Rating: Summary: Breakfast of Champions Review: A must read Vonnegut book. What is great about him is every time I reread him, I get more of the jokes. I love the pictures, sketches, and storyline.
Rating: Summary: Sits atop the world of satire Review: A book that should be required reading for high school students. A dry, hilarious look at our culture - as if told by an alien to someone completely unfamiliar with the United States. Inspired writing that works on many different levels. Don't know why they even attempted to make a film out of this.
Rating: Summary: Farcing America's Artificially Trivial Excesses Review: In this book, Kurt Vonnegut creates one of the best anti-heroes, anti-materialist semi-biographical sketches of all time. Kilgore Trout, the man who first appears lost with no direction, actually has more direction than most in that he consciously relfects upon the machine-like states of numerous biologically functioning humans in modern society. He realizes the muck run awash from environmental degradation, money corrupting one's rational sense of decision-making, the tearing apart of relationship factors to hollowly artificial replacement products and excesses.Kilgore Trout, the disaffecting roaming nomad lost in the confusion of bureaucratic machinery. Dwayne Hoover the careless, heartless spendthrift of a millionaire. Wayne Hobler, the out of prison, miseducated, schizofrenically confused trounsed upon carpet mat. All these are stereotypical American representations, but the thing that Vonnegut makes so great is that he reveals these characteristics not by blatantly pointing them out, but by putting us in their place as he has done with his alter-ego Kilgore Trout, and making possible to visualize the lunacy that abounds amoung these out-of-balance "chemical machines." Truly, a great read to poke fun at the zombie-like characteristics of modern day daily life. Puts a dose of satirical humanity onto the inhumane confusion and languishings of modern society.
Rating: Summary: vonnegut is cool Review: This is a pretty clever darn book. It seems real simple, but if you tried to write it yourself, you'd find that having all the bits fit into each other (eventually) would be real tricky. I liked "Slaughterhouse Five" better, though. It's fun reading more of Vonnegut's books, because characters from other stories do cameo appearances and things like that. Thumbs up!
Rating: Summary: Puppet Show Review: Take Kurt Vonnegut. He is pretty damn old, he is constantly haunted from experiences in war, and seems to be pretty depressed with the way that earth has turned out. Kurt Vonnegut is a man that HAS to be an author. He is a man who tells it how it is. For my money, Breakfast of Champions may or may not be the difinitive Vonnegut novel. Some may like Slaughterhouse or Cat's Cradle more. but for my money, BOC is the most entertaining. I Once knew someone who called this novel "Literature Popcorn" in a sence it dosn't say anything but can only be used for enjoying. (Well... he said cover in butter and eat while you watch a movie. But, in that allagory, What is the movie?) The point however is That Breakfast is a damn good book starring, your friend and mine, Kilgore Trout. This is a damn good novel that deserves a look. Please don't let the pictures dissuade you from reading. This is not just a Puppet Show, ladies and gentlemen.
Rating: Summary: Hilarious Review: This book IS everything thats wrong with this world, and that is why it is so hilarious. It combines a perfect balance of sexual connotation with tasteless humor. Also, For those who are not attracted to that aspect of Vonnegut's writing, some of the character's phliosophies and ideas are simply mind blowing. Bottom Line - Read this book!
Rating: Summary: One of Vonnegut's better books Review: Breakfast of Champions is one of Vonnegut's more light-hearted pieces. However, the book does have serious comments on society, life, and the interaction of people. The story follows two characters: Mr. Trout, a science fiction writer; and a car salesman by the name of Mr. Hoover. Kilgore Trout has been summoned by Elliot Rosewater (who is also the main character in Kurt Vonnegut's "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater") to be the guest of honor at an arts festival. Quite suprised that anyone even knows he exists, Mr. trout sets off across the country to attend the event. Along the way, Vonnegut treats the reader to a variety of Trout's short story ideas (most of which sound like either bad, or really obscure science fiction). At the same time, the story follows Wayne Hoover's dysfunctional sturggle to make it through life as an automobile salesman. The story focuses both men as they progress towards, and eventually converge on the arts festival. Many characters that appear in this novel also appear in other Vonnegut novels, making it an excellent introduction to Kurt Vonnegut's work. Among the many minor (or mini) themes that Vonnegut offers the reader throughout the book, a major one emerges. He seems to say that people should be careful of what they say, or write, because we effect other is ways that we can't even imagine (both negativelly and possitivelly). Often times we are, and remain, unaware of the consequences of our actions. There is also another aspect of the novel that is noteworthy: The illustrations. Mr. Vonnegut weaves rather simple drawing into the actual text of the story (often for a humorous effect). These illustrations often take the place of verbal descriptions. For the first hundred pages, or so, this style is interesting. However, after that it grows old, and begins to seem like an easy way to avoid describing objects. This, however, is my only complaint concerning the book. I would recomend the novel to any Kurt Vonnegut fan. I would also recomend this as an introduction to Mr. Vonnegut's work, or to a person who loves humorous stories.
Rating: Summary: Must have dry sense of humor? Review: I was reading this at my office, and I had no choice but to put it down because I was in hysterics. I only wished I had read it sooner. Vonnegut's descriptions and little sayings are just amazing. I don't think your average simpleton would understand how brilliant it is, but you should.
Rating: Summary: Hilarious. Review: This book was given me as a birthday gift. I'd never read a Kurt Vonnegut book before but now I think I'm falling in love with him. While "Breakfast of Champions" had no plot, it was engaging and entertaining and I couldn't put it down. I loved the illustrations, particularly the vagina one.
Rating: Summary: breakfast of champions. Review: a hilarious novel, great for someone who has never read vonnegut before. it's the kind of book that you'll want to read at least twice to make sure you caught everything. vonnegut love. m'm.
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