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The Foster Portfolio
A financial advisor meets his new client: a hardworking, unassuming man with a curious and potentially life-changing secret.
1 pages, Audiobook
First published January 1, 1951
2 people are currently reading
90 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 39 reviews
October 2, 2020
The Foster Portfolio by Kurt Vonnegut, read by LeVar Burton.
I agree with him, it’s sad Herbert can’t be himself and true to who he is with his family, but I’m glad he has that outlet to express himself and for three nights a week, he can be himself. 4, bittersweet, stars.
I agree with him, it’s sad Herbert can’t be himself and true to who he is with his family, but I’m glad he has that outlet to express himself and for three nights a week, he can be himself. 4, bittersweet, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2020
Levar burton reads podcast
July 25, 2020
Well read, and had me wondering where it was going. Obviously the story is from a different time, but it was still enlightening. Thanks LeVar.
September 29, 2023
This proved to be an extremely bittersweet short story. But well worth the quick read.
November 25, 2020
Read to me by Mr. LeVar Burton. Was kind of teary eyed at the end, amazing story telling!
Quick googling has led me to a short movie to this story, will definitely be checking that out as well
Quick googling has led me to a short movie to this story, will definitely be checking that out as well
June 7, 2023
As read by LeVar Burton on his podcast “LeVar Burton Reads” ep Jan 17, 2023
One of my goals for 2023 is to read more short fiction and LeVar Burton is helping me episode by episode in meeting this goal.
I’m a little late to the Kurt Vonnegut party, but I am learning why his works are regarded so positively by others. His prose is accessible and the plot nearly always hooks and establishes forward momentum early on.
These trends are true in Vonnegut’s short story “The Foster Portfolio.” Vonnegut is honestly masterful at building tension and resentment towards one character and then delivering an epiphany moment to the reader which is able to completely reverse that opinion. He illustrates a vulnerability in the reader towards judgement, and teaches the reader that our judgements are often not sound.
“The Foster portfolio” was published originally in Collier’s Magazine on 9/8/1951 (according to Wikipedia, for what that is worth). Vonnegut was not yet 30 years old at the time of it’s publication. This work of fiction was written by a man whose early life was shaped by World War I, then the Great Depression, then World War II. The contrast in tone between the Great Depression and the optimism of “The roaring 20’s” is stark and beautiful in this short story.
SPOILERS BELOW
I viewed this story as an allegory for why people are closeted. Whether that is closeted in sexuality, closeted in hobbies/interests, closeted in political beliefs which oppose the cultural norm. On the one hand, Mr. Foster is pulled by the expectation of being a family man, being a man of the earth, being a man that works hard to make enough to survive so that he may continue to work hard. On the other hand, Mr. Foster is a human being and his joy in life happens to be something that many people were uneasy about for the time period — Jazz clubs, alcohol, dancing, a night out.
One of my goals for 2023 is to read more short fiction and LeVar Burton is helping me episode by episode in meeting this goal.
I’m a little late to the Kurt Vonnegut party, but I am learning why his works are regarded so positively by others. His prose is accessible and the plot nearly always hooks and establishes forward momentum early on.
These trends are true in Vonnegut’s short story “The Foster Portfolio.” Vonnegut is honestly masterful at building tension and resentment towards one character and then delivering an epiphany moment to the reader which is able to completely reverse that opinion. He illustrates a vulnerability in the reader towards judgement, and teaches the reader that our judgements are often not sound.
“The Foster portfolio” was published originally in Collier’s Magazine on 9/8/1951 (according to Wikipedia, for what that is worth). Vonnegut was not yet 30 years old at the time of it’s publication. This work of fiction was written by a man whose early life was shaped by World War I, then the Great Depression, then World War II. The contrast in tone between the Great Depression and the optimism of “The roaring 20’s” is stark and beautiful in this short story.
SPOILERS BELOW
I viewed this story as an allegory for why people are closeted. Whether that is closeted in sexuality, closeted in hobbies/interests, closeted in political beliefs which oppose the cultural norm. On the one hand, Mr. Foster is pulled by the expectation of being a family man, being a man of the earth, being a man that works hard to make enough to survive so that he may continue to work hard. On the other hand, Mr. Foster is a human being and his joy in life happens to be something that many people were uneasy about for the time period — Jazz clubs, alcohol, dancing, a night out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2023
Such a beautiful story of what a man feels he has to do to keep his own integrity.
February 11, 2021
Listened to on Levar Burton Reads
Interesting story, very O. Henry like. I got a kick out of the amounts of money described. There's a lunch bill of something like 93 cents.
Interesting story, very O. Henry like. I got a kick out of the amounts of money described. There's a lunch bill of something like 93 cents.
Read
January 23, 2023Herbert Foster is a masterclass in creating a character.
January 25, 2024
As an author, Vonnegut marks himself among the most reputable. Readers of a dedicated nature & constitution rave of prose that transports the mind of the consumer with a swift ease rarely found in letters. I have opted for Vonnegut’s short stories more frequently in the past couple of years. I seek out more short stories in a bid to broaden my horizons & have found his own to riddle an intrigue inside me that I am not altogether certain I enjoy. It is no secret that writing in short form is a talent, one I will be the first to admit admiring in others with a wishful fancy.
For a short story to succeed one needs to have a very clear idea of the story one endeavours to tell. Vonnegut’s approach to stories adopts a bloated upheaval. The introduction reminds readers that they do not in fact have any real inkling as to where the narration will take them; the author simply asks for our patience as the sentences enumerate phrases into paragraphs. In the case of this story, waiting for a conclusion felt both appropriate & disappointing.
The premise of this story is simple; a man comes into a high & growing monetary inheritance after the passing of his paternal grandfather. Herbert Foster seems utterly uninterested in the money that might come his way when he cashes in the bonds that have been sitting with increasing value, year after year. He lives a very normal life with his wife, Alma, & together they make do with what they have. Readers will be required to invest time & therefore energy into Hebert’s character for this story to carry any weight. As I was listening to this audio format I was brought along without much effort on my part.
Perhaps as a consequence of my passive listening, I found the stakes rather low. Why should I care whether or not Herbert wanted to cash in on the thousands of dollars that now belonged to him? If one is paying close enough attention, one sees the ways in which fast money—quickly acquired—has a tendency to result in a scarcity of rational decisions. That is not to say that the root of all evil is dollar bills. However, one cannot know for certain whether or not Herbert believes that to be true. The reader may certainly pose judgment on Herbert’s course of action—that is, after all, their role.
In essence, one is led to the reveal that Herbert does not want to accept the money for fear of having to give up the secret life he is leading. There are multiple ways of interpreting this decision, none of which are particularly revolutionary. Herbert has married a woman who resembles his late mother in almost incomprehensible ways. Throughout his youth, his mother made sure that Herbert understood that music & passions—the pastimes adopted by his dead-beat father—were out of the question. Herbert was kept under his mother’s thumb & though he felt a longing to hear the melodies of sound play from his fingers, she took away his freedom of music.
It is no great mystery therefore that Herbert lived a life in shadows. The wife that he loved was a simple placeholder for the mother who controlled every aspect of his life. This is definitely a sad state of affairs but it leaves me with no desire to pose judgment. It’s not ideal to lie to your spouse. I do not think that any adult who has put effort into maintaining a relationship should be acting in secret contrary to the well-being of their partner & their relationship as a whole. However, Herbert is no different than any of the thousands of people who have internalized trauma & have no way of understanding how to deal with it.
The freedom that the money would allow him would mean he would need to confess to being similar to his father who abandoned him—this alone would be a huge toll to pay in order to broach the rest of the situation. The weekends away from his spouse allow him the time to be an individual free from the confines of his inner stifles. The reader will need to decide whether or not they believe this to be a worthwhile thing to lie about. Should we omit parts of ourselves for the well-being of our relationships? If we are living fractioned off from the whole, are we ultimately not living authentically at all?
What I found to be tedious about this story is that it is so simple. The simplistic nature of the plot, the moral conundrum, & the pushy greedy longing of a complete stranger render this a tale as old as time. I am not mad at Vonnegut for writing about a man whom we are liable to meet every day; Herbert could be the reader as much as the person who enters the bus after us. The clear approach to this common conundrum may allow readers the opportunity to properly reflect. Would we take a gift that would alter our lives? Would we welcome a change that would require us to transform beyond ourselves?
Whatever our personal philosophy or values, Herbert prefers life as it is. No one is harmed in the aftermath of his decision though, I would wager to say that Herbert harbours a great level of self-hatred to continuously shadow himself among collective society & the person who loves him the most. This leads us back to the original question; Can we be loved, treasured, respected, & present if only a fraction of our person is seen, known, & understood?
If you would like to listen to this story, please visit this •LINK•.
For a short story to succeed one needs to have a very clear idea of the story one endeavours to tell. Vonnegut’s approach to stories adopts a bloated upheaval. The introduction reminds readers that they do not in fact have any real inkling as to where the narration will take them; the author simply asks for our patience as the sentences enumerate phrases into paragraphs. In the case of this story, waiting for a conclusion felt both appropriate & disappointing.
The premise of this story is simple; a man comes into a high & growing monetary inheritance after the passing of his paternal grandfather. Herbert Foster seems utterly uninterested in the money that might come his way when he cashes in the bonds that have been sitting with increasing value, year after year. He lives a very normal life with his wife, Alma, & together they make do with what they have. Readers will be required to invest time & therefore energy into Hebert’s character for this story to carry any weight. As I was listening to this audio format I was brought along without much effort on my part.
Perhaps as a consequence of my passive listening, I found the stakes rather low. Why should I care whether or not Herbert wanted to cash in on the thousands of dollars that now belonged to him? If one is paying close enough attention, one sees the ways in which fast money—quickly acquired—has a tendency to result in a scarcity of rational decisions. That is not to say that the root of all evil is dollar bills. However, one cannot know for certain whether or not Herbert believes that to be true. The reader may certainly pose judgment on Herbert’s course of action—that is, after all, their role.
In essence, one is led to the reveal that Herbert does not want to accept the money for fear of having to give up the secret life he is leading. There are multiple ways of interpreting this decision, none of which are particularly revolutionary. Herbert has married a woman who resembles his late mother in almost incomprehensible ways. Throughout his youth, his mother made sure that Herbert understood that music & passions—the pastimes adopted by his dead-beat father—were out of the question. Herbert was kept under his mother’s thumb & though he felt a longing to hear the melodies of sound play from his fingers, she took away his freedom of music.
It is no great mystery therefore that Herbert lived a life in shadows. The wife that he loved was a simple placeholder for the mother who controlled every aspect of his life. This is definitely a sad state of affairs but it leaves me with no desire to pose judgment. It’s not ideal to lie to your spouse. I do not think that any adult who has put effort into maintaining a relationship should be acting in secret contrary to the well-being of their partner & their relationship as a whole. However, Herbert is no different than any of the thousands of people who have internalized trauma & have no way of understanding how to deal with it.
The freedom that the money would allow him would mean he would need to confess to being similar to his father who abandoned him—this alone would be a huge toll to pay in order to broach the rest of the situation. The weekends away from his spouse allow him the time to be an individual free from the confines of his inner stifles. The reader will need to decide whether or not they believe this to be a worthwhile thing to lie about. Should we omit parts of ourselves for the well-being of our relationships? If we are living fractioned off from the whole, are we ultimately not living authentically at all?
What I found to be tedious about this story is that it is so simple. The simplistic nature of the plot, the moral conundrum, & the pushy greedy longing of a complete stranger render this a tale as old as time. I am not mad at Vonnegut for writing about a man whom we are liable to meet every day; Herbert could be the reader as much as the person who enters the bus after us. The clear approach to this common conundrum may allow readers the opportunity to properly reflect. Would we take a gift that would alter our lives? Would we welcome a change that would require us to transform beyond ourselves?
Whatever our personal philosophy or values, Herbert prefers life as it is. No one is harmed in the aftermath of his decision though, I would wager to say that Herbert harbours a great level of self-hatred to continuously shadow himself among collective society & the person who loves him the most. This leads us back to the original question; Can we be loved, treasured, respected, & present if only a fraction of our person is seen, known, & understood?
If you would like to listen to this story, please visit this •LINK•.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2023
Truly brilliant short story that builds up a clear expectation, makes you super annoyed with the protagonist, you think nothing can excuse his stupidity - he is just a one dimensional boring guy. And then... you feel so sorry for thinking that. In a couple of sentences his deep humanity and complexity are revealed. I loved this trick.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 1, 2021Cute little story. Seems to be very different from the rest of his bibliography; I thought he was really just a sci-fi author but this one isn't sci-fi at all. This one helped me complete my 2020 ONTD challenge! I listened to it as an episode of Levar Burton Reads.
February 24, 2023
LeVar Burton read this to me.
The story is good but not too special on a first pass but gets better upon reflection. A good character study and I can see myself using Foster as a model to explain a particular type of person.
The story is good but not too special on a first pass but gets better upon reflection. A good character study and I can see myself using Foster as a model to explain a particular type of person.
May 2, 2020
As a longtime Vonnegut fan, it was honestly just a treat to find something with a linear and coherent narrative that still had some of that underlying magic.
May 10, 2020
not sure what was going on
May 28, 2020
Nice story!
May 30, 2020
Not much depth here.
June 1, 2020
Many fantastic stories on LeVar Burton Reads. This was good but not great.
June 7, 2020
I give LeVar Burton's narration 5 ⭐!
June 19, 2020
Read to me by Levar Burton.
September 19, 2020
Another episode of Levar Burton Reads, catching up with podcast. Enjoyable because LeVar has a voice of gold.
December 1, 2020
Bitter sweet end
January 15, 2021
*LeVar Burton Reads*
January 24, 2021
Listened to this as part of the LeVar Burton Reads podcast series.
It was short, sweet and fun. Didn't change my world or knock my socks off, but I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.
It was short, sweet and fun. Didn't change my world or knock my socks off, but I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.
March 15, 2021
LeVar Burton Reads!!!!!
Read
September 29, 2021I listened to this on the Levar Burton Reads podcast.
January 17, 2023
3rd short story for a reading challenge.
January 21, 2023
Listened to on LeVar Burton Reads Podcast
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews