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Summary: Slaughterhouse Five the journey of Billy Pilgrim
Review: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a great anti-war masterpiece. Vonnegut takes readers on a journey of life both pre-war and post-war as experienced by Billy Pilgrim. The psychological characteristics that define Billy are a direct result of his war experience and eye witness account of the bombing of Dresden.
Billy's 'ability' to travel through time allows him to view the dramatic events of Dresden several times, it also allows him to view his own birth, death, and everything in between. Some discredit Vonneguts writing as containing little to no focus; however, he wrote in such a jumbled fashion for a reason. Vonnegut is quoted as saying " it is jumbled and jambled, moves all around, it doesn't make sense, nor does war."
After reading Slaughterhouse Five I re-evaluated my personal opinion on war; Vonnegut paints a vivid picture of the traumatic effects of war on the individual in combat that war no longer seems justifiable by any means.
I began reading this book at an ironic time, immediately before the events of September 11. As I continued to read and gain an understanding for the novel, the devastation that the United States is currently dealing with can in no way compare with the devastation as a result of the bombing of Dresden. In both events the side taking action effectively made a point; however, they did not do so without claiming the lives of several innocent civilians. The bombing of Dresden is a part of American history that cannot be erased and puts a damper on American pride.
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Summary: Great, like Catch-22 but shorter
Review: This is the second Vonnegut book I've read, the first being The Sirens of Titan. Sirens disappointed me overall mainly because it sorely lacked a compelling plot. S5 in my opinion is superior to Sirens in every way. Vonnegut delivers a strong message about the senselessness of war by narrating the story of Billy Pilgrim. Pilgrim is a generally clueless American who takes part in the final offensive actions against Germany in World War 2. In a POW camp in Dresden he survives the fire-bombing of the city which stupefies him further. He learns new perspectives on time from aliens who abduct him for no apparent reason. Vonnegut never makes clear whether the science fiction elements of the novel (aliens, time travel) are all in Billy's mind or if they really happened. The title page states that schizophrenia is involved, so Billy may simply be re-living his memories instead of actually traveling back in time. And perhaps he's imagining the aliens. If you saw the recent movie A Beautiful Mind about the brilliant but schizophrenic mathematician John Nash, you'll be able to relate a bit better to poor Billy.Anyhow, the strange structure of the novel works well for its purpose, which is to convince you that modern warfare has little to do with honor and glory. A great number of soldiers who fight and die for their country are basically kids of high school age or a bit older. That's bad enough. But when thousands of civilians are killed senselessly in order to encourage a country to surrender, the whole thing becomes meaningless. Vonnegut's satiric style fits this theme like hand and glove. Characterization isn't too great but the humorous and witty dialogue makes up for it. The novel moves quickly and is somewhat difficult to put down. Some sex and quite a bit of violence. Not quite as grand as Joseph Heller's brilliant Catch-22, but shorter and easier to digest. Recommended!
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Summary: Life, death and a personal journey in the 20 century
Review: More than a simple satire Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" is one of the most important books written in the North America in the 20 Century. Dealing with both personal experiences, fiction and introducing himself as a character, the writer has created a unique work that will remain in the literary cannon forever. It is hard to tell what this novel is about, because it is sometimes funny, sometimes a sci-fiction, and sometimes very very sad. By using such device, Vonnegut shows the reader the absurdity of the war and of the 20 century as well. Death and life are side by side in his words. At the same time, the novel is a personal journey towards the center of himself. Using a fragmented prose only enhances the experience of reading this novel. With such technique, the book requires more attention from the reader, and increases the curiosity of what will happen next, and when this part of the narrative will be resumed. This is one reason why many readers find Vonnegut's work stranger than the average writer. So he is, but in a good way. This elliptic narrative is very sophisticated and beautiful to those who read a book and care about language, character development and plot. Vonnegut's sense of humor and sarcasm are brilliant turning what could be a tacky story into a deep work, filled with undertones and, psychological and political ideas. The constant use of the sentence 'So it goes' display a high level of sophistication, that many veteran writers will never acquire. All in all, 'Slaughterhouse-Five' is an important read for everyone who is interested in good and profound books. Those works that make us care more about the world we live, the society we are building everyday and, above all, the life we are leading.
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Summary: Essential in many ways
Review: This novel is essential in many ways. It is undoubtedly one of the best-written, most well respected novels of the 20th century (No. 6 on the list that was a compilation of all the other lists) and is, therefore, essential to your understanding of 20th century fiction. If you have never read Vonnegut, this book should be the first one you read: it is the most famous and one of the best and really captures the essence of Vonnegut. Finally, despite its literary merit, this is a FUN book to read. You will laugh, you will think, but, most of all, you will enjoy reading it and you will finish it FAST. This should be your introduction to Vonnegut. I've found that true Vonnegut fans don't often choose Slaughterhouse-Five as their favorite, but, instead choose one of Vonnegut's other wonders (Breakfast of Champions, Cat's Cradle, Sirens of Titan, etc.). I think that most would agree that this is a good jumping off point, just as, in music, people often start with Greatest hits albums and then work from there. Only Vonnegut could make such a strange premise believable and emotional. The book shifts time and place from paragraph to paragraph without warning. It is about aliens and WWII. It all works so perfectly, however and is so profound to those who read carefully. Billy Pilgrim is one of the great characters in all of literature. Don't be scared off by aliens and the weird premise. It works better than 99% of so-called "normal" books. Absolutely ESSENTIAL. thanks {{{milo}}}
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Summary: Anti-war novel w/twisted time concept (SLV) ;)
Review: "Slaughterhouse Five" is a work of literary fiction that combines historical, psychological, sociological, and science fiction elements. Unlike your everyday novel, Vonnegut does not express a clear plot, conflict, or climax, instead he offers us a multi-dimensional view of fantasy and reality. Slaughterhouse Five grew out of Vonnegut's own personal experiences during W.W.II, particularly the horrors of the Dresden air raids. Everything Vonegut writes related to the bombing of Dresden is meant to be felt as senseless to the reader. The story is mostly seen through the eyes of the main character Billy Pilgrim, a tall, skinny, sort of senseless man. He becomes "unstuck" in time and travels to different places and times during his life. An interesting yet somewhat confusing element in the story is Vonnegut's use of alien beings called Tralfamadorians to install his multi-dimensional concept of time. Billy is kidnapped by the Tralfamadorians and kept on their spacecraft. There he learns the Tralfamadorian concepts of time, predestination, and the absurdities of the human world. Vonnegut, also present in the novel, includes a telegraphic narrative explaining who he is and where he has been. Vonnegut displays many horrific events constituted with death by means of black humor. When a person dies the term "so it goes" immediately follows as if death were just some careless event. His use of black humor is meant to make the readers laugh in situations of absolute tragedy, such as death. If you're interested in warped SCI-FI with a bit of humor mixed with some hard-rock reality that reads smoothly, I would suggest "Slaughterhouse Five" as an excellent novel in its class. Slaughterhouse Five broadened my perspective of time and whether or not predestination exists. Vonnegut, through "Slaughterhouse Five", opens the reader's mind to his own a different, twisted, world of interesting thought, concepts, and experiences.
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Summary: My new favorite
Review: The novel Slaughter House Five is a great story. It describes Billy Pilgrim's time travel and adventures throughout the whole book. The writer kept me going and I could not put this book down. It is definitely a reread and I look forward to reading more of Kurt Vonnegut's writing pieces. Though, the reason I am giving this a four star, is because of the introduction. The introduction did not have a good foundation, and lacked interest, though I enjoy Kurt Vonnegut's honest style of writing and I look forward to the next Vonnegut novel I will read.
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Summary: sci-fi indictment of WWII, through a crazy man
Review: This is an absolutely wonderful sci-fi novel with a lot of heart. It follows the life - real and perhaps often imagined - of Billy Pilgrim as he moves about in time, remembering painful moments of his life as an outsider. He witnesses WWII, but not as a hero; then he is a successful businessman, watching life pass him by, until he becomes a kind of profit. Interestingly, tho the march of time has overtaken the scope of his narrative - he predicted that the US would be broken up, that Chicago wd be blown up by "angry Chinamen" - it is still entirely believable. The result is moving, funny, and very vivid. Warmly recommended. It can be read over and over, as I have for 32 years.
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Summary: The Childrens Crusade
Review: In a time where war is no stranger to anyone, this book gives an honest and hard look at the effects of war on life. I could not put this book down. Although this is my first Vonnegut book that I have read, his ability to mix humor with tragedy in a smooth and natural way displays his brilliance. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to expand their literary horizon.
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Summary: A Wonderful Absurdity
Review: This book is as fascinating as it is strange. It takes an important and normal concept like W.W.II, and through narration, repetition, and dark humor, turns it into a strong political statement before you realize what it is really saying.
Vonnegut writes this so that it is easy to read and it moves quickly. When he talks about violence or death, he points it out so blatantly and casually that it is disguised, and the reader quickly passes over it.
It is very serious and well thought out, despite its casual narration and humor. Kurt Vonnegut uses strange ideas like aliens to help paint a clear picture of the main character Billy Pilgrim's life, and provide a way to break up the war story and the horror of the Dresden bombing with other information.
The alien concept of time is also very interesting and provides something to think about for quite some time after reading the novel.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing work
Review: Slaughter House-Five is a captivating novel of Billy Pilgrim and the jounrey through his life. One of Kurt Vonnegut's best works. He combines humor, science fiction, and one of the world's greatest anti- war books in to one. When Billy Pilgrim, a weak and mostley quiet man, becomes "unkstuck" in time after being captured by aleins, you travel through his life. From his terrible World War II experience (inspired by Vonnegut's own war experience), including the tragic bombing of Dresden to the planet of Tralfamadore where Billy and the reader are introduced to a whole new concept of time and death. The reader journeys simultaneously through all phases of Billy's life which is centered on the war and the effects of the war. Constently the reader is torn between reality and fantasy and questions the sanity of Billy Pilgrim. This is a complex novel , basically without following a story line or a conventioal flow of characters. Through out this book Vonnegut makes you laugh, cry, and most importantly think. By the end of the novel the reader is captivavted and stunned by the brutality and horrors of war and questions our own fractured society. Slaughter House-Five is one of the best peices of American literature and I recomend it to anyone.
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