If This Isn't Nice, What Is?: The Graduation Speeches and Other Words to Live By

by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Best known as one of our most astonishing and enduring contemporary novelists, Kurt Vonnegut was also a celebrated commencement address giver. He himself never graduated college, so his words to any class of graduating seniors always carried the delight, and gentle irony, of someone savoring an achievement he himself had not had occasion to savor on his own behalf.
           
Selected and introduced by fellow novelist and friend Dan Wakefield, the speeches in If This Isn’t Nice, What Is? capture this side of Kurt Vonnegut for the first time in book form. There are nine speeches, seven given at colleges, one to the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, one on the occasion of Vonnegut receiving the Carl Sandburg Award. In each of these talks Vonnegut takes pains to find the few things worth saying and a conversational voice to say them in that isn’t heavy-handed or pretentious or glib, but funny and serious and joyful even if sometimes without seeming so.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays

179 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2024

About the author

Kurt 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)

Reviews

[Quinn Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Vonnegut, but recycling the same lessons 10 times in one book seemed a little for profit from the people that put it together (he was dead by then). Still some lovely gems and tidbits!

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love kv

[Paul Mata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I didn’t expect to get as much insight as I did from this book but I’m so happy I did. He is such an interesting person. I’m fascinated by his story but I’m also fascinated by the hope he has for the future. That really shows here. “If this isn’t nice, what is?” Is a quote that’s probably going to stick with me for a long. I love my life and life in general and find it to be such an interesting and meaningful experience that quotes like that really help me take a step back and reflect. Thank you Kurt for everything❤️❤️

[Fi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to be a harsher critic of this book, but I was completely glued to it, so I’d be a hypocrite if I were. Vonnegut is the funniest, most hopeful cynic of his era. Properly clever in addition to actually being seasoned. As you continue reading and get to know him better, it’s hard to not fall more and more in awe.

Also a super easy, low-pressure read that’s great for just filling little gaps in your day. I personally wouldn’t even buy this. You’ll be done so quickly — just order it from your library. #CafeLibrariesApp

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

God I love this man. The speeches in the middle of this book became a little repetitive—it makes sense, naturally he’d remix the same advice in different speeches, but it became a little boring to read. That said, the beginning and end had really good variety and was a joy to read. His thoughts often feel like an oxygen mask. When I feel like the world is irreparably beyond hope, I always turn to Vonnegut. He doesn’t make it feel like everything will be okay, in fact he often confirms that it won’t be okay, but he makes me feel like the apocalypse can also contain laughter and love. He is uniquely and absurdly comforting.

[Priscilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each chapter is a satire insightful speech for college level graduates who are still full of hope, but needing a spoiler alert for the way the world works in a way that doesn't kill said hope. Kurt Vonnegut would be having a field day of current social and political events. This book should be read one chapter at a time with days/weeks in-between, so as to absorb the information like a fine wine.

[Drew Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of Vonnegut's wisdom dispensed in 10-minute bursts.

[Jillian Hagerty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend for anyone going through a quarter life crisis‼️

[ashley hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

anytime i feel a little hopeless i have to read vonnegut. i wish his words weren’t still so accurate to the state of the world and our country right now, but goddamnit you’ve got to be kind!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of advice to graduates and non graduates alike. Gets a bit repetitive but a nice quick read.

[Millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

lots of quotable moments from this book. little redundant which is expected considering one can only say so many things at a graduation. overall a good introduction for me to vonnegut and his works.

[Caroline Newcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute

[ergi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non mi piace leggere discorsi

[Brooks Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

As essential as any of Vonnegut’s greatest works.

[Jarrydac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this before, but I’m picking it up again… and this time I’m in the book!

Vonnegut is a great panacea for when life and the world is troubling.

[Juan Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Epic. Funny. Weird. Quirky. Insightful. Simple. Honest. Post post modern. Meta modern (?). Idk. Good book.

[apw 🌀🌟🐛 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Arrogant

[Josh Yaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 10/10
I'm not much into Vonnegut's fiction, but his collections of essays and speeches, as seen in this book, Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons, Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage, Fates Worse Than Death: An Autobiographical Collage, and A Man Without a Country are literally the best books I've ever read across all genres.
A 45-minute review of this book can be seen at my "Josh Yaks" YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pSqc...