Wow! This was so hard to get through even though it is only a book that takes a little under six hours to listen to. I will type out the audiobook description to give you an idea of what it is all about:
Kurt Vonnegut's absurdist classic Slaughterhouse-Five introduces us to Bill Pilgrim, a man who becomes "unstuck in time" after he is abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. In a plot-scrambling display of virtuosity, we follow Pilgrim simultaneously through all phases of his life, concentrating on his (and Vonnegut's) shattering experience as an American prisoner of war who witnesses the firebombing of Dresden.
Slaughterhouse-Five is not only Vonnegut's most powerful book, it is almost as important as any written since 1945. Like Catch-22, it fashions the author's experiences in the Second World War into an eloquent and deeply funny plea against butchery in the service of authority. Slaughterhouse-Five boasts the same imagination, humanity, and gleeful appreciation of the absurd found in Vonnegut's other works, but the book's basic in rock-hard, tragic fact gives it unique poignancy - and humor.
I cannot say that I enjoyed this book. It was weird, yet brilliant all in the same breath. He was making a point about war, and I hear you on the bombing of Dresden. The British were TICKED after the Blitz and bombed innocent people to smithereens. We went to a museum in Wurzberg, Germany and the before and after models of the city were incredible. It was amazing that 90% of the city was destroyed by 225 British Lancaster bombers in just 17 minutes.
The book made me want to go to Dresden, Germany on the Elbe River (been eyeing that river cruise for years). It is so weird in parts though, like a PTSD dream. It is on most book lists as a classic to read. It is hard but a valuable part of our literary history.
The audiobook narration by Ethan Hawke was flawless. My audiobook also had a ten minute interview with Vonnegut at the end that I fast-forwarded to halfway through the book because I was having such a hard time getting through it. It motivated me to finish.
1 comment:
In Vonnegut’s Palm Sunday he writes about the banning of Slaughterhouse Five. He felt the profanity was required to accurately portray the firestorm in Dresden. But he realized that for the sake of reality he sacrificed audience, that his insistence on language meant a huge number of people did not hear his message. Interesting reflection, I thought. Great read, though painful...kind of like watching 1917.
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