Topic: Kurt Vonnegut Kills (Read 8890 times)

Ishotdanieljohnston · « **on:** 10 Jan 2008, 16:43 »

I know a threads been done on him before but not since '06.

Anyway, I just finished reading Breakfast of Champions and it dominates. In terms of ripping apart America and modern society and culture he makes Hunter S. Thompson look like a toddler who's had to much sugar (much as I respect Thompson's work).

He's at once hilarious, disturbing and quite frightening. It's one of the only books I've read where I've come out thinking damn, he's so fucking right. Just spot on.

And now he's dead

Nodaisho · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 Jan 2008, 16:48 »

I really need to read more of his stuff, I haven't finished anything of his other than God bless you, Doctor Kevorkian, something always distracts me and before I know it, I have to return the book to the library.

ledhendrix · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 Jan 2008, 16:53 »

My friend is always raving about Slaughter House 5. I really need to get a copy and read it.

De_El · « **Reply #3 on:** 10 Jan 2008, 18:21 »

Slaughterhouse-Five is the most popular, but in my opinion it's nothing compared to Cat's Cradle. Cat's Cradle is nothing short of motherfecking brilliant.
Although Slaughterhouse-Five did spawn popular usage of the phrase "so it goes," which I can use in normal conversation a lot more often than "granfaloon." To anyone who's read Cat's Cradle: 'dya ever actually try the feet thing, boku-maru?

SonofZ3 · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 Jan 2008, 19:09 »

The first things I read of Vonnegut were Deadeye Dick and Slaughterhouse Five. To be honest, I felt pretty let down after how much colleagues had talked him up. My parents suggest that I need to read Cat's Cradle to really get his genius, but the previous two left too bad a taste in my mouth. I haven't read him since. I'll read Cat's Cradle in the next few weeks and see what I think.

PretentiousYoungSuitors · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Jan 2008, 19:22 »

I read slaughterhouse 5, cat's cradle, and then i accidentally ordered breakfast of champions off of amazon when i ordered my books for next semester, so I'm pretty excited.

as far as boku-maru goes... havent tried but... any takers?

Boro_Bandito · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Jan 2008, 20:11 »

I've read his collection of short stories Welcome to the Monkey House, Slaughterhouse Five, and Slapstick. I should read Breakfast of Champions and Cat's Cradle, starting with the latter because its in my room right now.

Slapstick was one of the saddest yet funniest things I've ever read.

StMonkey · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 Jan 2008, 21:39 »

Did anybody read Galapagos? The best executed flashback/forwards I think I have ever read, told from a million years in the future. Awesome

hannahrochelle · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 Jan 2008, 21:41 »

Every time I got to borrow a Kurt Vonnegut book from my local library, THEY'RE ALL OUT. I havent read anything by him yet

RallyMonkey · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 Jan 2008, 21:52 »

I've read...

Slaughter-House 5
Breakfast of Champions
Cat's Cradle
Galapagos
Sirens of Titan
Welcome to the Monkey House
A Man Without a Country
Timequake
God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian

Breakfast of Champions was my favorite by far. The thing with Vonnegut, is that if you've read three of his books, you've really read them all. He's a great author, but he didn't stray much from book to book.

Ishotdanieljohnston · « **Reply #10 on:** 11 Jan 2008, 06:46 »

Do you think that's a bad thing?

And that's a genuine question. He built a distinct style an eplored it throughout his books... I haven't read enough to know but I expect his works seen as a whole could present a complete picture of what he was trying to acheive.

SusurrusIgnoramus · « **Reply #11 on:** 11 Jan 2008, 07:03 »

there was a time in my life i considered myself a bokononist. silly me.

Quote from: Ishotdanieljohnston on 10 Jan 2008, 16:43

In terms of ripping apart America and modern society and culture he makes Hunter S. Thompson look like a toddler who's had to much sugar (much as I respect Thompson's work).

yes.

Scandanavian War Machine · « **Reply #12 on:** 11 Jan 2008, 10:42 »

Galapagos and Breakfast of Champions are my favorites out of the four or five that i've read.

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #13 on:** 11 Jan 2008, 13:25 »

Sirens of Titan is my favorite.

The movie version of Breakfast of Champions is bad in a really hilarious and awesome way.

Boro_Bandito · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 Jan 2008, 14:01 »

seriously though, if you haven't read Slapstick its amazing, I highly recommend it.

Ishotdanieljohnston · « **Reply #15 on:** 11 Jan 2008, 20:14 »

Quote from: zerodrone on 11 Jan 2008, 13:25

Sirens of Titan is my favorite.

The movie version of Breakfast of Champions is bad in a really hilarious and awesome way.

Hahahahaha they made a movie of that? Why the fuck would you even try?

ImRonBurgundy? · « **Reply #16 on:** 11 Jan 2008, 22:28 »

It's even worse than you think. Bruce Willis had the lead role.

I've only read Slaughterhouse-Five at this point, but I have several more of his books lined up on my reading list.

Paav · « **Reply #17 on:** 11 Jan 2008, 23:54 »

Breakfast of Champions,Gallapagos, Slaughter House 5 are all great. Bluebeard has one of the greatest conversation starting lines ever, "How did your parents die?" However, my favorite is Cat's Cradle.

I find that after I read Vonnegut I have to reset my brain, otherwise I think every author I read is being cynical and sarcastic.

StMonkey · « **Reply #18 on:** 12 Jan 2008, 20:04 »

But that lingering feeling is the best part! Especially switching from Vonnegut to historical non-fiction.

Paav · « **Reply #19 on:** 14 Jan 2008, 08:08 »

Totally, I once read two Vonnegut books, Cat's Cradle and Bluebeard, in a row then went on to read Michener's Texas. Man that was a trip, it might also be why I seem to have an irrational fear of and hatred for that whole state.

Here's a great link courtesy of the AV Club http://www.avclub.com/content/node/60935

KickThatBathProf · « **Reply #20 on:** 14 Jan 2008, 19:50 »

uh...

Poo-tee-weet?

MusicScribbles · « **Reply #21 on:** 14 Jan 2008, 20:08 »

I was going to try and grab some GIS'd boku-maru pictures, but they do not exist. I think we should fix this.

Trillian · « **Reply #22 on:** 14 Jan 2008, 22:03 »

Quote from: De_El on 10 Jan 2008, 18:21

Slaughterhouse-Five is the most popular, but in my opinion it's nothing compared to Cat's Cradle. Cat's Cradle is nothing short of motherfecking brilliant.
Although Slaughterhouse-Five did spawn popular usage of the phrase "so it goes," which I can use in normal conversation a lot more often than "granfaloon." To anyone who's read Cat's Cradle: 'dya ever actually try the feet thing, boku-maru?

I tried, but only because my ex-boyfriend dared me too. I have this weird thing where I don't like touching people's feet. It just freaks me out a little bit. Needless to say I didn't last very long. Also, my ex (who didn't mind the process at all) said that involuntary tickle action occurred after a short while. Just fyi in case you ever wanted to try.

I would have to agree with you, though. Cat's Cradle is my favorite novel by Vonnegut, followed closely by Breakfast of Champions. All of his books are very provocative. I really appreciate his sense of irony. It makes itself very apparent, and I can't help but graciously acknowledge it and file it away in my memory.

peonyandocean · « **Reply #23 on:** 14 Jan 2008, 23:11 »

Vonnegut is great!

For all of you who have said you wanted to read him but haven't really had the opportunity www.wowio.com has his books available in ebook format online!

Ishotdanieljohnston · « **Reply #24 on:** 15 Jan 2008, 06:22 »

Fuck, this site looks great. However, it is only available to Americans. How thoroughly dissappointing.

cupcakeonastick · « **Reply #25 on:** 15 Jan 2008, 09:12 »

Cat's Cradle got under my skin and stayed there for weeks.

Kurt Vonnegut had the ability to make me feel mindnumbingly depressed and hopeful simultaneously.

(I also loved a lot of his other books mentioned here, like Breakfast of Champions and Slapstick.)

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Author Topic: Kurt Vonnegut Kills (Read 8890 times)

PretentiousYoungSuitors

Paav

Paav

peonyandocean