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Slaughterhouse Five/ The Sirens Of Titan/ Player Piano/ Cat's Cradle/ Breakfast Of Champions/ Mother Night
Book by Vonnegut, Kurt
862 pages
Published June 1, 1980
30 people are currently reading
820 people want to read
About the author
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
710 books37k 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 43 reviews
September 4, 2018
It took me some time to read Vonnegut. First, you will never truly like any of his characters. Second, he deals in absurdity and chaos. While John Irving does this with likable characters, you just cannot like many of the characters Vonnegut writes about. So, accept that the world is chaotic and absurd. This is what Vonnegut writes about. He rights about the fact that men are machines, that we make no sense and bad things happen. Do not take it too seriously. He wants you to understand that life is unpredictable and often cruel. Why? No real good explanation exists so ride with it. My personal favorites are Player Piano and Breakfast of Champions.
February 20, 2011
I will commit literary heresy by stating outright that Kurt Vonnegut badly overrated. While it is tempting to go to an extreme whenever I see somebody or some thing being over-praised and declare it dreadful (as so many people do), I'll grant that Vonnegut is not dreadful. But he's not particularly good either. If you really must read Vonnegut I suggest doing what I did, find some ancient cheap omnibus collection used. Or go to the library.
I belive Vonnegut's popularity stems from a phenomenon common enough in the last century where a writer or artist could become a darling of the right socially prominent "in" crowd and by doing so come to be praised and respected far above his/her actually talent level. It's something I like to think of as "The Andy Warhol Effect" for reasons obvious to anyone with actual (and intellectualy independent) artistic taste. It's a name I came up with in my youth, when I was still relatively unread. Had I been more historically aware at the time I might have called it "The Ayn Rand Effect" for the last century's first notable beneficiary of this effect.
I belive Vonnegut's popularity stems from a phenomenon common enough in the last century where a writer or artist could become a darling of the right socially prominent "in" crowd and by doing so come to be praised and respected far above his/her actually talent level. It's something I like to think of as "The Andy Warhol Effect" for reasons obvious to anyone with actual (and intellectualy independent) artistic taste. It's a name I came up with in my youth, when I was still relatively unread. Had I been more historically aware at the time I might have called it "The Ayn Rand Effect" for the last century's first notable beneficiary of this effect.
February 15, 2016
Lots of satire and sarcasm. Not really my style, although a pretty entertaining read.
July 31, 2018
Read this whole thing to know who you should be imitating.
September 27, 2021
Somehow, even though my first Vonnegut book was Slapstick, or Lonesome No More!, and I read it sometime around age ten, I am a confirmed Vonnegut fan. This omnibus edition was one I bought early on, with paper route money.
Probably one of the first books I ever bought for myself.
I haven't read it in a couple decades though. For many years it was on my shelf, and I would think, I should reread that (again). Then it vanished. I've lost many books because I was always moving around and I have had many people live in my house. They would come. They would stay. They would leave. And many of them would destroy some small thing. One volume I no longer have was a collection of wood end engravings of scenes from the American Civil War. Another was a gazetteer of the world printed in 1834. They are gone and I thought this book was with them, in some ghost library of mine that only has shelves inside my brain.
It's a good collection of books there. This volume was sweetly remembered and much missed.
But then I was cleaning out my storage area and a heavy box revealed that I had not lost this book. It was a little mildewed smelling, but it was back!
So I read it from front cover to back, and if anything these novels have grown in wisdom and gentle urgency. Very fine.
Probably one of the first books I ever bought for myself.
I haven't read it in a couple decades though. For many years it was on my shelf, and I would think, I should reread that (again). Then it vanished. I've lost many books because I was always moving around and I have had many people live in my house. They would come. They would stay. They would leave. And many of them would destroy some small thing. One volume I no longer have was a collection of wood end engravings of scenes from the American Civil War. Another was a gazetteer of the world printed in 1834. They are gone and I thought this book was with them, in some ghost library of mine that only has shelves inside my brain.
It's a good collection of books there. This volume was sweetly remembered and much missed.
But then I was cleaning out my storage area and a heavy box revealed that I had not lost this book. It was a little mildewed smelling, but it was back!
So I read it from front cover to back, and if anything these novels have grown in wisdom and gentle urgency. Very fine.
July 1, 2022
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ethan Hawke and Ethan was a great choice to narrate this book.
The book is bizarre and about a time traveler who travels between Dresden and other areas of WWII and NYC and some mythical planet and is abducted or flies with aliens in UFO’s.
The prose is descriptive though the book was a horrible experience and another classic where I’m asking myself why is this book a classic.
I cannot recommend this book.
The book is bizarre and about a time traveler who travels between Dresden and other areas of WWII and NYC and some mythical planet and is abducted or flies with aliens in UFO’s.
The prose is descriptive though the book was a horrible experience and another classic where I’m asking myself why is this book a classic.
I cannot recommend this book.
May 28, 2023
Loved the Vonnegut collection!! Don't recall having read Mother Night before, and really enjoyed it. Still think that Cat's Cradle is my favorite, although I'd forgotten what a massive downer the ending was. Also interesting that Breakfast of Champions made me think of Stephen King, and how he plays with breaking the fourth wall in some of his stories. Would love to know if he's read BofC and if it influenced his writing at all.
December 18, 2023
Six of Vonnegut's earlier novels in one binding....frankly amazing, with possible exception of the Sirens of Titan, written by alter-ego Kilgore Trout. I especially love Slaughterhouse Five. I read for Player's Piano and have new appreciation for Cat's Cradle. Essentially, if you don't love Vonnegut, you're stupid.
April 26, 2021
A tour de force for the imagination, dreamscape scenarios around the horrors of war. An amazing, sad, funny, thought-provoking tale. I have read this twice now.
April 29, 2021
One of my favorite Vonnogut novels!
March 16, 2022
Ok so I kind of hate this book but also I love it because so many questions and big emotions you know?
December 16, 2022
A great collection if you can find it. Vonnegut at his best. If you took out “Piano Player” and added “Bluebeard” it would have been perfect.
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November 20, 2015The book I read was, Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut. This book was about a boy named Billy who grew up in New York and is a smart kid in school. He gets picked to be in the army during World War II. Immediately, Billy is thrown into Battle of the Bulge and is taken as a prisoner from Germans. Billy's father passes away shortly before he is shipped overseas to join Luxembourg.
What I liked about this book is that it was during on World War II and I learned some new things. The main character Billy, was a different character than other books I've read before. Something I've disliked about this book is how long the chapters were and that they were on one subject for too long. The setting of the book is in Germany and partly New York. Other characters were, Kurt Vonnegut, Bernhard and Mary V. O’Hare and Roland Weary. Billy is transported to a railway boxcar to a POW camp in Germany. When he arrives he is tested by other soldiers. Later on, Billy is kidnapped a couple days after his daughters wedding.
Overall, this book was interesting and I learned from it. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in history and World War II. This book will teach you a lot about it. It really taught me a couple things I've never knew.
What I liked about this book is that it was during on World War II and I learned some new things. The main character Billy, was a different character than other books I've read before. Something I've disliked about this book is how long the chapters were and that they were on one subject for too long. The setting of the book is in Germany and partly New York. Other characters were, Kurt Vonnegut, Bernhard and Mary V. O’Hare and Roland Weary. Billy is transported to a railway boxcar to a POW camp in Germany. When he arrives he is tested by other soldiers. Later on, Billy is kidnapped a couple days after his daughters wedding.
Overall, this book was interesting and I learned from it. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in history and World War II. This book will teach you a lot about it. It really taught me a couple things I've never knew.
December 17, 2014
I have read Slaughterhouse Five, The Sirens of Titan, Player Piano, and Cat's Cradle, so it is time to read Breakfast of Champions and Mother's Night.
Breakfast of Champions - Absurd humor with fun tangents and sketches that made me giggle outloud. The inclusion of the author into his story makes for good fun too. Several characters from past and future novels make appearances. I find it scary how many ills of society and nature are addressed here by Vonnegut, forty years ago, which are still prevalent, and more urgent, today.
Mother Night - Maybe my second favorite book, behind Slaughterhouse Five. Vonnegut has Howard W. Campbell, Jr. narrates his life story, by writing his memoirs (metafiction) as he sits in an Israeli prison awaiting trial for war crimes during WWII. Moral of the story - "we are what we pretend to be" and so on. Mr. Campbell eventually punishes himself for crimes against himself, and not the crimes against humanity.
Many themes/ideas/consequences to explore - Death, Nazism, nationalism, propaganda, eternal love, racism, artist's pursuit, self-identity, espionage, etc.
Breakfast of Champions - Absurd humor with fun tangents and sketches that made me giggle outloud. The inclusion of the author into his story makes for good fun too. Several characters from past and future novels make appearances. I find it scary how many ills of society and nature are addressed here by Vonnegut, forty years ago, which are still prevalent, and more urgent, today.
Mother Night - Maybe my second favorite book, behind Slaughterhouse Five. Vonnegut has Howard W. Campbell, Jr. narrates his life story, by writing his memoirs (metafiction) as he sits in an Israeli prison awaiting trial for war crimes during WWII. Moral of the story - "we are what we pretend to be" and so on. Mr. Campbell eventually punishes himself for crimes against himself, and not the crimes against humanity.
Many themes/ideas/consequences to explore - Death, Nazism, nationalism, propaganda, eternal love, racism, artist's pursuit, self-identity, espionage, etc.
December 14, 2015
To tell you the truth I liked the book.To get started let me tell you that the concept of time traveling through time during a war amazed me.Another thing that interested me is the language that is used,the use of profanity was another thing that was always comforting and I am glad that I read it.If you like time traveling stories that boggle the mind and if you like war novels I would highly recommend this novel.What I have taken away from this book as a reader is that I enjoy weird books that confuse me but at the same time interest me.I have learned that some people are stubborn enough not to care for others *cough* *cough* Lazzaro.Then again there are some downsides this novel does get confusing at times but that is what makes this story good.
December 3, 2018
Reread them all yes in two days to get the massacre novels out of my system. Sirens: good. Cat's Cradle: funny. Breakfast of Champions: a bit maudlin, actually. Mother Night, Player Piano: I cried twice in each one. Slaughterhouse Five. Holy Shit. I remembered why I went to the University of Chicago: because Kurt had gone there for two years to be tortured at the Committee for Social Thought. Repressed that memory, and my failure there to be worthy of Billy, born in 1922 in Ilium, New York is obvious now in my dotage.
Vonnegut is better than I'd remembered. More honest. More kind. More humble. More Twain. Forget all other books: read these. Looking for Rosewater now.
Vonnegut is better than I'd remembered. More honest. More kind. More humble. More Twain. Forget all other books: read these. Looking for Rosewater now.
July 20, 2009
I think it's funny that vonnegut is considered a science fiction writter. He makes you laugh at everything, until you stop laughing, then you cry. Sometimes I feel like Vonnegut's talking deer who gets caught in the barbed wire, shot by a hunter and poignantly and succinctly sums it up by saying; "What the F&*K was that all about?" also he is from Indianapolis, Vonnegut, not the deer. I didn't actually read this collected version but I would have given all these books five stars anyway so i just did one review for all of them.
July 14, 2014
I'd give if five stars, but here's the thing: I really like Vonnegut's later novels better. These appealed to me very strongly in high school (except Mother Night) but the ones I like best now are Gal��pagos and Bluebeard. Over the years my affection for Mother Night has grown; I've really come to appreciate the ambiguity.
December 4, 2015
I liked this book mostly becouse what happens to the main character. Like how he is stop in time and goes into different settings, wich made the book real interesting and fun to read and always made you guess what was gonna happen next or how he would have to get out of something. Also I'm glad I read it becouse it had so many details you could actually imagine what was happening and also it's real graphic and about the war so it's real interesting to see what a war veteran point of view. I recommend this book to people who are real into graphic plots and twisted ideas
April 18, 2015
This book is on my office bookshelf. Vonnegut is one of my two favorite authors. He, because of his characterizations and straightforward writing style. I would recommend this book to anyone. I liked all the stories, but Cat's Cradle and Player Piano were my favorites. Player Piano has proven to be a fantasy almost come true. It's a book that deserves to be read today by all who want to understand the future of mechanization, robotics, and the dehumanizing effects of entitlement systems.
Currently reading
October 8, 2009In this book so far I have read about how Yon Yonson is traveling on a journey to write a book about his war experience and encounters the Trafimaldions and talks to them while everyone else thinks he is crazy. The Trafimaldions interact with Yon as he writes his book.
Currently reading
October 8, 2009A boy named Yon Yonson is trying to write a story about his war experience but they are all about how miserable he was. Later he encounters an alien and yon finds out how different his life is from the alien's.
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July 9, 2010I know I got on a Vonnegut kick and read everything I could find of his . . . and kept up with his communiques over the years . . . anyway, probably read all of these, but don't remember stuff from Player Piano and Mother NIght.
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September 10, 2010Slaughterhouse five is a novel that takes the reader though a lot of time traveling between present and future time. The novel is about trying to capture the picture of a war the author had lived through.
May 27, 2013
I only read slaughterhouse 5 (goodreads doesn't have just the one book by itself) and found it thoroughly unenjoyable. This is simply the worst 'book everyone should read' book that I've ever read. At least it was short.
October 13, 2015
Okay. I got into Billy after about 30 pages. Sorry this happened to people. He reminded me more of Vietnam Vets than WW2 guys. They don't usually seem this cynical and out to lunch. They have more manners and conform to the Greatest Generation.
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June 12, 2009Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut (1974)
September 24, 2009
Very funny book so far
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January 28, 2010my first time with vonnegut loved it
June 5, 2011
Every one of these is great
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews