Reviews

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

brightwatcher's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

madgin's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

newishpuritan's review against another edition

3.0

I enjoyed the time-jumping determinism, but not the winking parody of science-fiction tropes that Vonnegut uses to justify it. God forbid that anyone should actually take science-fiction seriously as a literary form (in that respect, the book reminded me of Godard’s Alphaville). But maybe that’s just one particular manifestation of a broader postmodern irony. Other aspects of the book are less excusable. For example, the two female characters are drawn with all the subtlety of a Playboy cartoon. They are respectively: a) fat; and b) a naked sexpot. And Vonnegut seems to think that both these traits are inherently hilarious. I was also disappointed that the promised description of the bombing of Dresden never materialised. I get that this is kind of the point: its horrors are beyond the powers of realism. But it still felt like a cop-out.

The scenes on the train and in the prison camp are very good.

znnys's review against another edition

5.0

The first time I read this book was over ten years ago. I didn't understand it, then. Barely absorbed it and remembered virtually nothing but the title. But I'm glad I came back to it now, with a more mature understanding of postmodernism, WW2, and trauma. This was a book that absolutely sucked me in, a harrowing adventure into the dark irreverence of war through time travel and alien abduction. War, from Vonnegut's perspective, is both a comic futility, and a transgression so alien that it changes its victims into something beyond human. I certainly wasn't pro-war going into this reading, but it gave me an entirely new perspective on the subject. You can tell this is a deeply personal work, and learning Vonnegut spent two decades writing it makes a lot of sense - to both the brilliance of the book, as well as how difficult it must have been for him to process his experience.

Spoiler

There's a brief moment towards the end where Billy Pilgrim finds a book by Kilgore Trout about a man who travels back in time to meet Jesus. He meets Jesus when he's twelve, and training to be a carpenter. Him and his father are commissioned to build a crucifix by Romans and they're grateful to have been given the work.

That scene really moved me. I think it expresses the nature of war so incredibly well: the young and innocent and manipulated in to doing work that they do not fully comprehend as destructive. It is work that will inevitably destroy them, too.

leasummer's review against another edition

4.0

So it goes.

For me it was equal parts disturbing and entertaining. Time travel. "Aliens". War. The narration was great as well.

defunctfridge's review against another edition

2.0

every time i thought i could enjoy this book bestie kurt came in with some of the weirdest, grossest, most unnecessary writing. too much weird stuff surrounding women. i can understand why it’s a classic but omg i hated this. at one point bestie kurt declares this style of writing to be perfect and so deep and revealing. i mean i guess it’s revealing. it revealed that i now wish to never read anything by bestie kurt ever again.

xiu_xiu's review against another edition

dark funny reflective fast-paced

5.0

bexster216's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

jamieclairer's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is SO good. It’s Vonnegut’s writing style that does it for me. It’s very chaotic but still makes sense. It’s humorous and a fun read but is really just mocking a larger issue which I appreciate the deeper meaning. 

skylercauldron's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0