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While Mortals Sleep: Unpublished Short Fiction
Foreword by Dave Eggers
Smart, whimsical, and often scathing, the fiction of Kurt Vonnegut influenced a generation of American writers—including Dave Eggers, author of this volume’s Foreword. In these previously unpublished gems, Vonnegut’s originality infuses a unique landscape of factories, trailers, and bars—and characters who pit their dreams and fears against a cruel and sometimes comically indifferent world.
Here are stories of men and machines, art and artifice, and how ideals of fortune, fame, and love take curious twists in ordinary lives. An ambitious builder of roads, commanding an army of bulldozers, graders, and asphalt spreaders, fritters away his free time with miniature trains—until the women in his life crash his fantasy land. Trapped in a stenography pool, a young dreamer receives a call from a robber on the run, who presents her with a strange proposition. A crusty newspaperman is forced onto a committee to judge Christmas displays—a job that leads him to a suspiciously ostentatious ex-con and then a miracle. A hog farmer’s widow receives cryptic, unsolicited letters from a man in Schenectady about “the indefinable sweet aches of the spirit.” But what will she find when she goes to meet him in the flesh?
These beautifully rendered works are a testament to Vonnegut’s unique blend of observation and imagination. Like a present left behind by a departed loved one, While Mortals Sleep bestows upon us a shimmering Kurt Vonnegut gift: a poignant reflection of our world as it is and as it could be.
Smart, whimsical, and often scathing, the fiction of Kurt Vonnegut influenced a generation of American writers—including Dave Eggers, author of this volume’s Foreword. In these previously unpublished gems, Vonnegut’s originality infuses a unique landscape of factories, trailers, and bars—and characters who pit their dreams and fears against a cruel and sometimes comically indifferent world.
Here are stories of men and machines, art and artifice, and how ideals of fortune, fame, and love take curious twists in ordinary lives. An ambitious builder of roads, commanding an army of bulldozers, graders, and asphalt spreaders, fritters away his free time with miniature trains—until the women in his life crash his fantasy land. Trapped in a stenography pool, a young dreamer receives a call from a robber on the run, who presents her with a strange proposition. A crusty newspaperman is forced onto a committee to judge Christmas displays—a job that leads him to a suspiciously ostentatious ex-con and then a miracle. A hog farmer’s widow receives cryptic, unsolicited letters from a man in Schenectady about “the indefinable sweet aches of the spirit.” But what will she find when she goes to meet him in the flesh?
These beautifully rendered works are a testament to Vonnegut’s unique blend of observation and imagination. Like a present left behind by a departed loved one, While Mortals Sleep bestows upon us a shimmering Kurt Vonnegut gift: a poignant reflection of our world as it is and as it could be.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 25, 2011
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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 701 reviews
February 29, 2012
Lordy, why were these stories published? This is buried-in-the-bottom-drawer stuff, early examples of competence in the writing-for-slicks-and-glossies side of Kurt’s career. There were two sides to Kurt in the fifties and sixties: one was the knockout novelist who wrote prophetic, visionary, hilarious, moving and perfect books of permanence that no one noticed until Slaughterhouse V. Then there was the hack who wrote formulaic stories to keep his family in shoes, clothes and Drano. And I confess: I dislike the hack! I don’t rate his short stories at all. They strip the essence of his Vonnegutness completely, leaving a first-rate craftsman and moralist without the satirical bite and crazy exuberance of Cat’s Cradle et al. These unpublished bottom-drawer pieces have good twists and morals, and as ‘Guardian of the Person’ or ‘Out, Brief Candle’ show, can be moving . . . but slim pickings. The short form has come a long way since these pieces were composed. The boredom sets in quite early on here, and completion is a struggle. (I skipped the last four). Why did I bother? Why, I’m a Vonnegut completist-obsessive, of course. Duh.
July 2, 2011
Since Kurt Vonnegut’s death, there have been three volumes of previously unpublished Vonnegut short fiction. I didn’t bother with them initially, because I don’t gravitate to short stories to begin with, and on top of that I figured the posthumously published leftovers probably weren’t the cream of the crop.
But recently it struck me that we won’t be getting any more genuinely new Vonnegut material ever (not the first time that realization has come to me as if it were a new discovery), so when I saw a hardcover edition of While Mortals Sleep in my local bookstore, I picked it up.
While Mortals Sleep is the third and latest of these attempts to scrounge any more material out of the Vonnegut name, so it is essentially the leftovers of the leftovers.
As David Eggers explains in a foreword that is itself a worthwhile read, the material is drawn from early in Vonnegut’s career, before he came to real acclaim (though individual stories unfortunately aren’t individually dated). It is surprisingly blunt—nearly every piece wraps up with a neat lesson, often a reproach of unrestrained capitalistic greed, an exaltation of individualism, or a reminder of the value of compassion and companionship.
Vonnegut never bothered to disguise his worldview. But while his great novels were always moral, they were rarely had a moral like these stories do. In that sense, reading through this collection was instructive. Before Vonnegut really became the Vonnegut we know, before he could weave his ideals into his structure-defying, often sci-fi-tinged and dystopian works, he hammered them out in these brief allegories. (Only one story, “Jenny,” about a feminine robot built into a refrigerator—yes—really shares the sci-fi-abusing tendencies of many of Vonnegut’s novels.)
There’s plenty of his characteristic easy prose, the unfussy eloquence that defines Vonnegut’s style throughout his career. And this early work gives a wonderful perspective on what followed. Unfortunately, while several of the stories are great, the majority of them are essentially simple morality plays, and at times I found it difficult to feel any real sense of real edification. As Eggers points out, Vonnegut was really writing for the 1950s magazine editors he hoped would accept his submissions, so the tone is understandable, even if it can’t stand the test of time like his great works.
The standout exception for me in that regard—the monumental, wonderful exception—is the final inclusion, “The Humbugs.” It tells the story of two working artists whose studios face each other across the street.
One is an aging and commercially successful painter of lush but soulless pastoral landscapes, an impressive literary prediction of Thomas Kinkade; he receives no recognition from the critical community, and he holds a secret contempt for his own creative bankruptcy.
The other is a young, dynamic abstractionist, whose paintings the public finds uncomfortable and alienating, who is on the constant brink of financial ruin despite critical adoration of his work’s emotional breadth; he harbors a deep insecurity about his inability to depict the world the way the human eye perceives it.
A confrontation ensues between the two, making for one of the most wonderful portrayals of creative self-doubt and triumph I have encountered. It was a daring move to require readers to get through an entire book’s worth of material before reaching what is clearly the strongest piece, but what an ending.
(Before publishing this post I did a quick Google search for “While Mortals Sleep” and discovered that Amazon has nonsensically categorized the book as “Science Fiction & Fantasy”—a label Vonnegut spent a lifetime trying to escape. The guy just can’t catch a break.)
But recently it struck me that we won’t be getting any more genuinely new Vonnegut material ever (not the first time that realization has come to me as if it were a new discovery), so when I saw a hardcover edition of While Mortals Sleep in my local bookstore, I picked it up.
While Mortals Sleep is the third and latest of these attempts to scrounge any more material out of the Vonnegut name, so it is essentially the leftovers of the leftovers.
As David Eggers explains in a foreword that is itself a worthwhile read, the material is drawn from early in Vonnegut’s career, before he came to real acclaim (though individual stories unfortunately aren’t individually dated). It is surprisingly blunt—nearly every piece wraps up with a neat lesson, often a reproach of unrestrained capitalistic greed, an exaltation of individualism, or a reminder of the value of compassion and companionship.
Vonnegut never bothered to disguise his worldview. But while his great novels were always moral, they were rarely had a moral like these stories do. In that sense, reading through this collection was instructive. Before Vonnegut really became the Vonnegut we know, before he could weave his ideals into his structure-defying, often sci-fi-tinged and dystopian works, he hammered them out in these brief allegories. (Only one story, “Jenny,” about a feminine robot built into a refrigerator—yes—really shares the sci-fi-abusing tendencies of many of Vonnegut’s novels.)
There’s plenty of his characteristic easy prose, the unfussy eloquence that defines Vonnegut’s style throughout his career. And this early work gives a wonderful perspective on what followed. Unfortunately, while several of the stories are great, the majority of them are essentially simple morality plays, and at times I found it difficult to feel any real sense of real edification. As Eggers points out, Vonnegut was really writing for the 1950s magazine editors he hoped would accept his submissions, so the tone is understandable, even if it can’t stand the test of time like his great works.
The standout exception for me in that regard—the monumental, wonderful exception—is the final inclusion, “The Humbugs.” It tells the story of two working artists whose studios face each other across the street.
One is an aging and commercially successful painter of lush but soulless pastoral landscapes, an impressive literary prediction of Thomas Kinkade; he receives no recognition from the critical community, and he holds a secret contempt for his own creative bankruptcy.
The other is a young, dynamic abstractionist, whose paintings the public finds uncomfortable and alienating, who is on the constant brink of financial ruin despite critical adoration of his work’s emotional breadth; he harbors a deep insecurity about his inability to depict the world the way the human eye perceives it.
A confrontation ensues between the two, making for one of the most wonderful portrayals of creative self-doubt and triumph I have encountered. It was a daring move to require readers to get through an entire book’s worth of material before reaching what is clearly the strongest piece, but what an ending.
(Before publishing this post I did a quick Google search for “While Mortals Sleep” and discovered that Amazon has nonsensically categorized the book as “Science Fiction & Fantasy”—a label Vonnegut spent a lifetime trying to escape. The guy just can’t catch a break.)
August 22, 2019
Vonnegut delivers
A collection of short stories that make you think about humanity and it’s short comings and it’s strengths that often lie hidden. There are some wonderful tales in here and some comedy that was brilliant. The last story of the ignorant battling wives of two different types of artists was brilliant. Vonnegut can make you think and examine the human soul without leaving you completely disturbed like some writers. He offers you food for thought but not so rich you over do it, or so poor that it leaves you miserable. It sits with you and gives you just what you can handle.
A collection of short stories that make you think about humanity and it’s short comings and it’s strengths that often lie hidden. There are some wonderful tales in here and some comedy that was brilliant. The last story of the ignorant battling wives of two different types of artists was brilliant. Vonnegut can make you think and examine the human soul without leaving you completely disturbed like some writers. He offers you food for thought but not so rich you over do it, or so poor that it leaves you miserable. It sits with you and gives you just what you can handle.
April 26, 2012
Много радваща книга с ранни, неиздавани досега разкази. Един много различен Вонегът и все пак така очарователен, увлекателен и добър в разнищването на душата. Силна доза хумор, омесен с човечност, тъга, самота и няколко щипки абсурд.
Горещо я препоръчвам.
Горещо я препоръчвам.
abandoned
August 6, 2014Eh. I think, as other reviews on this site have stated more eloquently than I can, that these stories were in the 'unpublished' pile for a reason. Make no mistake: each and every one is better than something I could write, but compared to Vonnegut when he's on fire ... well, they're lacking.
I went to pick it up today to finish off the last few stories and found myself staring at the rest of my to-read pile and my hand went straight to the next book in line. I could kid myself and say that I'll blow through the last few pages before I return it to the library but honestly it'd be like forcing myself to eat the last few bites of a mediocre free meal. I don't need to finish the whole thing to know what it tasted like.
I went to pick it up today to finish off the last few stories and found myself staring at the rest of my to-read pile and my hand went straight to the next book in line. I could kid myself and say that I'll blow through the last few pages before I return it to the library but honestly it'd be like forcing myself to eat the last few bites of a mediocre free meal. I don't need to finish the whole thing to know what it tasted like.
January 30, 2021
Câteva proze sunt aproape de perfecțiune: "Te stinge, candelă de-o clipă", "Bomar", "Șarlatanii", altele pur și simplu ratate, "Banii vorbesc", de exemplu. Dar este o carte care conține tot ceea ce caut să găsesc la Vonnegut: ironie, umor, imaginație, sarcasm, dramă, S.F., melodramă.
March 29, 2015
tr. Ölümlüler Uyurken. Yazarın çoğunlukla gençken kaleme aldığı ve ölümünden sonra yayımlanan hikayelerden oluşuyor kitap. Bence mükemmel kitap. Niçin? Çünkü takdir edilecek pratik ve yaratıcı bir zeka, hikaye karakterlerini kısa sürede okuyucuya aktarabilen ve olay örgüsüne geçiş yapan bir ustalık ve hepsinden önemlisi bir dert bir samimiyet var neredeyse tüm öykülerde.
Kitabın önsözünde Vonnegut'un ahlakçılığına dair birkaç kelam edilmiş. Bu çerçevede, Vonnegut'un toplum/hayat/insanlar vs. hakkında dert edindiklerini paylaşmasam acaba kitaptan çok da hazzetmeyip, kendisini bir nevi "namazını kıl, öbür tarafta yanma yavrim" diyen Hacı dede, bir " İsa olsa niderdi?" diyen vaazcı Tolstoy olarak görür müydüm diye düşündüm ama cevabım hayır.
(Muhafazakar mode on) Çünkü bana kalırsa Vonnegut'un bu hikayelerindeki ahlakçılık öyle çok da tartışılabilir değil. En azından olmamalı. Çünkü adam; amanın zina etmeyin, yok efendim çıplak heykel yapmayın falan demiyor. Genel olarak dediği hatasız kul olmaz, hatamla sev beni, paraya pula tamah etmeyin, insanların hissettiklerine önem verin, herkese anlayış gösterin, herkesi -saçma sapan davrananları bile- anlamaya çalışın diyor. (Muhafazakar mode off) E bu kadarcık ortak paydada da buluşalım bir zahmet. Humanity 101.
Kaldı ki, yazar, bu bahsettiklerimi naif bi anlatımla yapıyor ve dünyaya karşı duruşunu/bakış açısını hikayelere kodluyor. Bunu dayatmıyor. Şahsen ben sonu bir yeren varmayan ve büyük ölçüde söyleyecek sözü olmayan yazarların kelimelerin peşine takılıp gittikleri durum fotoğraflarındansa; söyleyecek sözü olan Vonnegut'ları tercih ederim.
İlk ve belki de kitaptaki en uzun hikaye olan Jenny'de bir Sabahattin Ali tadı aldım. İkinci hikaye Epizootik, çevresinde olan bitene kayıtsız kalmayan uyarı niteliğinde çok güzel bir kurmaca.
Üçüncü hikaye "Yüz Dolarlık Öpücükler", insan olun adamı hasta etmeyin diyen, benim favori hikayelerimden biri. Kitaba adını da veren hikaye ise "Ölümlüler Uyurken". Bu hikaye kitap önsözünde "Huysuz bir gazeteci Noel aydınlatmalarını değerlendirecek komitede zorla jüri üyesi yapılınca, önce şatafatlı yaşamıyla şüpheleri üstüne çeken eski bir hükümlüyle, sonra da bir mucizeyle karşılaşıyor.." şeklinde tanıtılmış. Diğer bazı açıklamalarda da işte Anti-hristiyan gazetecinin, sır kapısının aralanmasıyla imana gelmesi şeklinde tasvir edilmiş ki bence alakası yok. Bir mucizeyle karşılaşmıyor, mucizeyi hazırlıyor bence "huysuz gazeteci". Bu noktada da kesin olmayan bir Noel ruhu/Hristiyanlık övgüsündense, kesin olan modern zaman kapitalist Hristiyanlık eleştirisine odaklanmalı diye düşünüyorum ama farklı yorumlara açık. Her neyse, diğer hikayeleri de okuyun, değerlendirin. Ben sevdim. Pratik zekasını, okuyucuya ve insanlığa saygısını, samimiyetini.
Lisede İngilizcesini okuyup şu an unuttuğum Slaughterhouse-5'ı da yeniden okumak farz oldu. Bence Vonnegut iyi adam.
Kitabın önsözünde Vonnegut'un ahlakçılığına dair birkaç kelam edilmiş. Bu çerçevede, Vonnegut'un toplum/hayat/insanlar vs. hakkında dert edindiklerini paylaşmasam acaba kitaptan çok da hazzetmeyip, kendisini bir nevi "namazını kıl, öbür tarafta yanma yavrim" diyen Hacı dede, bir " İsa olsa niderdi?" diyen vaazcı Tolstoy olarak görür müydüm diye düşündüm ama cevabım hayır.
(Muhafazakar mode on) Çünkü bana kalırsa Vonnegut'un bu hikayelerindeki ahlakçılık öyle çok da tartışılabilir değil. En azından olmamalı. Çünkü adam; amanın zina etmeyin, yok efendim çıplak heykel yapmayın falan demiyor. Genel olarak dediği hatasız kul olmaz, hatamla sev beni, paraya pula tamah etmeyin, insanların hissettiklerine önem verin, herkese anlayış gösterin, herkesi -saçma sapan davrananları bile- anlamaya çalışın diyor. (Muhafazakar mode off) E bu kadarcık ortak paydada da buluşalım bir zahmet. Humanity 101.
Kaldı ki, yazar, bu bahsettiklerimi naif bi anlatımla yapıyor ve dünyaya karşı duruşunu/bakış açısını hikayelere kodluyor. Bunu dayatmıyor. Şahsen ben sonu bir yeren varmayan ve büyük ölçüde söyleyecek sözü olmayan yazarların kelimelerin peşine takılıp gittikleri durum fotoğraflarındansa; söyleyecek sözü olan Vonnegut'ları tercih ederim.
İlk ve belki de kitaptaki en uzun hikaye olan Jenny'de bir Sabahattin Ali tadı aldım. İkinci hikaye Epizootik, çevresinde olan bitene kayıtsız kalmayan uyarı niteliğinde çok güzel bir kurmaca.
Üçüncü hikaye "Yüz Dolarlık Öpücükler", insan olun adamı hasta etmeyin diyen, benim favori hikayelerimden biri. Kitaba adını da veren hikaye ise "Ölümlüler Uyurken". Bu hikaye kitap önsözünde "Huysuz bir gazeteci Noel aydınlatmalarını değerlendirecek komitede zorla jüri üyesi yapılınca, önce şatafatlı yaşamıyla şüpheleri üstüne çeken eski bir hükümlüyle, sonra da bir mucizeyle karşılaşıyor.." şeklinde tanıtılmış. Diğer bazı açıklamalarda da işte Anti-hristiyan gazetecinin, sır kapısının aralanmasıyla imana gelmesi şeklinde tasvir edilmiş ki bence alakası yok. Bir mucizeyle karşılaşmıyor, mucizeyi hazırlıyor bence "huysuz gazeteci". Bu noktada da kesin olmayan bir Noel ruhu/Hristiyanlık övgüsündense, kesin olan modern zaman kapitalist Hristiyanlık eleştirisine odaklanmalı diye düşünüyorum ama farklı yorumlara açık. Her neyse, diğer hikayeleri de okuyun, değerlendirin. Ben sevdim. Pratik zekasını, okuyucuya ve insanlığa saygısını, samimiyetini.
Lisede İngilizcesini okuyup şu an unuttuğum Slaughterhouse-5'ı da yeniden okumak farz oldu. Bence Vonnegut iyi adam.
October 27, 2019
Nu stiu de ce, atunci cand am inceput cartea, nu i-am alocat toata atentia pe care ar fi meritat-o si am taraganat. Dar am reluat-o acum, dupa aproape cinci luni, si pot spune ca imi place tare mult cum scrie Kurt. Abatorul 5 inca e in pending, caci de acolo am aflat de el, dar over all, 10/10 pentru aceste povestiri scurte.
April 1, 2018
I just loved these stories by Vonnegut. I feel like he‘s talking to me - Hey, this is sad and crazy and even pathetic, but it‘s life and there‘s nothing much to do about it - so don‘t take it so seriously and smile for a moment! Hope lives where humour can be so bright...
January 6, 2018
mix de proze foarte bune cu unele slabe. stilul cinic, ironic, amuzant și parodic al lui vonnegut e dublat uneori de un realism simplu, sentimental. merită citit.
August 31, 2021
Yazarla tanışma kitabım Ölümlüler Uyurken. Kitabın içerisinde 17 kısa öykü yer alıyor. Bu öyküler, yazarın mesleğe ilk adım attığı dönemde yaşamını idame ettirme amacıyla çeşitli dergilere gönderdiği öyküler. Öykülerin ortak noktası içlerinde kıssadan hisseler barındırmaları, bunu da bizi her seferinde ters köşe yaparak başarıyor.
Bu öyküler her ne kadar ısmarlama olsa da - sonuçta yayınlanacağı derginin belli başlı koşulları ve beklentileri var - açıkçası ben severek ve keyifle okudum. Kitabın ilk öyküsü Jenny ise hep aklımda kalacak.
En iyi Vonnegut kitabı olmayabilir belki, onu okudukça göreceğim... Ancak yazarın iyi bir anlatıcı olduğu çok belli. Belli başlı sınırlar içerisinde kalarak yazmanın her zaman kısıtlayıcı olmayabileceğini gösteriyor bu kitap.
Dave Eggers'ın önsözü ve Kıvanç Güney'in akıcı çevirisi ile.
Kitaplarla kalın!
Bu öyküler her ne kadar ısmarlama olsa da - sonuçta yayınlanacağı derginin belli başlı koşulları ve beklentileri var - açıkçası ben severek ve keyifle okudum. Kitabın ilk öyküsü Jenny ise hep aklımda kalacak.
En iyi Vonnegut kitabı olmayabilir belki, onu okudukça göreceğim... Ancak yazarın iyi bir anlatıcı olduğu çok belli. Belli başlı sınırlar içerisinde kalarak yazmanın her zaman kısıtlayıcı olmayabileceğini gösteriyor bu kitap.
Dave Eggers'ın önsözü ve Kıvanç Güney'in akıcı çevirisi ile.
Kitaplarla kalın!
June 11, 2013
I could continue reading Vonnegut's unpublished works forever and I wish I could. There are only a few clunkers in this volume (The Epizootic, Guardian of the Person, While Mortals Sleep)- primarily because they end too abruptly.
Jenny is a treasure of a story. It is a heartbreaking story of a lonely appliance salesman and his talking, dancing refrigerator.
Hundred Dollar Kisses recounts the justifiable reason a man would beat his officemate with a telephone - "the part you talk and listen in". Vonnegut noticed long ago the things that trouble us probably even more so today: "Everybody pays attention to pictures of things. Nobody pays attention to things themselves." I think of that every time I see a proud parent videotaping their kid with an iPad - obscuring their and everyone around them's view of the actual event.
Ruth is a sad story of a pregnant widow's meeting with her husband's unpleasant mourning mother. It has a great surprise (to me) ending with an important message - don't get cocky, kid! Vonnegut's description, for me, gets lost in his novels' twisty plots. These short stories really show us what he's got. "Ruth threw back the covers, and walked to the window, needing the refreshment of a look at the outdoors. There was only a brick wall a few feet away, chinked with snow. She tiptoed down the hall, toward the big living room windows that framed the blue Adirondack foothills."
While Mortals Sleep features some of the grumpy opinions that are the reason why Vonnegut is one of my favorites. "The contestants dangle colored electric lights all over the fronts of their houses, and the man whose meter goes around fastest wins. That's Christmas for you."
"I'm not a religious man and I'm not a family man, and eggnog gives me gastritis, so the hell with Christmas."
"It was a salmon-pink mansion with a spike fence, iron flamingos, and five television aerials- combining in one monster the worst features of Spanish architecture, electronics, and sudden wealth."
Love these stories!
Jenny is a treasure of a story. It is a heartbreaking story of a lonely appliance salesman and his talking, dancing refrigerator.
Hundred Dollar Kisses recounts the justifiable reason a man would beat his officemate with a telephone - "the part you talk and listen in". Vonnegut noticed long ago the things that trouble us probably even more so today: "Everybody pays attention to pictures of things. Nobody pays attention to things themselves." I think of that every time I see a proud parent videotaping their kid with an iPad - obscuring their and everyone around them's view of the actual event.
Ruth is a sad story of a pregnant widow's meeting with her husband's unpleasant mourning mother. It has a great surprise (to me) ending with an important message - don't get cocky, kid! Vonnegut's description, for me, gets lost in his novels' twisty plots. These short stories really show us what he's got. "Ruth threw back the covers, and walked to the window, needing the refreshment of a look at the outdoors. There was only a brick wall a few feet away, chinked with snow. She tiptoed down the hall, toward the big living room windows that framed the blue Adirondack foothills."
While Mortals Sleep features some of the grumpy opinions that are the reason why Vonnegut is one of my favorites. "The contestants dangle colored electric lights all over the fronts of their houses, and the man whose meter goes around fastest wins. That's Christmas for you."
"I'm not a religious man and I'm not a family man, and eggnog gives me gastritis, so the hell with Christmas."
"It was a salmon-pink mansion with a spike fence, iron flamingos, and five television aerials- combining in one monster the worst features of Spanish architecture, electronics, and sudden wealth."
Love these stories!
June 20, 2024
Enjoyed these stories. Took me forever to finish the collection, probably because the stories are not meant to be read in quick succession. They’re each fun, but read back-to-back they begin to feel formulaic and predictable. Was nice to see some of Vonnegut’s earlier work and see it’s influences in his later stuff.
February 19, 2024
Kurt Vonnegut is among my top-5 favourite authors.
I wanted to read all his writings, but now I am not so sure.
This collection contains short stories that he published in magazines. They were written relatively early in his career.
As Dave Eggers writes in a foreword:
"He was a man with kids trying to support his family while edifying the readers of Ladies' Home Journal."
Vonnegut's most impactful work will come later.
The 'twist' in most stories in this collection is rather predictable.
But his writing style and storytelling abilities are seen even in those simple texts.
I might still read all that he has written.
But I will definitely want to re-read his best work, especially some of his novels.
I wanted to read all his writings, but now I am not so sure.
This collection contains short stories that he published in magazines. They were written relatively early in his career.
As Dave Eggers writes in a foreword:
"He was a man with kids trying to support his family while edifying the readers of Ladies' Home Journal."
Vonnegut's most impactful work will come later.
The 'twist' in most stories in this collection is rather predictable.
But his writing style and storytelling abilities are seen even in those simple texts.
I might still read all that he has written.
But I will definitely want to re-read his best work, especially some of his novels.
August 28, 2024
Pretty good, but you can tell it’s his earlier writing. I skipped some stories so I’m not gonna count it as read 😞
September 14, 2018
-unele povestiri sunt foarte fain construite, chiar cu mici plot twist-uri și cu un iz satiric-moralizator,
însă pe alocuri altele sunt construite extrem de schematic, tranzițiile dintre anumite scene importante(în opinia mea) lăsând de dorit.
- majoritatea povesterilor au un umor ușor absurd, dulce-acrișor, tipic vonnegut.
însă pe alocuri altele sunt construite extrem de schematic, tranzițiile dintre anumite scene importante(în opinia mea) lăsând de dorit.
- majoritatea povesterilor au un umor ușor absurd, dulce-acrișor, tipic vonnegut.
December 31, 2020
Fun stories with some cool anecdotes.
August 12, 2025
16 proze foarte bune, în special ultimele două: "Banii vorbesc" și "Șarlatanii".
June 3, 2025
This collection is cosy and full of joy. There is plenty of Vonnegut's silly humour and absurdity shining throughout. What I found really interesting is how most stories are not genre specific due to, I'm assuming, the author's attempts to make them easier to sell. Consequently, we have a variety of dramas played out on the pages which are crafted perfectly. It's a great illustration of Vonnegut's often overlooked ability to simply craft a good yarn.
December 16, 2025
3.5 calm lil vonnegut
May 11, 2020
Good enough for a debutante. Although the stories are not dated, that's the feeling. Like watching a good old movie - too many clichés, reality being edited out of the picture for the sake of a twisted ending.
September 19, 2024
I prefer his work as a novelist
December 19, 2021
Hai presente quando sei straconvinto di conoscere una persona, meglio ancora un tuo amico? Sai bene come reagirà ad una situazione, puoi prevedere con millimetrica precisione quale sarà il punto di un discorso in cui inizierà a sbuffare o quale la scena di un film in cui sobbalzerà sulla sedia, e puoi immaginare senza grandi difficoltà quale sarà il tipo di donna che lo porterà all’esasperazione e quale invece gli causerà quella mutazione genetica pupillare nota come “occhi a cuoricino”. Ecco, immagina una situazione del genere. E immagina di seguirlo, magari non visto, in una mattinata soleggiata nella tua città, di vederlo entrare in edicola, comprare il solito quotidiano (ti dici “lo sapevo!”), ordinare lo stesso caffè macchiato (ti dici “e figurarsi”), scendere dal marciapiede ed essere quasi travolto da un ciclista distratto. Già lo vedi inveire con gestualità da ultrà e lanciare anatemi di cui non sospetti origine ed esistenza, e invece… e invece lui si fa una risata, e sorride esclamando “C’è mancato poco!”. Tu ti blocchi, ragionevolmente sorpreso, provi a calcolare quante ore di meditazione gli sia costata questa improvvisa serenità, poi lo vedi scivolare con la suola dell’anfibio (aggravante) su una collinetta di sterco fumante lasciata probabilmente da un alano di due tonnellate e, ciò nonostante, continuare a sorridere. E ti dici che c’è qualcosa che non va, è vero, ma che in fondo l’effetto non è così spiacevole, anzi…
Ecco, se hai letto “Ghiaccio Nove”, “La colazione dei campioni” e magari anche “Mattatoio n. 5″, ti sei preparato ad un Vonnegut come lo conosci tu. Uno che fa della satira di costume, dell’attacco velenoso alla società che lo ha cullato e della idiozia autodistruttiva di tutto il genere umano temi dominanti della sua narrativa, e lo fa con una forza ed una determinazione sarcastica-umoristica-spiazzante tale da colpire proprio qui, dove il tessuto cardiaco batte i suoi colpi momento dopo momento. Bene, prendi in mano “Baci a 100 dollari” e inizia a leggere, senza alcun timore. Perché supererai presto quello stesso spaesamento che abbiamo immaginato all’inizio, e scoprirai ugualmente che l’effetto è più che positivo, e non riuscirai a smettere di voltare le pagine di questa antologia di racconti certamente diversi dalla tradizionale poetica di Vonnegut, ma altrettanto interessanti. Ti perderai nella sottile ironia di una accoppiata donna-suocera, palpiterai per la follia di una madre che ha perso il figlio in guerra e per la resistenza della nuora: “Ruth” è fra i migliori racconti che abbia mai avuto modo di leggere, tranquillamente al livello di un maestro del genere come Raymond Carver.
Per una volta, non trarrò la citazione dal libro recensito, ma dalla prefazione: ne inquadra la logica ed è una risposta perfetta a chi possa avvertire la sensazione che queste pagine di Vonnegut profumino un po’ di moralismo: “Quando hai combattuto nella Seconda guerra mondiale, sei sopravvissuto a Dresda, hai mantenuto la tua famiglia e hai adottato i quattro bambini orfani di tua sorella (dopo che lei e suo marito sono morti a pochi giorni di distanza l’una dall’altro), allora disponi di un po’ di credito nella banca dell’autorità morale”
Ecco, se hai letto “Ghiaccio Nove”, “La colazione dei campioni” e magari anche “Mattatoio n. 5″, ti sei preparato ad un Vonnegut come lo conosci tu. Uno che fa della satira di costume, dell’attacco velenoso alla società che lo ha cullato e della idiozia autodistruttiva di tutto il genere umano temi dominanti della sua narrativa, e lo fa con una forza ed una determinazione sarcastica-umoristica-spiazzante tale da colpire proprio qui, dove il tessuto cardiaco batte i suoi colpi momento dopo momento. Bene, prendi in mano “Baci a 100 dollari” e inizia a leggere, senza alcun timore. Perché supererai presto quello stesso spaesamento che abbiamo immaginato all’inizio, e scoprirai ugualmente che l’effetto è più che positivo, e non riuscirai a smettere di voltare le pagine di questa antologia di racconti certamente diversi dalla tradizionale poetica di Vonnegut, ma altrettanto interessanti. Ti perderai nella sottile ironia di una accoppiata donna-suocera, palpiterai per la follia di una madre che ha perso il figlio in guerra e per la resistenza della nuora: “Ruth” è fra i migliori racconti che abbia mai avuto modo di leggere, tranquillamente al livello di un maestro del genere come Raymond Carver.
Per una volta, non trarrò la citazione dal libro recensito, ma dalla prefazione: ne inquadra la logica ed è una risposta perfetta a chi possa avvertire la sensazione che queste pagine di Vonnegut profumino un po’ di moralismo: “Quando hai combattuto nella Seconda guerra mondiale, sei sopravvissuto a Dresda, hai mantenuto la tua famiglia e hai adottato i quattro bambini orfani di tua sorella (dopo che lei e suo marito sono morti a pochi giorni di distanza l’una dall’altro), allora disponi di un po’ di credito nella banca dell’autorità morale”
February 24, 2017
Not stellar, but a decent collection. And the artwork was a nice touch.
Favorites:
• Ruth
• Out, Brief Candle
• The Man Without No Kiddleys
Favorites:
• Ruth
• Out, Brief Candle
• The Man Without No Kiddleys
April 10, 2018
I love Vonnegut, but I don't love this collection of short stories. If Welcome to the Monkey House is Lord of the Rings: Return of the King on DVD, then While Mortals Sleep is 1.5 hours of Gollum outtakes and bloopers. It's entertaining for fans, but not that strong on its own.
Vonnegut is a master of taking a small slice of science fiction and turning it into a story about human relations. That is almost entirely absent in this collection, as this is a collection of earlier Vonnegut works. The essential, casual tone of Vonnegut is present, but these stories are from very early in Vonnegut's career and lack a bit of polish. The stories all have simple stories and simple morals (freedom is good, money can't make you happy). This isn't necessarily bad, but the moral is almost always buried until the very end which kind of made these stories read similarly and melt together.
My favorite stories were Jenny, the story about the man who made a robot duplicate of his wife; Money Talks, where a fortune literally has a voice in the narration; and 10K A Year, the story about an wannabe opera singer who happily settles as a donut vendor. If you're a big Kurt Vonnegut fan, you'll probably like this book. If you haven't read Welcome to the Monkey House or any of Vonnegut's novels, I would suggest going after those first.
Vonnegut is a master of taking a small slice of science fiction and turning it into a story about human relations. That is almost entirely absent in this collection, as this is a collection of earlier Vonnegut works. The essential, casual tone of Vonnegut is present, but these stories are from very early in Vonnegut's career and lack a bit of polish. The stories all have simple stories and simple morals (freedom is good, money can't make you happy). This isn't necessarily bad, but the moral is almost always buried until the very end which kind of made these stories read similarly and melt together.
My favorite stories were Jenny, the story about the man who made a robot duplicate of his wife; Money Talks, where a fortune literally has a voice in the narration; and 10K A Year, the story about an wannabe opera singer who happily settles as a donut vendor. If you're a big Kurt Vonnegut fan, you'll probably like this book. If you haven't read Welcome to the Monkey House or any of Vonnegut's novels, I would suggest going after those first.
January 27, 2016
I often feel that posthumous releases of an author's early work are little more than a money grab by the publisher. However, in this case, I'm glad these early stories made their way into the world.
This is a side of Vonnegut that fans of his later work may not completely appreciate, but I enjoyed all the stories. Warm, often funny, and with a gentle reminder of the simpler morals of a time long passed, the stories are a light read--well worth it for anyone who appreciates short fiction.
This is a side of Vonnegut that fans of his later work may not completely appreciate, but I enjoyed all the stories. Warm, often funny, and with a gentle reminder of the simpler morals of a time long passed, the stories are a light read--well worth it for anyone who appreciates short fiction.
December 8, 2021
While these stories may not hit the same stride that Vonnegut manages later on, you can still see his tone and style bleed through. I believe these stories were written before Cat's Cradle. With that in mind, you can see his roots and the beginnings of his notable style. Many of these stories are very fun and provide a different sort of tone than his later works.
April 5, 2020
Çok uzun zamandır okuduğum en iyi öykü kitabı, Kurt Vonnegut'un yazdığı Ölümlüler Uyurken.
Bir pergel gibi bir ayağı sıkı sıkı gerçekliğe bağlıyken diğer ayağıyla bilim kurgu dünyasında gezdiriyor bizi yazar.
Bütün öykülerde ki her karakteri çok sevdim. Her birinin farklı bir kişiliği farklı bir duruşu olduğundan belki, bilemiyorum.
Özellikle 'jenny' ve 'şarlatanlar' öyküleri bence zamanlar ve mekanlar üstü.
jenny'den;
"bir erkeğin karısıyla ilgili o ilk, vahşi hayallerinin etkisi halayından sonra geçmeye başlar. o zaman erkek evlendiği insanın gerçekte kim olduğunu anlamak gibi meşakkatli ama ödülü de bol olan bir işe girişmek zorundadır. ama george’un başka bir seçeneği daha vardı. karısıyla ilgili vahşi hayallerini jenny’de canlı tutabilirdi."
bay z'den;
"gloria kendini değersiz buluyordu çünkü hiç kimse onu iyi ya da kötü oluşuna önem verecek kadar çok sevmemişti. bunu yapacak başka biri olmadığı için de, kendi kendisini cezalandırıyordu."
şarlatanlar'dan;
"görünürde sığınacak bir yer yoktu. tanrı’nın unuttuğu o yerde tanrı’nın unuttuğu o ana yakalananlar o dev ve ıpıslak kayaların altındaki sıcak bakırın üstüne sinmek zorundaydı, doğanın az sonra üzerlerine savuracağı şey her neyse, ona katlanmak zorundaydılar."
Bir pergel gibi bir ayağı sıkı sıkı gerçekliğe bağlıyken diğer ayağıyla bilim kurgu dünyasında gezdiriyor bizi yazar.
Bütün öykülerde ki her karakteri çok sevdim. Her birinin farklı bir kişiliği farklı bir duruşu olduğundan belki, bilemiyorum.
Özellikle 'jenny' ve 'şarlatanlar' öyküleri bence zamanlar ve mekanlar üstü.
jenny'den;
"bir erkeğin karısıyla ilgili o ilk, vahşi hayallerinin etkisi halayından sonra geçmeye başlar. o zaman erkek evlendiği insanın gerçekte kim olduğunu anlamak gibi meşakkatli ama ödülü de bol olan bir işe girişmek zorundadır. ama george’un başka bir seçeneği daha vardı. karısıyla ilgili vahşi hayallerini jenny’de canlı tutabilirdi."
bay z'den;
"gloria kendini değersiz buluyordu çünkü hiç kimse onu iyi ya da kötü oluşuna önem verecek kadar çok sevmemişti. bunu yapacak başka biri olmadığı için de, kendi kendisini cezalandırıyordu."
şarlatanlar'dan;
"görünürde sığınacak bir yer yoktu. tanrı’nın unuttuğu o yerde tanrı’nın unuttuğu o ana yakalananlar o dev ve ıpıslak kayaların altındaki sıcak bakırın üstüne sinmek zorundaydı, doğanın az sonra üzerlerine savuracağı şey her neyse, ona katlanmak zorundaydılar."
October 14, 2021
Esta antología reúne y publica en 2011, 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 y sus inquietudess. Así, varios de los relatos están ambientados en grandes fábricas como la de General Electric en Schenectady, en la que Vonnegut trabajó y que resultó una de las experiencias que más lo marcaron.
[+] Reseña completa de la antología y de 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 y sus inquietudess. Así, varios de los relatos están ambientados en grandes fábricas como la de General Electric en Schenectady, en la que Vonnegut trabajó y que resultó una de las experiencias que más lo marcaron.
[+] Reseña completa de la antología y de sus relatos de ciencia ficción en Alt+64 wiki: http://alt64.org/wiki/index.php?title...
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