Kurt Vonnegut is an odd duck...

[Wetzelbill]

Great writer. Hilarious as hell. But, an odd duck.

I just read "God Bless You Dr. Kevorkian" tonight. The guy is brilliant. I barely even noticed how fast it went. Seemed like I just started about the time I was finishing it. He's always referring to Jesus's Sermon on the Mount (The Beatitudes). I like how he says Jesus is a good person to listen to regardless if you believe in God or not. (he is, of course, a secular humanist) He's also a fan of Eugene Debs, former 5 time Socialist candidate for president.

Vonnegut has an interesting style, often rambling, but it's effective. Oddly ties in together. It's rambling, but it kind of isn't. Tough to explain. I like it though. I have tried to emulate his style a little. It's tougher than it looks. You have to have a concrete vision to do it, not just trying to BS your way through your writing with filler. He says the oddest things though. It's kind of hip, imho. I need to read more of his work, for sure. I haven't read much as of yet.

[LittleClarkie]

1. IF Stone said the same thing about Jesus

calling him a revolutionary.

I miss Izzy.

[Wetzelbill]

5. yeah he very much is a revolutionary

no doubt about that.

[Canuckistanian]

2. Link? n/t

[Wetzelbill]

13. try these links out

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/God_Bless_You_Dr_Kevorkian

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/cold_turkey/

[GrpCaptMandrake]

3. I envy you your first readings of Vonnegut's work`

It will blow you away. And the laughing will make your ribs hurt!

Enjoy!

[Wetzelbill]

7. yes, it's one of those things that

is almost a fluke. I read constantly, but somehow I haven't read much Vonnegut. A few essays here and there etc. My own writing style has some similarities - not that I am that good by any means - so he's right up my alley, for sure.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

25. Going on a Vonnegut binge will be a blast

The poster below is right: Jailbird is brilliant. But so is Cat's Cradle. And I have an especial soft spot for "Sirens of Titan."

[EFerrari]

4. Read Jailbird.

(I got a complete set of Vonnegut as a wedding present. Don't have that hubby but still have the Vonnegut. lol :) )

[Wetzelbill]

8. you know

I take reading over a potential girlfriend all the time. That's about the biggest reason I am a total bachelor. I don't mind it either. :)

So what I'm trying to say is, that the books just might be a better deal in the end. :)

[EFerrari]

11. Yeah. Hold out for a book junky like I did. Best

of both worlds. :)

[Hardrada]

19. My wife must have lucked out

even if i say so myself!:D

[EFerrari]

21. She must have, indeed.

:hi:

[Uncle Roy]

33. Book lovers have more fun in bed... (nfm)

[bowens43]

6. My favorites are

Slaughter House Five
Breakfast of Champions
Mother Night
and Cat's Cradle.

I just finished his latest, 'A Man Without a Country'. It's very much a Bush bashing book. He hates Bush almost as much as I do.

[Wetzelbill]

10. I have " A Man Without A Country"

on reserve at the library. It'll be a while before it gets to me though. Looking forward to it a lot though.

[bowens43]

15. It's excellent.

Pick up some of his early stuff while you're waiting. You won't regret it. Those that I listed are my favorites but all of his books are great.

[Wetzelbill]

18. I'd like to

I just have so many that I am reading right now, I don't know when I can get to some other material. Between trying to read for fun, school and research for my own writing I am about all filled up, haha. But, I love every second of it. I just happened to pick up "Dr. Kevorkian" because I was at the library and looking for some inspiration and I saw it, so I just impulsively grabbed it.

[EFerrari]

12. I got Doug AMWAC for Christmas. It's all I can do not to read it

BEFORE I wrap it! lol

[bowens43]

16. It's a quick read...go for it.

If you're careful, he'll never know....except for the fact that you'll want to be talking about it.

[ThomWV]

9. You Lucky Devil

The best awaits you.

Do yourself a favor, read them in the order they were written. The sting is longer than you now immagine. It goes from one book to the next too.

By the way, brushing with warm water does work better.

[EFerrari]

20. I read them in order accidentally. I think you're right. n/t

[AlinPA]

14. Try "Breakfast of Champions", "Mother Night", 'Slaughterhouse Five".

[tinfoilinfor2005]

17. He is the uncle of a neighbor of ours.

He visits from time to time. I've never met him but I should try to wrangle an invitation, or stop by to borrow a cup of sugar. :)

[Wetzelbill]

23. it's so worth it to talk to writers

James Welch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Welch_(poet) was a childhood friend of my father's. His own father, Jim Sr., would always come over to the house to visit. So, one day about 4 years ago, after I had written a short story I was looking at publishing, I called him and asked for advice. Within months I had a few stories released in a book. Since then I've been published in several other places, but calling him helped get me started. I have talked to Sherman Alexie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Alexie as well as some other authors too. All interesting people. Well-read, intelligent and virtually all are pretty liberal. So I'd say you should just go for it. :)

[tinfoilinfor2005]

29. A good friend of mine is a writer and publisher.

When he comes to visit about once a year, we sit up all night and talk about books and authors. We've seen a few sunrises together. He encouraged me to start writing, and I've since had three books published, although they are non-fictional work books for caregivers of Alzheimer's patients, due to my nursing background. I did attempt a novel, but sadly my talent is severely limited. ;(

[Wetzelbill]

30. I am relatively gifted

I procrastinate terribly though. If my work ethic was as large as my ego, then I might be going somewhere. :)

[BigMcLargehuge]

22. God Bless You Mr. Rosewater is my favorite

Followed by Mother Night, and Slaugterhouse Five.

I didn't get a chance to finish The Sirens of Titan.

[secretmouse]

24. Wish there were more "Odd Ducks" like him!

I think he's a total genius, and his wit is amazing!

[Octafish]

26. What secretmouse said.

Vonnegut is tops.



And a hearty welcome to DU, secretmouse!

[Crunchy Frog]

27. I need to go back and re-read a bunch of his stuff.

I absolutely fell in love with him when I was a teenager, and read everything of his that I could get my hands on. I haven't really read them since I became an adult, and I feel that I would likely get alot out of them that I missed the first time around.

I really like a dark sense of humor, and Vonnegut is able to perfectly portray the inherent absurdity of the human condition.

I would highly reccomend his work.

[jane_pippin]

28. Oh you're going to have fun. I first read Mother Night in 8th or 9th grade

when my dad gave me his old copy of it. I don't claim that I understood all of it then, but I did check out every book of his the library had that summer. Since then I've read his books over and over and every time they're familiar but richer too.
I love all of them that I've read, but my favorite is Cat's Cradle. And of course Slaughterhouse-Five is beautiful. You should try to pick up Palm Sunday after you read some of his novels too. It's essays and some short stories and reading it will help you get to know who he is. (Or was at that time). And his newest book, A Man Without a Country is fantastic too.

Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favorite people ever. That's all there is to it.

[A Simple Game]

31. I think of Vonnegut's style as a slalom instead of a

straight downhill. It is not the fastest route to the ending, but it is the planned route.

I haven't read him for a very long time, but am starting to read some of my older books again, will have to dig some of his books out to reread.

[Wetzelbill]

32. I have too many books to read anyway

if I ever get to them all I'll be happy. Or even half of them, I suppose.

[Uncle Roy]

34. He was a POW in Dresden when it was firebombed in WWII. More people died

in the bombing that night and the 5-day firestorm that followed than in Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Vonnegut survived in an underground meat locker in a slaughterhouse: Schlachthof Fünf, or Slaughterhouse Five. The horror of what he saw that night and in the days that followed stayed with him for the rest of his life.

In fact I think his entire career as a writer was driven by his attempt to come to grips with this. For this reason and others, it's especially interesting to read his books in the order they were written, as ThomWV mentions above. But by all means read them.

Kurt Vonnegut came unstuck in time.

So it goes...

[EFerrari]

36. Reading this thread made me realize how much Douglas

Adams wrote tipping his hat to Vonnegut.

Great minds. :)

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

35. This is not news...

Congrats on your discovery! Mr. Vonnegut is the re-incarnation of Mark Twain, IMHO. His collection of short stories "Welcome to The Monkey House" changed my life.

"Breakfast of Champions", "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater", "Slaughterhouse Five" - all classics.

Many people do not know that he was a prisoner of war during WWII, and lived through the firebombing of Dresden, Germany, late in the war. "Slaughterhouse 5" was based on his experience. His is a unique voice, his style elusive, always full of surprises - more often than not, he's taking you in directions you would NEVER discover by your own self.

One of my favorite human beings - his appearance on "The Daily Show" was one of the year's hilights!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

37. Vonnegut is my all time favorite author and I concur with those

who recommend reading his books in order. My personal favorites are Galapagos and Dead Eye Dick, but each one has its own special place in my heart.

If you noticed, my sigs have almost always exclusively been Vonnegut quotes.

Here's a great article from his 80th birthday in In These Times
http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/44/


and another called Cold Turkey:

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/cold_turkey/

[Wetzelbill]

38. yes those were among the first things I read of his

last year.

I always have noticed your quotes. I was thinking earlier on that I saw somebody with KV quotes in their sig, and I couldn't quite recall who it was. So your timing is perfect. :)

[mark414]

40. this has got to be my favorite part...

"We’re spreading democracy, are we? Same way European explorers brought Christianity to the Indians, what we now call “Native Americans.”

How ungrateful they were! How ungrateful are the people of Baghdad today.

So let’s give another big tax cut to the super-rich. That’ll teach bin Laden a lesson he won’t soon forget. Hail to the Chief."

[Uncle Roy]

39. Here's a list of his books...

Novels

1952 Player Piano
1959 The Sirens of Titan
1961 Mother Night
1963 Cat's Cradle
1965 God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
1969 Slaughterhouse Five
1973 Breakfast of Champions
1976 Slapstick
1979 Jailbird
1982 Deadeye Dick
1985 Galápagos
1987 Bluebeard
1990 Hocus Pocus
1997 Timequake

Stories

1968 Welcome to the Monkey House
1999 Bagombo Snuff Box

Essays

1974 Wampeters, Foma, and Granfalloons
1981 Palm Sunday
1984 Nothing Is Lost Save Honor
1991 Fates Worse than Death
1999 God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian
2005 A Man Without A Country

There's a lot more info at http://www.vonnegutweb.com

[secretmouse]

41. Oh...I have to go back..

..and reread "Deadeye Dick"..I LOVED that book..possibly my fave?????

[LostInAnomie]

42. He's good, but he's no Kilgore Trout.

eom