Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel

“The flaw in the Christ stories, said the visitor from outer space, was that Christ, who didn’t look like much, was actually the Son of the Most Powerful Being in the Universe. Readers understood that, so, when they came to the crucifixion, they naturally thought, and Rosewater read out loud again: Oh, boy – they sure picked the wrong guy to lynch that time! And that thought had a brother:...more

“The flaw in the Christ stories, said the visitor from outer space, was that Christ, who didn’t look like much, was actually the Son of the Most Powerful Being in the Universe. Readers understood that, so, when they came to the crucifixion, they naturally thought, and Rosewater read out loud again: Oh, boy – they sure picked the wrong guy to lynch that time! And that thought had a brother: “There are right people to lynch.” Who? People not well connected. So it goes. The visitor from outer space made a gift to Earth of a new Gospel. In it, Jesus really was a nobody, and a pain in the neck to a lot of people with better connections than he had. He still got to say all the lovely and puzzling things he said in the other Gospel. So people amused themselves one day by nailing him to a cross and planting the cross in the ground. There couldn’t possibly be any repercussions, the lynchers thought. The reader would have to think that, too, since the new Gospel hammered home again and again what a nobody Jesus was. And then just before the nobody died, the heavens opened up, and there was thunder and lightening. The voice of God came crashing down. He told the people that he was adopting the bum as his son, giving him the full powers and privileges of The Son of the Creator of the Universe through out all eternity. God said this: From this moment on, He will punish horribly anybody who torments a bum who has no connections!” Slaughterhouse-five is an antiwar book and it illustrates an awful and disgusting picture of WWII. It is about the most destructive attack during war, which was the air attack of USA air force to Dresden. I myself was shocked when I found out that the number of casualties in that attack was at least twice as big as Hiroshima’s. War is a ridiculous and awful thing!!!!!   hide

Amazing. There's not much to really be said about this book, it is Vonnegut's amazing style, full of social commentary and all kinds of wit. That amazing way he can pan off a few chapters speaking of something completely unrelated and come right back to the "Story" at hand. It basically deals with a man haunted by a fire bombing from WWII, at a town called Dredsen. Based on true events,...more

Amazing. There's not much to really be said about this book, it is Vonnegut's amazing style, full of social commentary and all kinds of wit. That amazing way he can pan off a few chapters speaking of something completely unrelated and come right back to the "Story" at hand. It basically deals with a man haunted by a fire bombing from WWII, at a town called Dredsen. Based on true events, because that fire bombing actually happened, it is told in such a unique form. The book basically deals with fatalism, the main character who was in the fire bombing has somehow been given the ability to go forward and backward in time. It gives you a deeper perspective on Vonnegut, and this book just states loud and clear "Everything is unchanging, the past, the present, and future" No matter what we do, we can't change the outcome of our live, of our future, of our World. It will all end how it should. ..so it goes.   hide

Vonnegut writes stories some would mistake for science fiction. Though they are filled with aliens, and moving forwards and backwards through time. Mostly, however, Mr. Vonnegut tries to show us the absurdity of war serving in World War II. Much of it seems like frustration at the fact that thinking men can't solve thier problems without the use of violence. I only wish he were alive today. It...more

Vonnegut writes stories some would mistake for science fiction. Though they are filled with aliens, and moving forwards and backwards through time. Mostly, however, Mr. Vonnegut tries to show us the absurdity of war serving in World War II. Much of it seems like frustration at the fact that thinking men can't solve thier problems without the use of violence. I only wish he were alive today. It was no secret he was not a friend of the Bush administration, I wonder what he would have thought of Barack Obama   hide

Part science fiction and part memoir, Slaughterhouse-Five is based on Vonnegut's experiences as a POW during WWII. He was held captive in Germany, where he witnessed the bombing of Dresden that killed thousands of civilians and much precious artwork. Billy Pilgrim is a man who has become unstuck in time and we follow him on his travels through time and space (including his...more

Part science fiction and part memoir, Slaughterhouse-Five is based on Vonnegut's experiences as a POW during WWII. He was held captive in Germany, where he witnessed the bombing of Dresden that killed thousands of civilians and much precious artwork. Billy Pilgrim is a man who has become unstuck in time and we follow him on his travels through time and space (including his experience in Dresden). This anti-war novel uses humor to make us examine the utter absurdity of war. An easy and entertaining read that will make you think. One of my all-time favorites.   hide

"A fourth Generation American-German now living in easy circumstances on Cape Cod(and smoking too much),who, as an American Infantry Scout Hors de Combat, as a prisoner of war, witnessed the fire-bombing of Dresden, Germany "The Florence of the Elbe," a long time ago and survived to tell the tale. This is a novel somewhat in the telegraphic schizophrenic manner of...more

"A fourth Generation American-German now living in easy circumstances on Cape Cod(and smoking too much),who, as an American Infantry Scout Hors de Combat, as a prisoner of war, witnessed the fire-bombing of Dresden, Germany "The Florence of the Elbe," a long time ago and survived to tell the tale. This is a novel somewhat in the telegraphic schizophrenic manner of tales of the planet Tralfamadore, where flying saucers come from. Peace" This is how the writer describes the book, a semi-autobiographical book where Billy Pilgrim (AKA Kurt Vonnegut)at one time or another is a POW, Optometrist, and time traveller and hero of the work makes his way through his jumbled up life. The difference is that Billy is either a very extraordinary person or a sandwich short off a picnic. Why.... he claims abduction by aliens and time travel, mad, but he is totally believable which makes him extra-ordinary. Ostensibly this is an anti-war novel and is a moving,bitter and funny story of niaivety faced with apocalypse. A brilliant piece of multi-layered writing that gets the anti-war message across with such subtlety that you end up fully engaged with the story and converted to the message. A classic bit of Modern Literature. So it Goes.....   hide

Quite possibly one of the best books I've ever read. This book has certainly gotten me into the satire genre, and has shattered my misconceptions about the sci-fi literary genre. That's the genius behind Vonnegut, readers who are not fans of sci-fi may be turned off just by seeing that he is somewhat of a science fiction writer, but his genius in blending black comedy, the philosophical and...more

Quite possibly one of the best books I've ever read. This book has certainly gotten me into the satire genre, and has shattered my misconceptions about the sci-fi literary genre. That's the genius behind Vonnegut, readers who are not fans of sci-fi may be turned off just by seeing that he is somewhat of a science fiction writer, but his genius in blending black comedy, the philosophical and ethical questions about war, and the meaning of human life and blending them all together, is something that I find very enjoyable. Slaughterhouse-Five is a great book that explores the human condition and the rationality of an event that many consider to be a war crime committed by the United States. After reading this book, you get a large sense of Vonnegut's stance on many issues..especially when it comes to war and violence.   hide

If Hemingway introduced the concept of semantic precision into the novel, Vonnegut perfected it. In fact, if Hemingway had had a sense of humor this is the type of book he would have written. Vonnegut's theory of time works as a literary device to allow for non-linear plot development in this novel so that present time, memory, and fantasy all co-exist in multiple dimensions like a...more

If Hemingway introduced the concept of semantic precision into the novel, Vonnegut perfected it. In fact, if Hemingway had had a sense of humor this is the type of book he would have written. Vonnegut's theory of time works as a literary device to allow for non-linear plot development in this novel so that present time, memory, and fantasy all co-exist in multiple dimensions like a plate of spaghetti, all intertwined but in seperate strands. Thus, the absurd life of Billy Pilgrim is told with the defining moment of life being his presence in the air raid on Dresden in World War II. Pilgrim is a non-entity surrounded by other non-entities and death is always present alongside Vonnegut's deadpan humor. So it goes. Despite the simplicity of language, this book is full of psychological depth, precise plot twists, and well-defined insight into human nature. However, it was almost a little too easy for me to read at times.   hide

A must-read if one wishes to consider himself a literate person. This novel delves into the gray areas between good and evil; reality and fantasy; time and space. Heavily autobiographical I believe Vonnegut wrote this novel to keep himself from going insane from the memories of surviving the carpet bombing of Dresden, arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world before World War Two. If...more

A must-read if one wishes to consider himself a literate person. This novel delves into the gray areas between good and evil; reality and fantasy; time and space. Heavily autobiographical I believe Vonnegut wrote this novel to keep himself from going insane from the memories of surviving the carpet bombing of Dresden, arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world before World War Two. If ever there was an argument in favor of unilateral pacifism, this is the most cogent. Run, don't walk to your nearest public library. If they don't have it in their collection, complain loudly and bitterly.   hide

En annorlunda berättad historia om Dresdens undergång under Andra världskriget utifrån soldaten Billy Pilgrims ögon sett. En man vars liv inte utspelas på ett bräde, utan tack vare hans förmåga att hoppa i tiden får vi möta hans historia serverat som ett överaskande smörgåsbord. Från tiden i krigets dödsläger, till hans utomjordiska vistelse där han får agera utställningsdjur....more

En annorlunda berättad historia om Dresdens undergång under Andra världskriget utifrån soldaten Billy Pilgrims ögon sett. En man vars liv inte utspelas på ett bräde, utan tack vare hans förmåga att hoppa i tiden får vi möta hans historia serverat som ett överaskande smörgåsbord. Från tiden i krigets dödsläger, till hans utomjordiska vistelse där han får agera utställningsdjur. Vi möter honom med optikerns redskap i händerna, likväl som med dotterns överbeskyddande klagosalvor ovanför hans sängkant på ålderns höst. Och allt knyts ihop till en vass, sarkastisk skildring av kriget. En känsla av meningslöshet, och Life of Brian, och skithäftiga litterära muskler. Du läser den här boken med hela ditt väsen.   hide