The Vonnegut Reading Group discussion

Hi all,

I just finished Slapstick or Lonesome No More! and wrote the following review. I'm a lover of every other Vonnegut I've read. In this case, am I a dullard? I'm asking in all seriousness. I've read several reviews that praise Slapstick as his best work. Help me understand... What did you see that I was too callous to and missed?

The review is here, but I've pasted it below to conserve mouse clicks:

Not my favorite Vonnegut. I picked this up on sale based on an Amazon reader recommendation declaring it Vonnegut at the top of his form or some such. I can't disagree more. Vonnegut is always bizarre but it's usually an endearing sort of bizarre - this was more of a circus side show bizarre. About 3 quarters of the way through the book it felt like Vonnegut just gave up on the story and started working as quickly as he could to end it. The finish is abrupt and unsatisfying though it contains the only glimmer of the trademark Vonnegut poignancy I can recall from my read.

The experience of reading this book was kind of like watching a relative you admire get himself embarrassingly drunk and offensive at a public restaurant. Skip this one. If I'd read this Vonnegut first I wouldn't have read any more.

Liam

Liam wrote: "Hi all,

I just finished Slapstick or Lonesome No More! and wrote the following review. I'm a lover of every other Vonnegut I've read. In this case, am I a dullard? I'm asking in all seriousness..."

I read this book in 2006 so I can honestly say I remember little about the book. I picked up and old copy a long with Jailbird from a little cafe that sold use books and records when I was a freshman in college. I do remember liking the book but thinking it seemed disjointed. Which maybe it was supposed to be, dunno. I suppose what really sticks with me is the idea that something that would, could, should bring society together would just destroy it so much. That the main character is shunned by everyone at first, rise to the top, just to ruin everything. Which is probably a self-reflection of how Vonnegut felt towards himself. It's the Horatio Alger ending you don't hear. But it felt real, that if something like this were to start, it would end so horribly. And who hasn't experienced this at some point?


I'm thinking around the type he was writing this and Jailbird he was getting tired of writing and was still under contract to write x amount of books for his publisher.... possibly why it felt rush at the end?

Another thought: since reading Slapstick, I've read so many better books like God bless you Mr Rosewater, Mother Night, Bluebeard, etc. Slapstick probably ends up near the bottom of his books. Granted, I started out reading his books at random without even knowing anything about Vonnegut. I randomly picked up Timequake and Deadeye Dick from the library and which was very odd starting point indeed. If it wasn't for Deadeye Dick I would have tossed Vonnegut aside for a while.

Also Slapstick brings to mind a Seinfeld episode I saw after reading the book,about the idea for everyone to wear name tags so everyone essentially knows everyone and no one is stranger.

I think anyone who is a fan of Vonnegut should try the book out, it has some good points especially reading as though it was how Vonnegut viewed himself. And I think Vonnegut would have loved your description at the end about the drunk relative.

Lol thanks Kassandra. You know what, I bet he would have. And I am humbled by your ability to comment so insightfully on a book you read 7 years ago! I'd be hard pressed to tell you what I read last weekend.

Oops I put to many S's in your name :(

I make it a point to try to draw something from a book I read. Or relate it to a moment that occurred during reading said book. It helped in high school being forced to read books and its something that stuck.

Too many people misspell or pronounce my name it doesn't even phase me. I just recently noticed my name tag at my cubicle at work has an extra S.

It's been a while for me too, but it definitely was one of my least favorites.

My impression of Slapstick probably suffered from how much I enjoyed his other works I've read. I'm still recovering from the shock of learning that one of my favorite authors didn't write everything he wrote for me personally. Still love Vonnegut, but now I'm a little wary. The most intriguing part of this experience to me is how widely Vonnegut readers diverge on their opinions of this one book - everything from his worst to his best, from "start with this one" to "pretend it didn't happen" ha! Fascinating.

KV thought Slapstick was one of his weakest works, it was written as- partly- an allegory for his own relationship with his recently deceased sister but it appears he just let a stream of consciousness out for large portions. As always he explores some great ideas but as previously stated I doubt I would have picked up any more of his work had this been the first I had read

I haven't read this in about ten years. I remember liking it a lot and giggling to myself every time I read Hi Ho. I just started it again last night and am super excited to get in it again after reading all your posts. But the fact that this is one of his that I never re-read over the years does tell me it must not have killed me like Breakfast of Champions did. Thanks for the info! :)