of his major and minor works, save some of his post-Timequake work, I can stand back and analyze it without being so starry-eyed as I was in younger years. Even though he was my first literary love, and will always be number one in my heart, I can honestly say that these works could have remained unpublished and the world would have been just the same. If we could somehow cut approximately 60% of these stories, the book would have been more powerful and 5 stars. However, it is perfectly clear why some of these stories remained unpublished and uncollected for so long. because they stink to high heaven.
And if you don't like what I have to say about it then why don't you take a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut Why don't you take a flying fuck at the mooooooooooooon?
June 30, 2023
یاد بگیر بعضی چیزها را نادیده بگیری. تنها راهش همین است.
August 26, 2013
شاید خیلی انتظارم بالا بوده ازش؛ ولی صرفاً «خوب» بود؛ نه بیشتر.
داستانها «:}»طور بودن. خلاقانه بودن خیلی. غیرمتعارف و بامزه بودن. ولی نه بیشتر از این. :-؟
داستانها «:}»طور بودن. خلاقانه بودن خیلی. غیرمتعارف و بامزه بودن. ولی نه بیشتر از این. :-؟
August 26, 2021
قدرت ونهگات در داستان کوتاه به هیچوجه به اندازهی رمان نیست اما این باعث نمیشه که از خوندن داستانهای کوتاهش لذت نبرید. ونهگات نویسندهایه که خوب بلده خواننده رو توی مشتش بگیره و به هر طرف که میخواد ببره. داستانها فضاسازی جالبی داشتن و خیلی سریع منِ خواننده رو درگیر خودشون میکردن. نبض داستان کاملاً در دست نویسنده بود و ریتم داستان رو به خوبی تنظیم میکرد. و البته ردپای ونهگات و نگاهش به زندگی در پایانبندیها بیش از هرچیز به چشم میاومد
این رو هم در پایان اضافه کنم که کتاب رو در روزهایی خوندم که از فضای داستان کوتاه خیلی دورم و خیلی مِیلی به خوندن داستان کوتاه ندارم. اگر این کتاب رو ۴،۵ سال پیش میخوندم قطعاً تاثیر بیشتری روم میذاشت و با آب و تاب بیشتری از داستانها تعریف میکردم. بین ۳ یا ۴ دو به شک بودم و سرآخر به کتاب ۴ دادم تا از اینکه سلیقه، نگاه و حس و حال این دورهام بر امتیاز غالب شه، اجتناب کنم
این رو هم در پایان اضافه کنم که کتاب رو در روزهایی خوندم که از فضای داستان کوتاه خیلی دورم و خیلی مِیلی به خوندن داستان کوتاه ندارم. اگر این کتاب رو ۴،۵ سال پیش میخوندم قطعاً تاثیر بیشتری روم میذاشت و با آب و تاب بیشتری از داستانها تعریف میکردم. بین ۳ یا ۴ دو به شک بودم و سرآخر به کتاب ۴ دادم تا از اینکه سلیقه، نگاه و حس و حال این دورهام بر امتیاز غالب شه، اجتناب کنم
September 21, 2023
Was this the greatest book of short stories of all time? ...no! Did Clyde and I have the greatest time reading this book of short stories together for like a year and a half? YES!
Here's the breakdown of that timeline:
–Mitchell read "Little Drops of Water" out loud to Clyde and I! It was really funny. Had some great stuff to say about men being dumb. Kurt Vonnegut's the man.
-I read "Confido" to Clyde and Mitchell! It's a pretty eerie story about the little voice in the back of our head, and how easy, tempting, and dangerous it is to listen to.
-Clyde read "The Nice Little People" to me and Mitchell; we thought it was a really quirky and fun little tale about religious fundamentalism.
-I read "Look at the Birdie" to Clyde! It's a BUMMER, man. Watch out who you talk to in bars, I guess? Or don't invest in quack psychiatry?
-Clyde read "Hall of Mirrors" to me. We didn't love it! Not Vonnegut at his most Vonnegy!
-I read "Hello, Red" out loud to Clyde. Interesting little story about bastards and small town livin'. Not my finest voice work but we made do.
-Clyde read "Shout About It From The Housetops" to me! We really liked the meta vibes of this one. The simple metaphor of the storm windows got called OUT, which HELPED because I DID NOT GET IT until the story EXPLAINED IT!
-I read "The Honor of a Newsboy" to Clyde! Satan the Dog and Charley the detective are all-timers. I love what Vonnegut has to say about how 10 year olds see the world! Championing courage standing up to bullies and dogs named Satan was super sweet.
-Clyde read "The Good Explainer" to me. This one was kind of perplexing? Not our favorite, sort of whatever. Vonnegut loves quacks!
-I read "The Petrified Ants" to Clyde and Clyde read "F U B A R" to me! T.P.A. was just Vonnegut saying "Stalin is bad!", which, yeah, we're with you Kurt! FUBAR was actually really fun, it's all about how a change in perspective can make your life that much better. Great stuff!
-Clyde and I both read a part of "Ed Luby's Key Club," it was mostly just super long!
-I read "A Song for Selma" to Clyde! It was a pretty little story about singing pretty little songs, and being inspired in high school. Can't relate.
Finally, Clyde and I ended on "King and Queen of the Universe." It was the perfect tale to wrap up with. Goodreads deleted my initial response and my quote from it, which is annoying!!! Goodreads!!! But it's about finding love, learning about life, and becoming an adult. Basically, everything Clyde and I have been doing since starting this Vonnegut Advonture.
Five star experience.
Here's the breakdown of that timeline:
–Mitchell read "Little Drops of Water" out loud to Clyde and I! It was really funny. Had some great stuff to say about men being dumb. Kurt Vonnegut's the man.
-I read "Confido" to Clyde and Mitchell! It's a pretty eerie story about the little voice in the back of our head, and how easy, tempting, and dangerous it is to listen to.
-Clyde read "The Nice Little People" to me and Mitchell; we thought it was a really quirky and fun little tale about religious fundamentalism.
-I read "Look at the Birdie" to Clyde! It's a BUMMER, man. Watch out who you talk to in bars, I guess? Or don't invest in quack psychiatry?
-Clyde read "Hall of Mirrors" to me. We didn't love it! Not Vonnegut at his most Vonnegy!
-I read "Hello, Red" out loud to Clyde. Interesting little story about bastards and small town livin'. Not my finest voice work but we made do.
-Clyde read "Shout About It From The Housetops" to me! We really liked the meta vibes of this one. The simple metaphor of the storm windows got called OUT, which HELPED because I DID NOT GET IT until the story EXPLAINED IT!
-I read "The Honor of a Newsboy" to Clyde! Satan the Dog and Charley the detective are all-timers. I love what Vonnegut has to say about how 10 year olds see the world! Championing courage standing up to bullies and dogs named Satan was super sweet.
-Clyde read "The Good Explainer" to me. This one was kind of perplexing? Not our favorite, sort of whatever. Vonnegut loves quacks!
-I read "The Petrified Ants" to Clyde and Clyde read "F U B A R" to me! T.P.A. was just Vonnegut saying "Stalin is bad!", which, yeah, we're with you Kurt! FUBAR was actually really fun, it's all about how a change in perspective can make your life that much better. Great stuff!
-Clyde and I both read a part of "Ed Luby's Key Club," it was mostly just super long!
-I read "A Song for Selma" to Clyde! It was a pretty little story about singing pretty little songs, and being inspired in high school. Can't relate.
Finally, Clyde and I ended on "King and Queen of the Universe." It was the perfect tale to wrap up with. Goodreads deleted my initial response and my quote from it, which is annoying!!! Goodreads!!! But it's about finding love, learning about life, and becoming an adult. Basically, everything Clyde and I have been doing since starting this Vonnegut Advonture.
Five star experience.
December 9, 2010
I have been a Vonnegut fan for years, and just recently received and read this collection of his earlier short stories. And though the San Francisco Chronicle commented that "it seems Vonnegut is working out the kinks in these early attempts," quite frankly, I think it may be my favorite Vonnegut work, and to think it went unpublished for so long is astonishing. Unlike many of his stories, which I find well-written, ironic, hilarious, and cynical, this piece is well-written, ironic, hilarious... and sweet. I don't know if Vonnegut, as a man, became more cynical with age, as probably happens with lots of bright people, but I get the feeling that this early work shows his brilliance when it was maybe not un-touched by cynicism, but less touched by cynicism. Most of these stories left me with a feeling of hope and tenderness towards mankind. And I only say most because there are two stories that are meant to be on the sad side. What struck me most about this collection was the rare sweetness in Vonnegut's voice. And I think that will stay with me for a long time.
September 18, 2015
Two or three brilliant stories, a few sharp one-liners, and the rest is quite mediocre, not up to Vonnegut's usual standards. I can see why this stuff hasn't been published before.
February 3, 2018
so, so brilliant.
i can't tell you how happy this book made me! i got it for christmas from a friend and i don't know if he got it randomly or he really knows me, cause it was filled with short stories with happy endings. aka my absolute favorite kind of stories.
i can't tell you how many times i smiled or laughed- i'm truly upset that i'm done!!!
if anyone knows any other books similar to this one, please feel freeeee to let me know of them :)
i can't tell you how happy this book made me! i got it for christmas from a friend and i don't know if he got it randomly or he really knows me, cause it was filled with short stories with happy endings. aka my absolute favorite kind of stories.
i can't tell you how many times i smiled or laughed- i'm truly upset that i'm done!!!
if anyone knows any other books similar to this one, please feel freeeee to let me know of them :)
July 10, 2018
“Do we all have to bleed, before we can believe each other?”
Look At The Birdie by Kurt Vonnegut is a collection of short stories from his earlier career. Previously unpublished, they showcase his unique skills readers have come to love.
The subject matter vary from good versus evil, science fiction, human nature, social influence and many others. This was my first read by Vonnegut therefore I had no idea what to expect.
Instantly the first story pulled at my heart strings and left me shocked. The story is called “Confido”, it’s about a salesman who creates the ultimate hearing aid which is more than what it appears to be. Others which stood out for me were “Shout About It From The Housetops”, “A Song For Selma”, “Hall Of Mirrors”, “The Honor Of A Newsboy”, Look At The Birdie” and “The Good Explainer”.
These all had elements which had me tense, laughing at parts which were dark, surprised and unsettled. Vonnegut’s use of language and timing made the stories so unique and enjoyable. I hadn’t even gone through the first two when I knew I had to read more by him.
This book is a good taster into his work and has me ready to read more. A definite recommended read.
Look At The Birdie by Kurt Vonnegut is a collection of short stories from his earlier career. Previously unpublished, they showcase his unique skills readers have come to love.
The subject matter vary from good versus evil, science fiction, human nature, social influence and many others. This was my first read by Vonnegut therefore I had no idea what to expect.
Instantly the first story pulled at my heart strings and left me shocked. The story is called “Confido”, it’s about a salesman who creates the ultimate hearing aid which is more than what it appears to be. Others which stood out for me were “Shout About It From The Housetops”, “A Song For Selma”, “Hall Of Mirrors”, “The Honor Of A Newsboy”, Look At The Birdie” and “The Good Explainer”.
These all had elements which had me tense, laughing at parts which were dark, surprised and unsettled. Vonnegut’s use of language and timing made the stories so unique and enjoyable. I hadn’t even gone through the first two when I knew I had to read more by him.
This book is a good taster into his work and has me ready to read more. A definite recommended read.
October 27, 2021
Esta antología reúne y publica en 2009, de manera póstuma, relatos inéditos de Kurt Vonnegut, la mayor parte de los cuales no pueden ser considerados ciencia ficción. Y es que aunque Vonnegut es conocido principalmente como autor de esta género, con obras tan destacadas como Matadero cinco (1969), escribió también literatura mainstream.
No todos los relatos están a la altura de Matadero cinco o de El desayuno de los campeones y muchos de ellos parecen inconclusos, motivos quizá por los que no fueron publicados. En todo caso, la antología es interesante para conocer la obra del autor más allá del género.
[+] Reseña completa de la antología y sus relatos de ciencia ficción en Alt+64 wiki: http://alt64.org/wiki/index.php?title...
No todos los relatos están a la altura de Matadero cinco o de El desayuno de los campeones y muchos de ellos parecen inconclusos, motivos quizá por los que no fueron publicados. En todo caso, la antología es interesante para conocer la obra del autor más allá del género.
[+] Reseña completa de la antología y sus relatos de ciencia ficción en Alt+64 wiki: http://alt64.org/wiki/index.php?title...
December 6, 2009
As with most collections of short stories, there is good and there is bad. But one of the many reasons why Kurt Vonnegut was so brilliant can be showcased perfectly by this little gem of an opening paragraph:
I was sitting in a bar one night, talking rather loudly about a person I hated – and a man with a beard sat down beside me, and he said amiably, “Why don’t you have him killed?”
And that's all I need.
I was sitting in a bar one night, talking rather loudly about a person I hated – and a man with a beard sat down beside me, and he said amiably, “Why don’t you have him killed?”
And that's all I need.
May 15, 2014
There's a reason for these stories having been unpublished during the author's lifetime--they're not very good. Still, for someone like myself who has pretty much read all of Vonnegut with appreciation for his authorial voice, this book may be worth a look. There are moments in some of the stories which are quite good, either because they are emotionally moving or because they're very funny.
January 31, 2024
Tons of bangers. I especially loved "FUBAR" and "King and Queen of the Universe", which both feature miserable people who find meaning in unlikely places. The short story "Look at the Birdie" (that the book is named for) is a phenomenal twist on an earlier story in the collection.
None of these stories are as complex or solid as Vonnegut's longer works, but instead, it feels like he is exploring different storytelling styles. It's worth a read for a Vonnegut fan.
None of these stories are as complex or solid as Vonnegut's longer works, but instead, it feels like he is exploring different storytelling styles. It's worth a read for a Vonnegut fan.
October 16, 2025
Some stories were okay, others I liked better. They were definitely very well written, which made each story a pleasant, smooth read. Vonnegut was a great writer and had a lot to say—which he was able to do with wit, twist and insight.
September 26, 2025
these are probably my favorite vonnegut short stories or at least the most consistent. my favorite was "king and queen of the universe"
June 21, 2025
Been in a slump. Reading short stories here and there were good for me
August 31, 2025
si bien son relatos que destacan el estilo y humor ácido del autor, no creo que sea un compendio que le haga justicia ni mucho menos, siendo solo un par de estos cuentos verdaderamente reseñables; ni siquiera las ilustraciones son de las mejores que recuerde de vonnegut
November 6, 2022
3-4, welcome to the monkey house is better imo
May 27, 2021
Spoiler Alert - this review might give away some of the storylines
I was ambivalent about reading this book. These are stories that Kurt Vonnegut wrote during his lifetime but chose to leave unpublished. Vonnegut was a stickler for perfection in his writing so he might have decided these stories were not good enough to be printed or that they needed some more editing before they were. So, on the one hand I wondered if reading these stories that his estate chose to publish posthumously was disrespectful to an author whose writing I greatly admire. On the other hand, to throw away the opportunity to read anything that Vonnegut wrote, even if it was merely a shopping list, would be a travesty.
Hopefully Vonnegut will forgive me for I found this book to be full of excellent writing and wonderfully cutting, insightful, and satirical works. As I have said before, Kurt Vonnegut’s satire of American life cuts to the core of our society. His insight and wit on one hand seem comical and on the other terrifyingly truthful.
From the first line of the first story Vonnegut’s impressive skills are evident. “The Summer had died peacefully in its sleep, and Autumn, as soft-spoken executrix, was locking life up safely until Spring came to claim it.”
The themes of these fourteen stories cover an extensive range of the human experience. In the first story, Confido, a mild mannered man has happened upon an invention that will make him rich and famous but his wife is not sure he should reveal it to the world. The second story, Fubar, is about a man whose life is a clear case of fouled up beyond all recognition (thank Vonnegut for the PG version of this acronym). The third, Shout About It From The Housetops, centers around a woman who has written a masterful, loving ode to her husband, only to find its publication results in his being fired and the two of them ostracized by their community. The fourth, Ed Luby’s Key Club, revolves around the age old question of which succeeds in this world - goodness and honesty or self-centeredness and deceit. The fifth, A Song for Selma, poses the question of what is genius and how does one recognize it in one’s self or others. The sixth, Hall Of Mirrors, is a fascinating tale of deception that weaves back and forth more than an intricate oriental rug. The seventh, The Nice Little People, is a story about extraterrestrials that only Vonnegut could come up with. The eighth, Hello Red, is a grippingly honest story about love, deception, and parenthood. The ninth, Little Drops Of Water, is a story of a woman’s power and revenge against a self-centered lover. The tenth, The Petrified Ants, is a story from the old days of the USSR under Stalin. The eleventh, The Honor Of A Newsboy, is a Norman Rockwell painting as written by Vonnegut. The twelfth, Look At The Birdie, is about a murder counselor, of sorts. The thirteenth, King and Queen of the Universe, poses the question of whether the rich have any morality. And the fourteenth, is a painful but honest story of a woman getting back at a man who has wronged her.
Some of these stories are excellent, a few less so, and a couple that Vonnegut definitely would have reworked before putting them into print. However, even the least of these stories gives a glimpse of the genius of Kurt Vonnegut.
I was ambivalent about reading this book. These are stories that Kurt Vonnegut wrote during his lifetime but chose to leave unpublished. Vonnegut was a stickler for perfection in his writing so he might have decided these stories were not good enough to be printed or that they needed some more editing before they were. So, on the one hand I wondered if reading these stories that his estate chose to publish posthumously was disrespectful to an author whose writing I greatly admire. On the other hand, to throw away the opportunity to read anything that Vonnegut wrote, even if it was merely a shopping list, would be a travesty.
Hopefully Vonnegut will forgive me for I found this book to be full of excellent writing and wonderfully cutting, insightful, and satirical works. As I have said before, Kurt Vonnegut’s satire of American life cuts to the core of our society. His insight and wit on one hand seem comical and on the other terrifyingly truthful.
From the first line of the first story Vonnegut’s impressive skills are evident. “The Summer had died peacefully in its sleep, and Autumn, as soft-spoken executrix, was locking life up safely until Spring came to claim it.”
The themes of these fourteen stories cover an extensive range of the human experience. In the first story, Confido, a mild mannered man has happened upon an invention that will make him rich and famous but his wife is not sure he should reveal it to the world. The second story, Fubar, is about a man whose life is a clear case of fouled up beyond all recognition (thank Vonnegut for the PG version of this acronym). The third, Shout About It From The Housetops, centers around a woman who has written a masterful, loving ode to her husband, only to find its publication results in his being fired and the two of them ostracized by their community. The fourth, Ed Luby’s Key Club, revolves around the age old question of which succeeds in this world - goodness and honesty or self-centeredness and deceit. The fifth, A Song for Selma, poses the question of what is genius and how does one recognize it in one’s self or others. The sixth, Hall Of Mirrors, is a fascinating tale of deception that weaves back and forth more than an intricate oriental rug. The seventh, The Nice Little People, is a story about extraterrestrials that only Vonnegut could come up with. The eighth, Hello Red, is a grippingly honest story about love, deception, and parenthood. The ninth, Little Drops Of Water, is a story of a woman’s power and revenge against a self-centered lover. The tenth, The Petrified Ants, is a story from the old days of the USSR under Stalin. The eleventh, The Honor Of A Newsboy, is a Norman Rockwell painting as written by Vonnegut. The twelfth, Look At The Birdie, is about a murder counselor, of sorts. The thirteenth, King and Queen of the Universe, poses the question of whether the rich have any morality. And the fourteenth, is a painful but honest story of a woman getting back at a man who has wronged her.
Some of these stories are excellent, a few less so, and a couple that Vonnegut definitely would have reworked before putting them into print. However, even the least of these stories gives a glimpse of the genius of Kurt Vonnegut.
February 19, 2010
I'll try to avoid spending too much time dwelling on what's already been said about how amazing it is to read for the first time this collection of stories written while Vonnegut was still working for GE. But for just one small point: it is, in fact, important to note that the raw materials with which Vonnegut worked throughout his career -- especially the elements of disillusionment with larger Systems of which his characters find themselves a part; and, unfortunately, themes of some distortion of reality that imply the presence of more real distress in the author's life -- appearing in what might have been called his formative years if he had been significantly younger when these pieces were written. And of course, his dark wit about it all shines through cleanly.
To me, though, the most distinctive factor in this collection is that which is the most dissatisfying for someone whose experience with Vonnegut began with Slaughterhouse-Five. A result of the constraint that Vonnegut was – of necessity – writing with the goal of publishing at this time, it’s that he was working with very little room to toy with form. Never has Vonnegut seemed so little like Vonnegut.
He does what he can, of course, by consistently exploring the element of surprise. But sadly, some of the endings (especially in the first three pieces in the book) end up being too happy – a bit Hallmark-channelish. The more engrossing pieces, however, work much better. “Little Drops of Water” and “Hall of Mirrors” are probably the best here, and the finishing touches of the otherwise-straightforward “The Nice Little People” leave a taste of Nabokov in the mouth: the right blend of sour and otherworldly. A contemporaneous reader could have well expected that the author would later demonstrate much more capability.
Vonnegut was a master when he had room to breathe. This collection illustrates the contrast between his mastery and pre-mastery by showcasing his characteristic punchy-ness, while disallowing him the opportunity to deomonstrate the most important of his traits: his reasons for being punchy.
To me, though, the most distinctive factor in this collection is that which is the most dissatisfying for someone whose experience with Vonnegut began with Slaughterhouse-Five. A result of the constraint that Vonnegut was – of necessity – writing with the goal of publishing at this time, it’s that he was working with very little room to toy with form. Never has Vonnegut seemed so little like Vonnegut.
He does what he can, of course, by consistently exploring the element of surprise. But sadly, some of the endings (especially in the first three pieces in the book) end up being too happy – a bit Hallmark-channelish. The more engrossing pieces, however, work much better. “Little Drops of Water” and “Hall of Mirrors” are probably the best here, and the finishing touches of the otherwise-straightforward “The Nice Little People” leave a taste of Nabokov in the mouth: the right blend of sour and otherworldly. A contemporaneous reader could have well expected that the author would later demonstrate much more capability.
Vonnegut was a master when he had room to breathe. This collection illustrates the contrast between his mastery and pre-mastery by showcasing his characteristic punchy-ness, while disallowing him the opportunity to deomonstrate the most important of his traits: his reasons for being punchy.
December 26, 2021
My brother was telling me about a Vonnegut short story I had never heard of - I read and re-read "Welcome To The Monkey House" many times in my youth and couldn't understand why I did not know the story he was talking about. He told me the story was in a book of Vonnegut's short stories and I was completely clueless - Monkey House was the only one I knew of.
It was only after he told me the title and I looked the book up that I realized that it was a posthumous collection of things Vonnegut had written but not published before he died. Turns out there is a reason he didn't publish them, they weren't near as good as the stuff he did publish. I never went looking for a new Vonnegut work after he passed away.
These stories are finished and they are clearly Vonnegut's work, there are a lot of familiar themes about people being a cog in the machine that is humanity and IQ stuff and the like, but the stories are just not that good. There is a reason they were not published. Kurt probably didn't think they were up to snuff. A couple are pretty good, that is about all.
Any Vonnegut fan is going to read this collection so I won't say don't bother, but if you are expecting the quality of the stories in "Welcome To The Monkey House" you are going to be disappointed. Any library should have this, don't buy it. Again, clearly by Vonnegut but not that great. If you want great short stories by Vonnegut, read "Welcome to the Monkey House."
It was only after he told me the title and I looked the book up that I realized that it was a posthumous collection of things Vonnegut had written but not published before he died. Turns out there is a reason he didn't publish them, they weren't near as good as the stuff he did publish. I never went looking for a new Vonnegut work after he passed away.
These stories are finished and they are clearly Vonnegut's work, there are a lot of familiar themes about people being a cog in the machine that is humanity and IQ stuff and the like, but the stories are just not that good. There is a reason they were not published. Kurt probably didn't think they were up to snuff. A couple are pretty good, that is about all.
Any Vonnegut fan is going to read this collection so I won't say don't bother, but if you are expecting the quality of the stories in "Welcome To The Monkey House" you are going to be disappointed. Any library should have this, don't buy it. Again, clearly by Vonnegut but not that great. If you want great short stories by Vonnegut, read "Welcome to the Monkey House."
December 5, 2015
El problema con el material inédito aparece en el mismo nombre: No está editado. Se nota que a muchos de los cuentos que integran este libro les hace falta pulimiento, o desarrollar más la idea, o lo que ustedes quieran...
¡...Pero es Vonnegut! Tal vez nomás a mí me pase, pero no puedo evitar leer su obra con esta cara: :') Incluso el cuento más débil que integra al libro ("The Petrified Ants") te hace sonreir, a pesar de que si lo vemos objetivamente nomás está tirándole caca al estalinismo en n cuartillas.
En lo personal, estoy esperando la adaptación fílmica de "Confido", con Bryan Cranston circa Malcolm in the Middle en el papel del inventor y GLaDOS interpretando al armatoste que le da título al cuento.
¡...Pero es Vonnegut! Tal vez nomás a mí me pase, pero no puedo evitar leer su obra con esta cara: :') Incluso el cuento más débil que integra al libro ("The Petrified Ants") te hace sonreir, a pesar de que si lo vemos objetivamente nomás está tirándole caca al estalinismo en n cuartillas.
En lo personal, estoy esperando la adaptación fílmica de "Confido", con Bryan Cranston circa Malcolm in the Middle en el papel del inventor y GLaDOS interpretando al armatoste que le da título al cuento.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 719 reviews