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Summary: fyi
Review: fyi for vonnegut fans: he was in fact in the 106th division in WW2. The 106th was in Europe for 15 days prior to absorbing the brunt of the Germans at the Battle of the Bulge. He was became a prisoner of war, and was sent to Dresden just prior to the fire bombing. The American prisoners were in fact kept in a makeship slaughterhouse. Read "A Blood Dimmed Tide"
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Summary: Unstuck In Time
Review: Few books have made me wonder about the possibilities inherent in time. The main character, Billy Pilgrim, has an interesting characteristic; he skips through different periods of his life seemingly at any moment. At one moment, Billy is a middle-aged veteran, in the next, he is a private during World War 2, and in the next, he's a baby or sixty years-old and so on. It is not easy to define this novel's genre. It is meticulous in exploring dark comedy, science fiction, themes of anti-war, and more. However, it is without a doubt a masterpiece. It is an engaging read that opens a reader's thoughts to infinite possibilities.
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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: another vonnegut masterpiece
Review: Vonnegut once again introduces an audience to a zany world full of colorful characters and situations. In Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut gives a detailed description of Billy Pilgrim and the events he encounters throughout his life, as well the philosophical influence that he gains from writer Kilgore Trout (a character that Vonnegut uses in other books, Breakfast of Champions). Overall, I thought this was an excellent book. I love the way that Vonnegut writes; beginning with a story, then preceeding with a different one, and connect the two later on in the novel. I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: Billy Pilgrim becomes 'unstuck in time'. So it goes.
Review: For a truly surreal reading experience, it doesn't get much better than Kurt Vonnegut's seminal science fiction/drama novel "Slaughterhouse Five". Ostensibly an anti-war novel, "Slaughterhouse Five" transports the readers to many different places and times following the journey of the unimpressive Billy Pilgrim. Billy is a sad, pathetic individual who seems to have spent almost all of his existence just mindlessly wandering from one station in life to the next without much enthusiasm for it or even much interest. He's the kind of person that, if you saw him walking down the street or met him at a party, he would leave absolutely no impression. Billy, like many in his generation, served in World War II. The story (stories) of this novel center on the Dresden fire bombings in the last days of the war and his survival in an underground shelter, the aforementioned 'slaughterhouse five'. He survived the war, went back home, became an optometrist, got married, and had a life with all the trappings of suburbia. None of it really seems to matter to him, though. He would have been content to die in WWII for he did not want to fight. He was joke to those that served with him in a German POW camp. Even in his own life back home, Billy wasn't much. He married relatively unattractive woman because that's what people did. His colleagues didn't have much respect for him, nor did his own children in later years. So, what was Billy Pilgrim's purpose for existing? He seemed to think it was to spread the message of an alien race about becoming 'unstuck in time'.
"Slaughterhouse Five" departs from any semblance of normal story-telling formats. As Billy Pilgrim has become 'unstuck in time', he feels he exists in an environment where, instead of time being one chronological line, it is a series of points that exist concurrently and perpetually. Billy falls asleep a widower and wakes up on his wedding day. He may revisit his war experience or go back to childhood. Billy journeys all over time because, where he's concerned, everything that has happened and will happen is all happening at the same time. Perhaps it is the influence of the aliens that enable him to think this way, or perhaps Billy is really just suffering from severe post-traumatic stress following the Dresden bombing. Either way, Billy is missing something in his life. His journeys through time are his way to try and find meaning in a life where none exists. It is a unique and existential journey for the reader and one definitely worth taking. So it goes.
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Summary: a very good, entertaining, and easy read
Review: Kurt Vonnegut shows me the reason that this book is considered as one of the greatest pieces of literatture of all time. He sets the main caracter (Billy Pilgrim) as a soldier in World War II. From there he tells the adventures that Billy goes through. Som events are from Billy's real life and opther ar from Billy's imagination. These events mixed wioth Vonnegut's dark humor leave you lauging continuously throughout the book. Yet at times I felt bad for the pain that World War II cause Billy to experience. This is an awesome book and I would recommend it to anyone thatis interested in literature.
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Summary: Excellent pick
Review: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a very well-written book. Vonnegut does an excellent job of keeping your attention by adding certain aspects of humor to a very solemn subject. The time-travel can get a bit confusing at times, but is easily understood after a little thought. He adds in certain passages that have nothing to do with anything, with absolutely no meaning, then triggers the reader to try to interpret what he was talking about by asking why. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in an entertaining anti-war book.
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Summary: Slaughter house five
Review: This book was written to show the world that what was put in history books is not all that had happen in world war 2.Kurt Jr.
Vonnegut a world war 2 veteran made his letters speak for him. The book was a great book to begin with.The experince that he puts to pen and paper.The comparisons between major death toll events such as;Hiroshima and nagasaki along with the bombing of dreden all of these had major death tolls.But the bombing of dresden was a bombing that he himself escape and couldn't forget since 130,000 innocent people die by the air raids of the allies.Seeing that he was a prisoner of war and was transported to germany in the town call dresden.This is where woman were forced to make weapons for the german military,the small quiet town became very noisy the silent for a long time. Also in this aliens played a role (hay I know it may sound stupid but it was quiet interesting to read about) The book constantly jumped all over the place so it will be quit easy to get lost r confused but in the end it all made sense The summary vary in many parts,and it is true this book has many starts.But in reality we see what is shown to us,because thats all known to us.We take all we can in a rush,why bomb a group of people so we leave them hush.If karma was to take place of what we do, what if the bombs that was drop then was to drop on you. THATS A LITTLE SOMETHING I MADE UP TO SHOW WHAT THE BOOK IS MAINLY ABOUT
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Summary: -Slaughterhouse 5- Overated is an Understatment
Review: The Children's Crusades was, by far the most, boring and slow progressing book I have ever endured. When I first decided to read this novel I believed it would be interesting and exciting and after having done so I realize that it is as far from that as possible.
While in he process of reading Slaughterhouse 5, I could hardly keep my focus. I, very begrudgingly, finished the novel, due to the fact that I later had to hand in a paper showing that I had actually finished the novel.
Although I did not like the book, its plot or the way it flowed, I did however enjoy some aspects of the author's writing style. His ability to show the characters emotions in each situation and such was, for lack of better wording, amazing. The main character was struggling through his ability to be "unstuck" in time, and the way the author emulates to the audience how he is breaking down from the emotional roller-coaster ride that he has been forced to endure.
All in all, I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys something of the more "far-out", science-fiction nature. It is not however for those who enjoy fast- paced or clearly written books.
Even thought it is true that I did not enjoy this long and slow novel, I will however try to read other books by the same author due to the fact that his writing style is somewhat intriguing.
My review may not agree with that of other readers of Slaughterhouse 5, this is my personal opnion. I would suggest to read, by one's self to form a different personal opinion than that of mine.
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Summary: Great Anti-War Book
Review: I was a bit skeptical about my enjoying this book when it was recommened to me by two very good friends, one of whom glorifies Kilgore Trout. Anyway, I have to say that I am an individual that doesn't particularly enjoy anything war-related and when I found out that the book centered around the firebombing of Dresden, I was even more hesitant to pick it up. When I finally did, however, I was astonished at what I found. Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" is one of the most refreshing books I have ever come across. The mere fragmented structure of the book, along with the wonderfully simple language used by Mr. Vonnegut, created an unparalleled atmosphere that fit perfectly with the story of Billy Pilgrim and his voyage as a prisoner of war in World War II. Many of the ideas presented within the novel were completely amazing to me. Vonnegut forces us to consider concepts that we have never put our minds to. There are many images and events within the book that will likely send one to tears, but underneath it all is a message of hope and a cry for peace. I recommend this book to all our fellow "Earthlings."
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