Customer Reviews

Slaughterhouse-Five: Or The Children's Crusade, A Duty Dance With Death (25th Anniversary)

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I had long ago heard of Vonnegut's writings but never had the chance to read one of his books until now. I approached this one with interest due to its science fiction and WWII connections, two of my favourite genres. What seemed seriously weird and disjointed at first became a very interesting tale and it got me hooked to the end. This is without a doubt the kind of novel that's best read twice, or more. There's very little about this book that could be considered usual and that is an excellent thing. The troubling part is how weird it can be at times, even absurd. Just pick it up, if you enjoy time travel stories, war epics and the ramblings of old fools you will not be disappointed! It's a short read too.

I reread this in one sitting the other night as I have periodically for some 20 years. Slaughterhouse-Five was the first book to really make me think as a young teenager. After all that time and at least six or seven reads I still laugh out loud at jokes I can see coming for pages, and I'm still moved for days or weeks after. Billy Pilgrim's innocence and sadness and Vonnegut's humanity are still astonishingly pure and beautiful.

Don't let the fragmented timeline of Billy's tale put anybody off; it's there to juxtapose disconnected events and thereby create illustrations that are creative and funny and satirical and moving. When available fictional devices cannot make his point, Vonngut puts one or another fantastic tale in the pen of alter ego Kilgore Trout, or brings in the Tralfamadorians for a few life lessons.

Vonnegut is an unparalleled storyteller with a style that is at once easy and deep, like a wonderful aunt or uncle with biting humor and years of wisdom quietly regaling late into the evening. The tale he tells in Slaughterhouse-Five is one of the great stories of all time for it's unbelievable creativity and it's quiet, gentle and powerful sense of humanity. A masterpiece.

I had a small problem with my order and the seller contacted me right away to fix it, very nice too. Quick, efficient service!

This is a very funny novel that- in retrospect- breaks your heart; it's the blackest black humor you will ever read.

It must have taken great courage for Vonnegut- as talented as he is- to take the Allied bombing of Dresden Germany during WWII and make it the main stage for this theater of the absurd tale, particularly since he witnessed firsthand what happened to Dresden. Fail, and you risk being pummeled by the critics for trivializing a horrific, nearly unimaginable event. (For those who don't know, Dresden wasn't "just" bombed; it was turned into a raging firestorm, with hurricane-force winds dragging thousands of victims into the flames to be cremated, and depleting the oxygen in the underground shelters, leaving thousands more asphyxiated.) But Vonnegut didn't fail; he succeeded brilliantly in conveying the absurdity of war by not embellishing events, the tone of the book remarkably matter-of-fact as his main character- Billy Pilgrim- jumps through time and space, gaining a unique perspective on the follies of mankind.

The name of his main character is especially telling of Vonnegut's intentions. Perhaps the most famous Billy in literature is Melville's Billy Budd, an innocent soul whose fate is an unjust death that suggests life is predetermined. And Pilgrim brings to mind John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, an allegorical tale of the escape from the City of Destruction (Dresden) to the Celestial City of enlightenment (the home world of the superior Tralfamadorians, who explain human existence to Billy.)

Perhaps by writing Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut gained some measure of catharsis, found a way to deal with his memories of Dresden and its aftermath. Like many veterans whose refuse to discuss their war experiences, a more direct, "realistic" approach to the firebombing might have been too painful. By taking an indirect approach, however, he was able to open a door that otherwise would have remained locked. That's fortunate for us, since Slaughterhouse Five rises above the historical account of that terrible event to address the larger issue of what it means to be human in a world where what humans do doesn't always make sense.

This is an insightful, important book, and one of Vonnegut's best.

-Mark Wakely, author of An Audience for Einstein

SLAUGHTER HOUSE FIVE is one of my all-time favorite books. It comes in right next to KATZENJAMMER by McCrae and OF MICE AND MEN by Steinbeck. Billy Pilgram has come unstuck in time. That is the first line of one of the most powerful anti-war book I have ever read. Vonnegut tells the story of Billy Pilgram, a POW in WWII, based on his own experience as the same. He approaches this popular, and sometimes overwritten topic with a refreshing, and most human manor. Vonnegut uses emotion rather than plain fact and humor rather than contempt. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the topic of WWII, but not only that, for anyone interested in excellent literature. This edition also includes an essay by Vonnegut himself describing his own need to write this book and why he chose to write it in the way he has. This book has found it way into my own list of personal favorites, and I'm sure it will become that, or more for you.

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.

Throughout the seemingly incoherent plot structure of Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut illustrates not only his subtle outcry against the stupidity of war, but also his cynical views on the meaning of life. Although the novel is based upon the life of Billy Pilgrim, an optometrist correcting the vision of people on Earth, and his experiences leading up to the bombing of Dresden, Germany during World War II, the time-setting fluctuates as Billy comes "unstuck" in time to view his past and future. This fluctuation may confuse the reader at first, but soon becomes clear, revealing the purpose behind the masterfully chosen timeline. The apparent random structure of the tale holds within it Vonnegut's ideas on the circular nature of life and existence of fate. He first hints to this in the first chapter as he quotes a song that continues through infinite, just as a circle. As the story progresses, the Tralfamadorian aliens are introduced, providing the basis for the abnormal writing style. The Tralfamadorians write in such a way that all events of the book are read at once so that the scenes "produce an image of life that is beautiful and surprising and deep" (88). Although his abduction by aliens is only a part of his imagination, forced into existence by the stresses of war and the influences of his favorite science fiction novelist, it plays a major roll in Billy's "so it goes" attitude toward life and causes him to act in such a way that people are eventually repelled by him. Just as the aliens introduce Billy to infinite, they also reveal the nature of fate. Because these creatures can see through time, they already know the outcome of all events, even the one that destroys the universe. Because they know that nothing can change this, they find that the human concept of free will is hilariously preposterous. Vonnegut also includes his anti-war position throughout the whole mess. In the autobiographical first chapter, he even states that this is an anti-war book. This is further supported by his alternate title, The Children's Crusade, referring to the episode during the great Crusades when thousands of children marched to their deaths. The parallel between Billy's capture in Germany and his capture by the aliens also reveals his attitude. Billy asks the aliens why he was chosen out of all the people on Earth. They only respond "Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything?" (76). When he is captured in Germany, a soldier is asked "Why me?" and he replies "Vy you? Vy anybody?" (91). This connection between the aliens and the war create a sense that war is stupid. His repeated use of "human beings" in his description of the Nazi transport train forces the reader to realize that these are actual people in this terrible environment. Vonnegut's beliefs in life and war can clearly be seen through the workings of Slaughterhouse-Five as he constantly changes the timeline. These beliefs are all very important to the meaning of the book, but none more than his idea that life is meaningless in a structured time.

By far, one of my favorite books, along with CATCH 22 by Heller and KATZENJAMMER by McCrae, SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE is an American Classic. This is without a doubt, one of the funniest books I have ever read. Billy Pilgrim, the protagonist, has become, 'unstuck in time', jumping back and forth between various points of life, but centered on his witnessing the American bombing of Dresden, Germany during World War II. Yes, the novel can be sexually charged at times, but all in all, it is a scathing satire about America and its relationship with the world. Do yourself a favor, and read this book!

I regard Vonnegut as a literary deity. Breakfast of Champions was the first book I ever read. Slaughterhouse Five was my second. It singlehandedly catalyzed my love of books. Vonnegut himself has always been my favorite - no competition; Orwell is a distant second. I mean, my Mount Rushmore of authors would only be one face. Vonnegut is one-of-a-kind and although many others try, none can quite match his terse and satirical pen.

SH5's Billy Pilgrim is a phenomenal character. He is also a representational Vonnegut character, shaded with a goofy naivete, but also with a contrasting higher-knowledge untranslatable to normal situations. Interlocked within stories of alien abduction and time travel, is the firebombing of Dresden during WWII - something Vonnegut was around to witness. He wanted to tell the story, but it was a devastating event, unprecedented in that new adjectives had to be invented, so he took a roundabout way of doing it; a non-linear way of getting there, so that he ended there, but only kind of. As he tells us via the Tralfamadorians, all moments forever float around, never starting or stopping, so Dresden was firebombed at one time, but wasn't. It sounds confusing, but it's not. He'll explain it to you in the book.

Science Fiction novel first published in 1969. Even though this book was published over forty years ago, it is still a thought provoking read.

Bill Pilgrim is an optometrist who has a very odd tendency to travel through the times of his life. As a young man, he already knows the time and situation of his death. During his travels back and forth through time, he is also abducted by extra-terrestrials from the planet Tralfamadore, where he is exhibited in a zoo for many years. These beings belief that all time co-exists, that it is not linear. A very interesting concept to ponder (if you have the time, sorry, had to say that).

I found the descriptions of the fire bombing of Dresden, Germany upsetting. I am not a student of history, and was unaware of this event. I now have images engraved in my mind that will remain there.

Really not to sure what I think about this book. I did like the mix of fiction and fact, and the challenge to me to double check which are the facts. I will be checking hubby's book shelf for other works by Mr. Vonnegut