I am the same way with my hair in videos! Vonnegut always has great themes, & he is a master of metaphor. He had a gift for exposing the nonsensical ideology of humanity- I think it’s why the people who love his writing most are the ones who are still forming those ideas. None of his books are my favorite- but I can appreciate him. -And so it goes.

New to the channel! Love your content! Something that really stuck with me from this book is that it’s Vonnegut’s own experience processing PTSD, due to surviving the bombings of Dresden himself. He was held captive with four Germans in a meat locker when the bombings of Dresden happened. That’s how he survived. Hence, Slaughterhouse Five! As much as it is an anti-war novel, it’s also an example of how we process and convey trauma through writing. Vonnegut successfully achieves this by using satire to make the reading experience enjoyable, and still manages to achieve an important message!

It was a fantastic read

Another Book on my TBR that I've yet to get to. 😊After hearing your review I don't feel bad having it on my low-priority list. Love hearing your take on it and that edition is everything. Great review!!

I love Slaughterhouse Five! I have read probably a dozen Vonnegut books, and even though I love a lot of them, this one always comes back to me because the themes are so impactful. Another great WWII Vonnegut book that will keep you up at night after you finish it is Mother Night. Highly recommend.

I plan to re-read this book soon. So I'll come back soon and listen to what I know will be an excellent review.

This is on my TBR for this year! Silly, but I'm not excited to read it. Some of my friends love this book, but I'm not really about a war novel. I'm reading Catch 22 right now, and its funny and clever and well-written but 200 pages in and I'm a wee bit tired of it. (I'm waiting to finish Catch 22 to watch your review hahah)--Just to ramble on a bit more: I also don't love sci-fi, but Ray Bradbury will stay the exception

Just finished this, as a fan of war based books as well as sci-fi, you’d think I would love it. Unfortunately, like you, I just felt that it was OK. I wish that in Dresden sections etc he had spent a bit more time on the horrors of war. It’s there in the background, but if something is that important, I’d rather be hit over the head with it a bit more. It’s a better book about the effect of war on survivor’s lives (barbershop quartet etc) than about the atrocity of war. Not that there’s anything wrong with such a book, but it just doesn’t resonate with me as much as I hoped.

Here after finishing up the book. Want to see if my opinion is the same with everyone els.

Nice discussion. Personally I have fond memories of this book, but I can see why it's hit or miss. I read it about 10 years ago (by choice!) and I remember that the cut-up narration style took a while for me to get used to. But I also enjoyed the humor and style, and there were some interesting ideas that really stuck with me, like there was something profound to me at the time about the idea of this alien species that perceives life outside of the constraints of time, and that observes humans like we're a lower form of existence, effectively as a zoo. I think I also enjoyed the exploration of free will since it was something I'd been thinking about recently. Makes me want to read some more Vonnegut now.

Vonnegut had the ability to write novels that are both outrageously funny while also making great insights into human behavior.

I have a couple of comments. First of all, I want to read this book now after your review. Secondly, proving one's point with form is a tricky thing for a writer (I'm struggling with it myself (talking about violence through dialogue versus showing by having scenes where a character I made a reader like, acts like a psycho is one example) b/c it's so easy to lose the reader. I can see how showing PTSD can be annoying for a reader even if it's done well. The third point I wish to make is that quote you mention around 9:50. It's brilliant and I think this would be a good book to compare to The Stranger, by Camus. It also questions the collective and what right the Collective has over the individual (capital punishment) as well as fate, accidents, choices etc. (very much themes in my own writing). I'm going to try to read it in French mind you, my French is terrible. Not nearly as good as it should be. Still, I do love that book.

Spot-on! Upon immediate reflection. this book appears to be not great, not bad. However, over hundreds of books later, this book has that nagging stick-with-you identity that implies it is powerful and an important, many-layered. multi-faceted book and one that requires a re-read. Slaughterhouse-Five is timeless and deals with trauma, especially mental trauma, in this case, of war (but could apply to anything where one wants to escape). It is certain not a fun beach read, or one with adorable, loveable and (relatively) carefree creatures, but one with intense pain. I don't feel it is a SciFi, because one could argue that all the time-travel and aliens is really just a manifestation of Pilgrim's mental state and a way of coping to something so beyond his sense of reason... it is just alien to him. The "so it goes" can denote the apathy, or realization that were are all relatively ants in the cosmos. It is unfortunate that you placed it in the same vein as Catch-22 (because I hated loath that book). Yes, they are both WWII novels. Catch-22 tries to be funny, and sarcastic, but it is the same punchline for over 200 pages. It probably means more to those who have been to war, in the (incompetent) military, especially WWII.

Worst idea I ever had was to get my dad (an army veteran) to read Slaughterhouse Five lol. I thought it would prompt interesting discussion but I think he mentally repelled the ideas that the book was presenting. Anyway, it was interesting. I don't think his books are for everyone. I echo what someone else said in the comments - none of his books are my favorite but I can appreciate his ideas. Very thoughtful review as always.

Just started and finished the book today. Im 15 and i read it because some guy (my moms coworker) recommended it. im impressed, confused, but glad i read it...i think. 😭

“I’m calling him Kurt because I’m jacking up his last name” - this had me in stitches. Take my sub.

Please review Reincarnation by Brawny King.

Is PTSD an easy diagnosis? Possibly at the time of publication the intermittent dementia Pilgrim experiences would first be examined as acute or non-acute depending on the degree of interference it caused in his life. From there perhaps the doctors - and already this is much more complicated than typical psychologic treatment was in during an era when significant stigmatism accompanied anything to do with mental health - would trace the trauma to Dresden. However, Vonnegut seems to believe first that the triggering event was the auto accident after the plane crash, and second, that Billy was (genetically) vulnerable to such stresses. To avoid running too far over what is proper in a comment, I'll say the novel works better as an investigation of mental illness than it does as an anti-war story.

Since you ask 😅😅 I did not get on well with it. His female characterization 🤢 And I remember comments about Christianity that turned me off. But I think I still gave it 3 stars, so I guess it wasn't terrible 🤷‍♀️ Haha great to hear your thoughts! I bet you would like more sci-fi, if you liked Fahrenheit 451. You might prefer the more literary variety. The best Sci fi is all about metaphor and envisioning humanity's moral landscape of the future, usually using technology as a prop.

Once again I agree with you, I found it pretty mediocre. It might have made my overrated list, but I barely remembered anything about it 😂 also editing oneself really is a struggle. On a different note, among the many perks of growing up in Switzerland are the languages, grew up with German and was forced to learn French at school - now I wish I had paid more attention 😅

I've read less than half of Kurt V so wtf do I know. IMO Slaughterhouse-five is a hyped middle-of-the-road Vonnegut. The movie adaptation was ok too. Breakfast of Champions, for most, is probably closer to the top of the list and an undeniable example of his style. A long-awaited documentary, Unstuck in Time, was released a couple of years ago. Interesting insight on that Hoosier writer.

This was not my favorite either, I found the writing style very off-putting and there wasn't enough of a story or characters to draw me in. Though the opening line is one of my favorites. I appreciate your thoughts on the themes and quotes though, it really does make me appreciate the book more for what it is.