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Fates Worse Than Death: An Autobiographical Collage
“An anthology in which Vonnegut freely quotes himself on everything from art and architecture to madness and mass murder...Uncompromising.”— Los Angeles Times
“Honest and scarily funny, and it offers a rare insight into an author who has customarily hidden his heart.”— New York Times
Here we have a collection of essays and speeches by me, with breezy autobiographical commentary serving as connective tissue and splints and bandages. Here we go again with real life and opinions made to look like one big, preposterous animal not unlike an invention by Dr. Seuss...
—Kurt Vonnegut, from Fates Worse Than Death
“Honest and scarily funny, and it offers a rare insight into an author who has customarily hidden his heart.”— New York Times
Here we have a collection of essays and speeches by me, with breezy autobiographical commentary serving as connective tissue and splints and bandages. Here we go again with real life and opinions made to look like one big, preposterous animal not unlike an invention by Dr. Seuss...
—Kurt Vonnegut, from Fates Worse Than Death
240 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1982
115 people are currently reading
4340 people want to read
About the author
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
710 books36.9k 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)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
July 13, 2009
I read this book all the way through on June 6 2007, in the lobby of the Executive West hotel in Louisville, KY while my husband took his radiology boards. It was as if Kurt Vonnegut himself was seated beside me and had spent that day with me. He made me laugh, he made me think and he took my mind off of the matter at hand. It was one of the bright sunny, wonderful days of one's life and I am so happy that Kurt was part of it.
January 26, 2023
This was good because everything Vonnegut wrote was good, but as far as his nonfiction goes this is his least inspiring collection. I'd still recommend it for fans of the author, but for anyone else who might be interested in Vonnegut's nonfiction I'd recommend A Man Without a Country, Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage, and Armageddon in Retrospect: And Other New and Unpublished Writings on War and Peace, etc. ahead of this.
January 21, 2012
This is Vonnegut’s last in the trio of “autobiographical collages,” which is a canny way of presenting various nonfiction materials without having to impose a structure on the book. This is the most shambolic of the three—firstly, Fates Worse Than Death is divided into conventional chapters, so the reader has no contents table to peruse the various speeches Kurt reproduces here from recent public speaking events. And the book is mostly reproduced public speeches, most of which are entertaining and erudite in his typical style, but some of which become tiresome. Imagine sitting through several hours of Vonnegut lecturing. That effect is created here. On the positive side, although he repeats facts about his life from previous books ad nauseam (did you know he worked for General Electric? and was at Dresden?), the commentary on his family is illuminating among the shrubbery of opinion. Not to say the revelation he tried to commit suicide in the 1980s, which is barely discussed and leaves me craving more detail. So yes, absolutely for diehards only. Those wishing to dip a toe into his nonfiction try Palm Sunday.
February 22, 2018
“Non sono andato a scegliermi gli antenati e considero il mio cervello e il mio corpo come una casa che abito, costruita molto tempo prima che fossi nato.” (p. 28)
“Io so essere più svelto della Chiesa Cattolica Romana nell’annunciare chi è santo, dato che non richiedo prove da aula di tribunale sulla capacità dimostrata dal tal dei tali in almeno tre occasioni, di compiere magie con l’aiuto di Dio. Per me è sufficiente se una persona […] trova senza difficoltà che tutte le razze e le classi sono ugualmente rispettabili e interessanti, e non le ordina secondo il loro denaro.” (p. 219)
“Io so essere più svelto della Chiesa Cattolica Romana nell’annunciare chi è santo, dato che non richiedo prove da aula di tribunale sulla capacità dimostrata dal tal dei tali in almeno tre occasioni, di compiere magie con l’aiuto di Dio. Per me è sufficiente se una persona […] trova senza difficoltà che tutte le razze e le classi sono ugualmente rispettabili e interessanti, e non le ordina secondo il loro denaro.” (p. 219)
July 12, 2023
Went into this with low hopes, as this is Vonnegut's second bite at the autobiographical apple and I didn't particularly enjoy the first one. But this contains lots of genuinely touching pieces from a tumultuous time in Vonnegut's life.
December 26, 2011
"Съдби, по-лоши от смъртта" вероятно не е най-добрата книга на Кърт Вонегът, но със сигурност е една от тези с най-силен личен елемент. Многото автобиографични моменти в нея са посветени на събитията и личностите, повлияли силно на формирането му като човек и автор - войните, депресиите (икономически и лични), смъртта, голямото му семейство, приятели, музиканти, писатели и много безименни хора. В разказите за повечето от тях, чиито мечти, възгледи и манталитет се разминават с общоприетите или са неподходящи за съответния исторически момент и поради това те остават бедни, самотни, неизвестни, неразбрани и неполучили заслужената си слава, се доловя тъга. С горчивина и типичните за него хумор и цинизъм продължава разсъжденията си от други книги за безмислието на войните и пораженията след тях, за изтъняващия морал на политиците, променените и почти липсващи ценности, за бъдещето на планетата, която сме на път да унищожим сами.
"Какви други съдби, по-лоши от смъртта бих могъл да посоча? Може би живот без петрол?
В мелодрамите отпреди век често се твърди, че загубата на девствеността преди свещените окови на брака е съдба, по-лоша от смъртта… Мисля си, че бих умрял по-скоро в името на девствеността, отколкото в името на петрола. Струва ми се някак по-литературно.
Много е важно какъв шеф ще си избереш, чии мечти ще превръщаш в действителност.
И днес си оставаме луди. Защото приемаме съвсем спокойно въздушните нападения над цивилното население на градове и села, независимо дали сме ги обявили предварително или не, независимо дали сме обявили война или не. Дори нещо повече — ние се гордеем с тях, възприемаме ги като символ на национална гордост, по подобие на Камбаната на свободата.
Може би появата на планетата Земя е предварително програмирана, а крайната цел на програмата е да пръснем тази планета на хиляди късчета. Може би ние сме оръдието, чрез което Природата е в състояние да създава нови галактики.
Ако ние успеем да обезлюдим тази планета, Майката-природа положително ще я върне към живот. Всичко, което ще й трябва за поредното лукаво намигане, са няколко милиона години.
Има ли в историята голяма група човешки същества, която да не се бори с всички средства за правото си на живот? Има. Войниците. "По-добре смърт, отколкото безчестие" е мотото на няколко значителни военни формации по време на Гражданската война, при това и от двете страни.
В допълнение ще кажа, че поне аз не съм чувал за враг, който иска да ни третира така, както ние третираме американските индианци.
Аз обаче смятам, че безкритичното уважение към древните мислители е нещо доста опасно и ще ви кажа защо. Защото всички те, почти без изключение, са били убедени привърженици на тезата, че жените, бедните и представителите на малцинствата имат място на тази земя, само за да работят до изтощение, да бъдат верни слуги на мъжете от бялата раса, които единствени имат право да вземат важни решения и да бъдат лидери на останалите.
Един факт си остава непроменен: жените не са привърженици на неморалните технологии в степента, в която ги обожават мъжете. Това очевидно е резултат от някакви хормонални недъзи. Вероятно по тази причина в демонстрациите срещу всякакви оръжия за унищожение участват много повече жени, отколкото мъже и на всичкото отгоре, водят и децата си.
Подобно на своите деди-пуритани, аз също мисля, че Бог е непознаваем и следователно не можем да Му служим. По тази причина всички ние трябва да служим на своето общество, чиито нужди са съвсем видими и познаваеми.
Това, което не мога да понасям в церемониалните проповеди, е изхвърлянето от страна на повечето оратори, които твърдят, че вярата в божествеността на Исус е път към ПОБЕДАТА.
Какво е смъртта? Липса на живот. И винаги ще бъде именно това. Смъртта е нищо. Защо тогава вдигаме толкова шум около нея?"
June 26, 2012
I was first introduced to Vonnegut through his fiction, which is a good portion of what he's written. And that those works are great - he has some unique and interesting ideas, and he has the ability to wrap a funny, compelling, and meaningful story around them.
I eventually stumbled upon the group of Vonnegut's publications, like this one, which feature him speaking in his own voice, presenting his experiences and ideas first hand. And to me, that was so utterly refreshing. Reading his fiction, you can just tell that there's a very interesting man behind the words. Reading his thoughts unfiltered offers glimpse after glimpse into the life he lived.
But, when those thoughts themselves are somewhat lackluster, the reading experience loses a bit of it's appeal. That's how I felt with this book. In it, Vonnegut quotes a book that claims aging American humorists inevitably end up "mouthing sardonic fables in a bed of gloom." I'm sorry to say it, but much of the supposed substance here is just the essence of that bed of gloom. Now that the thrill of hearing from Vonnegut himself has somewhat worn off for me, the thoughts he has to offer here are mostly just negative, and often uninteresting. That being said, it's not all bad: there are indeed a few shining moments in here.
In any case, this book was certainly not a sign of Vonnegut's impending doom in this realm of writing, as the excellent semi-novel Timequake was still yet to come. Though his approach is quite different, Vonnegut manages to accomplish there something along the lines what he was trying to do here.
I eventually stumbled upon the group of Vonnegut's publications, like this one, which feature him speaking in his own voice, presenting his experiences and ideas first hand. And to me, that was so utterly refreshing. Reading his fiction, you can just tell that there's a very interesting man behind the words. Reading his thoughts unfiltered offers glimpse after glimpse into the life he lived.
But, when those thoughts themselves are somewhat lackluster, the reading experience loses a bit of it's appeal. That's how I felt with this book. In it, Vonnegut quotes a book that claims aging American humorists inevitably end up "mouthing sardonic fables in a bed of gloom." I'm sorry to say it, but much of the supposed substance here is just the essence of that bed of gloom. Now that the thrill of hearing from Vonnegut himself has somewhat worn off for me, the thoughts he has to offer here are mostly just negative, and often uninteresting. That being said, it's not all bad: there are indeed a few shining moments in here.
In any case, this book was certainly not a sign of Vonnegut's impending doom in this realm of writing, as the excellent semi-novel Timequake was still yet to come. Though his approach is quite different, Vonnegut manages to accomplish there something along the lines what he was trying to do here.
January 27, 2012
As I work my way through his books, I find that I love his speeches and essays far more than his fiction. That is a pleasant surprise. I absolutely loved this book - perhaps more than Palm Sunday. There are too many passages to quote but I'll note a few:
"We were in hell, thanks to technology which was telling us what to do, instead of the other way around. And it wasn't just TV. It was weapons which could actually kill everything half a world away. It was vehicles powered by glurp from underground which could make a fat old lady go a mile a minute while picking her nose and listening to the radio."
In the same chapter, he talks about how technology has helped us travel to other countries and to learn about other cultures, something that used to be exclusively for people studying anthropology. "So we now know for certain that there are no potential human enemies anywhere who are anything but human beings almost exactly like ourselves. They need food. How amazing. They love their children. How amazing. They obey their leaders. How amazing. They think like their neighbors. How amazing."
"We were in hell, thanks to technology which was telling us what to do, instead of the other way around. And it wasn't just TV. It was weapons which could actually kill everything half a world away. It was vehicles powered by glurp from underground which could make a fat old lady go a mile a minute while picking her nose and listening to the radio."
In the same chapter, he talks about how technology has helped us travel to other countries and to learn about other cultures, something that used to be exclusively for people studying anthropology. "So we now know for certain that there are no potential human enemies anywhere who are anything but human beings almost exactly like ourselves. They need food. How amazing. They love their children. How amazing. They obey their leaders. How amazing. They think like their neighbors. How amazing."
November 11, 2014
I enjoyed this book gosh darn too much.
to quote:
"Dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah,
Dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah!
Dah dah dah dah dah,
Dah dah dah dah dah!
Dah dah dah dah dah fucking cunt."
to quote:
"Dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah,
Dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah!
Dah dah dah dah dah,
Dah dah dah dah dah!
Dah dah dah dah dah fucking cunt."
February 6, 2017
3.5 stars. Vonnegut is always worth reading. Solid, not stellar.
May 23, 2022
I’d probably rate this closer to 3.5 stars. I did really enjoy this seemingly jumbled collection of autobiographical essays from Vonnegut but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who isn’t already a big fan of his work. I loved learning more about his life, including the ugly bits of mental illness and his suicide attempt (which I previously didn’t even know about.) There were several insightful tidbits sprinkled throughout, so plenty of pages have the folded dog ear and plenty of lines are highlighted. As always, I truly love this man.
“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,” sayeth Article II of the Bill of rights, “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Perfect! I wouldn’t change a word of it. I only wish the NRA and its jellyfishy, well-paid supporters in legislatures both State and Federal would be careful to recite the whole of it, and then tell us how a heavily armed man, woman, or child, recruited by no official, given no goals by any official, motivated or restrained only by his or her personality and perceptions of what is going on, can be considered a member of a well-regulated militia.
I consider the discharge of firearms a low form of sport. Modern weapons are as easy to operate as cigarette lighters. Ask any woman who never worked one before, who went to the local gun shop and joined the NRA’s idea of a well-regulated militia and then made Swiss cheese out of a faithless lover or mate. Whenever I hear of somebody that he is a good shot, I think to myself, “That is like saying he is a good man with a Zippo or Bic. Some athlete!”
“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,” sayeth Article II of the Bill of rights, “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Perfect! I wouldn’t change a word of it. I only wish the NRA and its jellyfishy, well-paid supporters in legislatures both State and Federal would be careful to recite the whole of it, and then tell us how a heavily armed man, woman, or child, recruited by no official, given no goals by any official, motivated or restrained only by his or her personality and perceptions of what is going on, can be considered a member of a well-regulated militia.
I consider the discharge of firearms a low form of sport. Modern weapons are as easy to operate as cigarette lighters. Ask any woman who never worked one before, who went to the local gun shop and joined the NRA’s idea of a well-regulated militia and then made Swiss cheese out of a faithless lover or mate. Whenever I hear of somebody that he is a good shot, I think to myself, “That is like saying he is a good man with a Zippo or Bic. Some athlete!”
July 31, 2024
“The crazy quilt of ideas coming out of the White House: that it was good that civilians could buy assault rifles; that Palestinians were to be called “terrorists” at every opportunity; that the contents of wombs were Government property…”
“And speaking of revered old documents which cry out for a rewrite nowadays, how about the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America: It is as though a starving person, rescued at last, blurted out all the things he or she had dreamed of eating while staying barely alive on bread and water.”
“Only one person on earth clearly benefited, and I am that person. I got about five dollars for each corpse, counting my fee tonight. Paradoxically, I am not only the one success of the raid but also one of its thousands of failures. Everything possible was done to make me die, but I did not die. Same scheme as Hiroshima, but with primitive technology, and with white people down below.”
“I asked another great German writer, Heinrich Böll, what he thought the dangerous flaw in the character of so many Germans was, and he said, ‘Obedience’”
“Böll also said that the correct way to shoot yourself was through a loaf of bread, in order to avoid powder burns.”
“That is how crazy we remain today. Attacking a civilian population from the air, with or without warning, with or without a declaration of war.”
Classic stuff, yet a bit too boring and repetitive for my taste.
“And speaking of revered old documents which cry out for a rewrite nowadays, how about the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America: It is as though a starving person, rescued at last, blurted out all the things he or she had dreamed of eating while staying barely alive on bread and water.”
“Only one person on earth clearly benefited, and I am that person. I got about five dollars for each corpse, counting my fee tonight. Paradoxically, I am not only the one success of the raid but also one of its thousands of failures. Everything possible was done to make me die, but I did not die. Same scheme as Hiroshima, but with primitive technology, and with white people down below.”
“I asked another great German writer, Heinrich Böll, what he thought the dangerous flaw in the character of so many Germans was, and he said, ‘Obedience’”
“Böll also said that the correct way to shoot yourself was through a loaf of bread, in order to avoid powder burns.”
“That is how crazy we remain today. Attacking a civilian population from the air, with or without warning, with or without a declaration of war.”
Classic stuff, yet a bit too boring and repetitive for my taste.
August 23, 2021
Death is nothing. What is all this fuss about?
“Let us ‘up the ante,’ as gamblers say. Let us talk about fates worse than death. When the Reverend Jim Jones saw that his followers in Guyana were facing fates worse than death, he gave them Kool-Aid laced with cyanide. If our government sees that we are facing fates worse than death, it will shower our enemies with hydrogen bombs, and then we will be showered in turn. There will be plenty of Kool-Aid for everyone, in a manner of speaking, when the right time comes.
June 9, 2021
Finished this one last night. I found it hard going at times but I was glad to find the usual wealth of wisdom within these pages. Having now seen "Grandpa" Kurt's feelings about Reagan and Bushes senior and junior, I wish he'd been around to experience the Trump "Presidency". He might've been nearing 100 but I'm sure he would've vented his spleen with vim and vigour on a regular basis.
March 9, 2024
This book grew on me as I went along. I’ve always had some degree of a problem understanding Vonnegut’s novels, and this “Autobiographical Collage of the 1980s” gave me some background which could help that. It flips around a lot, but ultimately I did really enjoy his perspectives.
September 20, 2025
maybe being too harsh .. clearly one of the best novelists and essay writers. particularly the one about war is so dead on. i think i should have read these all separately and they would have been more impactful. but together was too much , going to re read .. but sparingly
November 11, 2016
"According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the average American child watches 18,000 TV murders before it graduates from high school."
I share a substantial portion of my worldview with Kurt Vonnegut so when I read his books I must feel like the huge majority of Internet users who read only the stuff that they agree with: we crave confirmation that we are so very right. Alas this also means that I probably tend to overrate Vonnegut's books even when they are not that outstanding. Fates Worse than Death (1991) is not a very good book at all - unfocused, repetitive, tedious in places - yet I still like it a lot. How can one not like reading things that one agrees with?
The subtitle, An Autobiographical Collage, aptly characterizes this collection of speeches, short pieces of writing, and ruminations on various topics, which makes Fates quite similar to Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons , although Fates is a significantly less cohesive work. Even if the 1945 bombing of Dresden is still a major topic I will omit it here because I have already written about it in reviews of other works by Vonnegut, including his absolute masterpiece Slaughterhouse-Five .
One of the other main themes is the environment. Note the book was written over a quarter of a century ago, when worrying about climate change, etc. was not as popular as it is now. Mr. Vonnegut had been passionate about the human race destroying the planet for our children and grandchildren well before most of us began thinking about it. While speaking at MIT he begged the graduating class to take an oath that they will use their extraordinary technical skills only to the benefit of the planet.
Mr. Vonnegut spends a substantial portion of the book attacking the deadly one-two punch of what I call the "American culture of murder." A US citizen is born and raised in the parareligious cult of guns as devices signifying and guaranteeing freedom; this cult is continually reinforced by the never-ending stream of murders depicted by the TV and entertainment industry (as mentioned in the epigraph). The author says:
On a serious note, the theme that speaks to me the strongest in the entire collection is the author's rant about the insanity of encouraging people "to do their best at loving [other people]." The natural inability to love other people leads to hate; people should be told to respect others instead. Vonnegut says "I like to think that Jesus said in Aramaic, 'Ye shall respect one another.'" Anyway, Fates, objectively, is not an above average work, yet I almost love it because I respect the author's intentions.
Two and a half stars.
I share a substantial portion of my worldview with Kurt Vonnegut so when I read his books I must feel like the huge majority of Internet users who read only the stuff that they agree with: we crave confirmation that we are so very right. Alas this also means that I probably tend to overrate Vonnegut's books even when they are not that outstanding. Fates Worse than Death (1991) is not a very good book at all - unfocused, repetitive, tedious in places - yet I still like it a lot. How can one not like reading things that one agrees with?
The subtitle, An Autobiographical Collage, aptly characterizes this collection of speeches, short pieces of writing, and ruminations on various topics, which makes Fates quite similar to Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons , although Fates is a significantly less cohesive work. Even if the 1945 bombing of Dresden is still a major topic I will omit it here because I have already written about it in reviews of other works by Vonnegut, including his absolute masterpiece Slaughterhouse-Five .
One of the other main themes is the environment. Note the book was written over a quarter of a century ago, when worrying about climate change, etc. was not as popular as it is now. Mr. Vonnegut had been passionate about the human race destroying the planet for our children and grandchildren well before most of us began thinking about it. While speaking at MIT he begged the graduating class to take an oath that they will use their extraordinary technical skills only to the benefit of the planet.
Mr. Vonnegut spends a substantial portion of the book attacking the deadly one-two punch of what I call the "American culture of murder." A US citizen is born and raised in the parareligious cult of guns as devices signifying and guaranteeing freedom; this cult is continually reinforced by the never-ending stream of murders depicted by the TV and entertainment industry (as mentioned in the epigraph). The author says:
"Who needs a Joseph Goebbels to make us think killing is as quotidian an activity as tying one's shoes? All that is needed is a TV industry [...]"Book censorship is a topic that should be dear to members of Goodreads and Vonnegut's books had been banned in certain places, ostensibly for vulgarity but in reality for not conforming to the views of the majority of people.
"There is the word 'motherfucker' one time in my Slaughterhouse-Five [...] Ever since that book was published, way back in 1969, children have been attempting to have intercourse with their mothers. When it will stop no one knows."Clearly the m-word corrodes the moral fiber of the society. Another hilarious passage is devoted to "the wittiest limerick in the world", which is "so obscene that it could never be made public in any form." We can read the unspeakably obscene poem courtesy of Rita Rait, the Russian translator of Vonnegut's works.
On a serious note, the theme that speaks to me the strongest in the entire collection is the author's rant about the insanity of encouraging people "to do their best at loving [other people]." The natural inability to love other people leads to hate; people should be told to respect others instead. Vonnegut says "I like to think that Jesus said in Aramaic, 'Ye shall respect one another.'" Anyway, Fates, objectively, is not an above average work, yet I almost love it because I respect the author's intentions.
Two and a half stars.
September 17, 2022
Definitely the weakest of the autobiographical collage trilogy (Palm Sunday being the strongest, W,F&G being smack dab in the middle). But even at his most meh, my brain just loves the rhythm of Vonnegut’s writing… what else is there to say.
December 9, 2017
If I could give this a 4.5 star, I completely would. This book is self-awareness at its finest. Of course, I thoroughly adore Vonnegut. This is the 18th book I've read of his, and I may be getting so excited about this because I haven't read one of his works in so long. It was refreshing to be immersed in his style again, to feel understood by his witty and unconventional perspective. Some people may think that this books is rather dark, seems tired, and isn't the most perfectly written. But that is what I love about it. Kurt Vonnegut lets us into his life and into his world, being raw and honest about things that have happened. I will say that it takes a decent understanding of Vonnegut's previous works and his life story to fully grasp the context in which this work is written. I loved it. I will keep saying that a hundred times.
This book gives the most excellent argument for gun control I have ever read, and presents well-formed ideas on environmentalism and religion. Such an intelligent work, so beautifully written. This gives a selection of all the outstanding selections of Vonnegut's writings/speeches/articles/etc. without being overburdening to the reader. His commentary after the fact is hilarious and brings up good points.
It is indeed a somber work, but one that gets you thinking and is so excellently written. Classic Vonnegut, though clearly towards the later years of his career. This is an insightful read and set apart from his novels and short stories, because he is so self-aware in presenting an autobiographical collage of his life.
This book gives the most excellent argument for gun control I have ever read, and presents well-formed ideas on environmentalism and religion. Such an intelligent work, so beautifully written. This gives a selection of all the outstanding selections of Vonnegut's writings/speeches/articles/etc. without being overburdening to the reader. His commentary after the fact is hilarious and brings up good points.
It is indeed a somber work, but one that gets you thinking and is so excellently written. Classic Vonnegut, though clearly towards the later years of his career. This is an insightful read and set apart from his novels and short stories, because he is so self-aware in presenting an autobiographical collage of his life.
March 21, 2013
I love Vonnegut memoirs, and this one is right on par with Palm Sunday. As someone interested in religion, I appreciated how directly Kurt addresses his own atheism/sloppy Unitarianism, and what he perceives as the failures of Christianity. It always surprises me how much I enjoy the perspectives of this smoky old curmudgeon. This book was written at about the same time as his novel "Hocus Pocus," which is one of his most negative and weakly written novels. It's strange how this memoir then speaks with the "younger" (confident and likable) Vonnegut voice, as heard in novels like "Breakfast of Champions," and which returns later in "Timequake" in particular. I was lucky enough to purchase my copy of this one at the KV memorial museum in Indianapolis, which is worth a visit if you're ever in Indy.
March 24, 2022
As usual, Vonnegut underscores and testifies to the fact that “we probably could have saved ourselves, but we were to damned lazy to try very hard […] and too damn cheap” (p. 116)
And to the fact that nontheatrical arts provide means for individuals to enter isolated states of meditation:
“Because it is such a relief to get away from one’s own brain from time to time, books, despite television and all the rest of it, will continue to be popular with those who have done the hard work of learning to read easily” (p. 213)
He ponders whether his writings will outlive him - they have.
And to the fact that nontheatrical arts provide means for individuals to enter isolated states of meditation:
“Because it is such a relief to get away from one’s own brain from time to time, books, despite television and all the rest of it, will continue to be popular with those who have done the hard work of learning to read easily” (p. 213)
He ponders whether his writings will outlive him - they have.
December 11, 2015
This is Vonnegut's third nonfiction collection, and covers the 80's. A weaker effort; I thought there was a lot of padding in the book, Vonnegut is grumpier (and seriously depressed), and there is a bit too much name-dropping of his famous author friends. His shtick is starting to get old. But in fairness he admits all of this in the book (except the name-dropping).
September 26, 2015
It's one to dip into rather than read cover to cover. A collection of essays and speeches unsurprisingly there is a bit of repetition. But as with all Vonnegut what he says is worth hearing, warm, funny, bewildered and cynical yet hopeful. Often in the same paragraph. I didn't alwAys agree, but I always enjoyed reading this.
And the world's dirtiest limericks joke made me giggle on the train
And the world's dirtiest limericks joke made me giggle on the train
April 30, 2008
A jumble of Vonnegut (essays and such that don't always fit together) -- but still fascinating for fans of Vonnegut's perceptions and prejudices. And maybe these ramblings allow a bit more insight into the man. I think so.
December 6, 2017
this one was a little dry. still Kurt though, he’s a beautiful soul.
April 17, 2020
Classic Vonnegut philosophy packed in a rambling package. Good for fans, probably annoying for the uninitiated.
Read
July 13, 2024I have given up bc I got bored
January 22, 2021
Vonnegut was an important writer for my development as a reader and artist. This is still true today, but I have found I have less patience for the self-indulgence of some of his literary habits. Part of the way through this book, you find yourself getting sick of hearing about suggested slogans for historical movements or epitaphs on someone's gravestone. KV's voice as an essayist is the same as his voice as a narrator. This is disappointing. His fiction is much more impactful as a result of this. Of course there are some gems in here, the man was a brilliant thinker with a spectacular way of distilling irony, and his humanism is always on display, even when he is obviously in the throes of a depressive episode--which happens with a few of the chapters in this book. This is probably only for long time fans and die-hards, and even for those (such as I am), it can be a bit tedious. There isn't much to garner here that hasn't already been said more brilliantly in another book. NOTE: This is the first of his nonfiction essay books that I have read. I chose this one first as HOCUS POCUS is my favorite KV novel and this book was written and compiled during that time. Perhaps that is why I didn't like it as much as I was expecting, the majority of these themes are present in that book in a more deft way. Still, for someone born in 1922, his views were surprisingly progressive. In short, it's good enough to get a dose from one of the masters if you are already a fan, but don't use it as an introduction to his work.
September 29, 2022
Mostly a collection of speeches and articles he wrote. Much of the ideas I had seen in other books by Vonnegut. Some ideas that caught my attention:
Mental Health - To Vonnegut what people really need is an extended family. "Human beings have almost always been supported and comforted and disciplined and amused by stable lattices of many relatives and friends until the Great American Experiment, which is an experiment not only with liberty but with rootlessness, mobility, and impossibly tough-minded lonliness."
Art - HIs sister had an interesting insight about art that other artists confirmed. They can look at a work and "get it" quickly. They get the "Pow." If they don't the painting has no value. Unfortunately, Vonnegut's mother would always urge his father to "finish" what Kurt, Jr. thought were wonderful paintings and ruin them. He feels the same way when reading. You get to the point where you say "End it, End It, End it, for the love of God please end it now." But the writer keeps going and ruins it. I agree. Maybe that's why I like short stories so much. Make the point and close the curtain.
Fates worse than death - Vonnegut questions is there is such a thing. Slavery? Generations lived through it. Occupation by a foreign power? What would they do that would worse that isn't already been done? Perhaps crucifixtion, but nobody is threatening that today. The point is that pressing the nuclear button because you fear a fate worse than death is irrational. Life, however difficult, is better than death to Vonnegut.
Mental Health - To Vonnegut what people really need is an extended family. "Human beings have almost always been supported and comforted and disciplined and amused by stable lattices of many relatives and friends until the Great American Experiment, which is an experiment not only with liberty but with rootlessness, mobility, and impossibly tough-minded lonliness."
Art - HIs sister had an interesting insight about art that other artists confirmed. They can look at a work and "get it" quickly. They get the "Pow." If they don't the painting has no value. Unfortunately, Vonnegut's mother would always urge his father to "finish" what Kurt, Jr. thought were wonderful paintings and ruin them. He feels the same way when reading. You get to the point where you say "End it, End It, End it, for the love of God please end it now." But the writer keeps going and ruins it. I agree. Maybe that's why I like short stories so much. Make the point and close the curtain.
Fates worse than death - Vonnegut questions is there is such a thing. Slavery? Generations lived through it. Occupation by a foreign power? What would they do that would worse that isn't already been done? Perhaps crucifixtion, but nobody is threatening that today. The point is that pressing the nuclear button because you fear a fate worse than death is irrational. Life, however difficult, is better than death to Vonnegut.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2017
A sequel to one of Vonnegut’s earlier essay collection Fates Worse Than Death gives a glimpse into Kurt’s life in the mid 90’s and explores how he was feeling after the death of his best friend and his feeling that his life was coming into the final stages and what he thought that meant.
There’s lots of good stuff here for Vonnegut fanatics like myself, back story on novels, people in his life that inspired characters in his novels like Billy Pilgrim. It also explores many themes that Vonnegut was fond of talking about, war, government and religion. He spends some time discussing his suicide attempt that he previously wouldn’t comment on and this chunk I found the most informative and interesting part of the whole book.
As I said earlier in the review this book is really for huge fans of Vonnegut. Most people won’t pick up and read this book since it is specific to ideas and opinions that Vonnegut explores in novels and novels are usually a more digestible form for people to get a hardline to all things Vonnegut. But this book does go over themes he’s explored extensively before so that’s why it gets a lower rating then most of his other stuff but I’m biased when it comes to Vonnegut, I love his voice and his writing no matter the format.
There’s lots of good stuff here for Vonnegut fanatics like myself, back story on novels, people in his life that inspired characters in his novels like Billy Pilgrim. It also explores many themes that Vonnegut was fond of talking about, war, government and religion. He spends some time discussing his suicide attempt that he previously wouldn’t comment on and this chunk I found the most informative and interesting part of the whole book.
As I said earlier in the review this book is really for huge fans of Vonnegut. Most people won’t pick up and read this book since it is specific to ideas and opinions that Vonnegut explores in novels and novels are usually a more digestible form for people to get a hardline to all things Vonnegut. But this book does go over themes he’s explored extensively before so that’s why it gets a lower rating then most of his other stuff but I’m biased when it comes to Vonnegut, I love his voice and his writing no matter the format.
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