One of my favourite all time books, one that is always there in the back of my head. Powerful and angry with humour. I have to say the George Roy Hill movie of this book has helped keep in in my consciousness. Great stuff Mr Vonnegut.

"There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects. What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time."

2.5 ⭐'s

n  Initial Thoughts n

Kurt Vonnegut has to be one of the most famous writers that I've never read. So I finally decided to do something about that and jump on in to his world with his most famous novel...Slaughterhouse-Five. It's been part of my 'Want to Read' list for what seems like forever, and I can't be having that now can I?

I knew pretty much nothing about it going in, other than it focuses on the second world war and has an element of time travel. Written in 1969 at the time of the Vietnam War, it proved extremely topical at the time. But will it stand up in today's world? Only one way to find out and that's...

...read the damn book! Let's go!

n  The Story n

Slaughterhouse-Five is the story of Billy Pilgrim's life and centres around his involvement in the Second World War. The main focus being the bombing of Dresden and his experience surrounding that awful event. The opening chapter explains how the author is having a stab at writing his book about it. That's the framing device.



What then follows is a bizarre and fantastically weird story of Billy Pilgrim's adventures through time and space. Although the focus is war, the story itself is about the central character's life and the narrative jumps about to various points and takes the reader to some very strange places. It certainly was not what I expected...but was that a bad thing?

n  The Writing n

I try going into a book with a open mind and started off enjoying the novelty of Vonnegut's style. He's got a witty and sometimes dark sense of humour, so it goes, and although nothing flash his prose are pretty engaging. But here's the thing, the structure he uses is a touch bizarre with a choppy feel that started to get on my nerves. And you don't want to do that.

Im not going to lie, the premise is not that well put together. I was hoping for a story that really got into Dresden during the war. BUT Vonnegut kept switching about all over the place. To the point where it started to loose me and I was finding better things to do than read this book. Like looking at photos of my ex on Facebook...why do I do this to myself?

n  The Characters n

I don't think this author is bad when it comes to character development. But I
did not like the main character, Billy Pilgrim. I know main characters don't have to be liked to make a good story , but it definitely helps.



I was never sure what was going on with Billy. Is he really abducted by aliens or is he just suffering from mental health issues and hallucinating? It never really becomes clear. That's intentional. But mix that with the choppy narrative structure and it's a bit much.

He also comes across as slightly pathetic. Never truly in control of his life. You know what I mean. A bit of a looser. And this made it difficult for me to empathise with him.

n  Final Thoughts n

So was Slaughterhouse Five the Earth shattering book it was cracked up to be. Not f'in way!! Seriously though, I can understand why people like it. It's all about the message and style. But I want a good story at the very least. And I never really got it. It's just too messed up and all over the place.

Yes, some of my dissapointment can be put down to high expectations. But that's the way it is unfortunately. Will I read anything else by Vonnegut? Most probably. Everyone deserves a second chance. Apart from my ex. She can do one! But enough about that. I'm not bitter...honestly. On to the next book.

Thanks for reading and...cheers!

Third read, but I'm going to be honest (sorry for the fans): just like the last two times (when I was 16 and when I was 51), the story didn't really grab me, the undertone is too cynical for me and the bombardment of absurdisms too large. But if you unravel everything and put it back together, then this is quite an impressive novel. And not so easy to place, even if it is put away in categories such as science fiction, absurdist or (anti-) war novel (I don't actually think it's a real anti-war novel). Of course, it is all that, but after the third reading it is clear to me that it is essentially a philosophical novel.

For example, there is a very specific and ingenious view of time. For this, the Tralfamadorians, among others, are staged: they do not know linear time (one moment after the other), but see everything in one glance, from beginning to end; a bit like God according to Augustine in his Confessions. Causality is a notion that is simply irrelevant to them: “Earthlings are the great explainers, explaining why this event is structured as it is, telling how other events may be achieved or avoided. I am a Tralfamadorian and I see all of eternity as you would see a range of the Rocky Mountains. Eternity is eternity. It doesn't change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It exists. Watch it moment by moment and you will see that we are all, as I said before, like insects stuck in amber.”

That 'divine' way of looking permeates this entire novel. So, the key passage to understand Slaughterhouse Five, then, seems to me to be this one, where the Tralfamadorian talks about the books they read: “each clump of symbols is a brief, urgent message-- describing a situation, a scene. We Tralfamadorians read them all at once, not one after the other. There isn't any particular relationship between all the messages, except that the author has chosen them carefully, so that, when seen all at once, they produce an image of life that is beautiful and surprising and deep. There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects. What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time.”

Well, I feel that's the way you should read Vonnegut's book: all those absurd bits of stories (in the now, in the past, in the future, in Dresden, in the US, on the planet of the Tralfamadorians…) just take them together, and then you get that "profundity of those many wonderful moments".
This makes this novel seem utterly postmodern. And that is best illustrated in the great scene in which Billy sees a war documentary backwards. Not only is this book postmodern, it is also un-American through and through: Billy is an anti-hero, life is absurd (with war and heroism as the epitome of absurdism), the manageability and the malleability of life and reality are illusions. And central and more fundamental: the notion of free will is an absolute illusion, because everything is as it is, just as it is, “so it goes”. And all this is served by Vonnegut in a sauce of dry humor.

Seen in this way, this book seems quite impressive. But I'm going to repeat it: it still didn't appeal to me, too much of a mixed bag to me. Perhaps I am still stuck in (the illusion) of modernism?

My initial impression was "this sucks--this crap is overrated." Then I began to get a feel for Vonnegut's style, humor, and up-front articulation. Only then did I began to really enjoy the story.

War, the vagueness of war as you're in it, Posttraumatic Stress as the result of war, the longing for escape (both literally and metaphorically), and importance of living in the "here and now" were themes I interpreted in this story. I felt the idea of mindfulness was the overarching motif that linked the entire book together. This was my first Kurt Vonnegut adventure and I will be reading more. Thanks!

Σφαγείο Νο 5. Εκατομμύρια νεκροί απο τον
Β’ΠΠ. Επιστημονική φαντασία. Υπαρξιακή λογοτεχνία. Ασάφεια και απόλυτη ρεαλιστική φρίκη. « Έτσι πάει».
Γράφεται ένα βιβλίο για τον πόλεμο, στον πόλεμο οι στρατιώτες μάχης είναι στην ουσία νεαρά παιδιά.
Σε κάθε απώλεια, σε κάθε δολοφονία, σε κάθε θάνατο που ανήκει στις χειρότερες στιγμές/ αναμνήσεις απο τη ζωή των όντων στον πλανήτη γη, πρόκειται για μια φρίκη που εξελίσσεται σε αφανισμό υπάρξεων, ιδεών, προϊόντων, ατόμων. «Έτσι πάει»και αυτή είναι η επωδός του συγγραφέα μετά απο κάθε δηλητήριο φλεβοτόμο, αίμα και πτωμαίνη, αέριο λοβοτομημένο, απαγορευμένο για χρήση στην ανθρωπότητα, κι όμως, χορηγήθηκε σε υπερβολικές δόσεις στην εισπνοή για επεκτατισμό και εκφυλισμό συνειδήσεων σε εθελοντές τρελαμένους δήμιους, σε παρανοϊκούς σκλάβους που πήραν το αξίωμα του διακινητή ζωντανών πτωμάτων και λαμπρών πνευμάτων με
χαλασμένες απόψεις για τη ζωή.

Εκατόμβες σκαμμένες βαθιά πίσω απο την παγωμένη ψυχή του συμμάχου σε κάθε πολεμική επιχείρηση και κάπου κοντά στο Βιετνάμ των κομμουνιστών και των δημοκρατικών σφαγέων, ώστε να διατηρούνται σε άριστη κατάσταση οι πολεμικές συρράξεις, αιώνιες και επαναλαμβανόμενες σαν την παγιδευμένη ύπαρξη των παγόβουνων, σαν την κλιματολογική πρόβλεψη των παγετώνων. Έτσι πάει.
Στον Δεύτερο Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο που επηρέασε βαθιά τον Βόννεγκατ η διαταραγμένη ευφυΐα του παραπαίει όταν αγγίζει νοερά την μαζική δολοφονία ανθρώπων είτε με πυροβολισμούς και βομβαρδισμούς (Δρέσδη, Τόκιο, κ.λπ.) είτε με τον πυρηνικό τρόπο της ατομικής βραβευμένης ενέργειας στον αφανισμό πόλεων (Χιροσίμα, Ναγκασάκι). Ήταν θάνατος σε μεγάλη κλίμακα και είχε βαθιά επίδραση στο μυαλό του.
Έτσι πάει.
Όταν υπάρχουν εκατοντάδες, χιλιάδες αναφορές στο θάνατο και κάθε μία συνοδεύεται από το
"Έτσι πάει».
Αυτό το βιβλίο παίζει με το μυαλό και κινείται σε πολλές διαστάσεις χωροχρονικές.
Η αλήθεια είναι πως αρχικά με παραξένεψε, με εξέπληξε, με συντάραξε, με εκνεύρισε και πέρασε πολλά στάδια μέχρι να κερδίσει την αποδοχή και το θαυμασμό μου.
Γοητευτικά κυνικός, ονειροπόλος, κωμικοτραγικός και εξαιρετικά έμπειρος μαέστρος συνδυάζοντας την ιστορία με την πολεμική κριτική και την επιστημονική φαντασία.ο Βόννεγκατ γράφει ανησυχητικά και ενθουσιώδη με ένα δίπολο ανάμεσα σε τρέλα, σοφία - διαστημική, συμπαντική κοσμοθεωρία και εξωκοσμική γενιά απο άλλους πλανήτες.

Αρχικά έχουμε την κεντρική ιστορία, που αφορά τον Billy Pilgrim, έναν βετεράνο και οπτομετρητή που φαίνεται να πάσχει από κάποιο είδος ψυχικής ασθένειας ,από την εποχή που στάλθηκε στον πόλεμο, καθώς και κάποιου είδους πιθανή εγκεφαλική βλάβη που υπέστη από ένα αεροπορικό δυστύχημα.
Αυτά τα στοιχεία συνθέτουν το ένα το άλλο και ο Μπίλι βρίσκει τον εαυτό του να ταξιδεύει στο χρόνο σε διαφορετικά σημεία της ζωής του, σε ευτυχισμένες ή λυπητερές στιγμές, απο αυτές που θάβουμε στη λήθη, μα πάντα ανοίγουν τρύπες στα νεκροταφεία των αναμνήσεων μας.
Όλα αυτά κατά τη διάρκεια του χρόνου που του χρωστάει η ζωή του στον Β 'Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο, αλλά και κατά τη διάρκεια του άλλων χρονικών του πολυπαθούς βίου του με τη σύζυγό του Βαλένθια, σε έναν πλανήτη που κατοικούνταν από τους Tralfamadorians (που τον έχουν κλειδώσει ως έκθεμα ζωολογικού κήπου ).
Στον πλανήτη γη έχει άλλη σύζυγο και δυο παιδιά που μένουν πλάι του μέχρι τέλους.

Υπάρχουν επίσης τα αμιγώς υποκειμενικά μα και ξεκάθαρα εμπεριστατωμένα μηνύματα του συγγραφέα σχετικά με τον φαύλο κύκλο του θανάτου σε εμπόλεμη περίοδο της ανθρώπινης ράτσας.
Εν κατακλείδι, το πιο φιλοσοφικό στοιχείο δίνεται μέσα απο τις αναλύσεις των εξωγήινων όντων που έχουν απαντήσεις για όσα οι άνθρωποι τρομάζουν να σκεφτούν μα και μια ακλόνητη αίσθηση με ισχυρά δεδομένα ότι δεν υπάρχει ελεύθερη βούληση,
αντιθέτως υπάρχει μια κατευθυνομένη αίσθηση μηδενισμού, σύμφωνα με την οποία δεν έχει σημασία τι κάνουμε, τα αποτελέσματα είναι σταθερά και το μέλλον αμετάβλητο.
3.5⭐️

A re-read.
Loved this so much better the 2nd time around.
Great unique story. Addictive.

n  

There are almost no characters in this story, and almost no dramatic confrontations, because most of the people in it are so sick and so much the listless playthings of enormous forces. One of the main effects of war, after all, is that people are discouraged from being characters.

n

For once I've been right- about being wrong. After I had first read this book, 5 years ago, I already knew that I would read it again at some point. I felt that it was special. But I couldn't quite put it all together and so it ended up with 3.5 stars. I wasn't wrong about it being special.

This is a book of contrasts. Vonneguts matter-of-factly prose and the jumbled narrative work well together. His dark and dry humor counterbalances the unspeakable horrors of war - it makes them bearable for the reader. With the things he says as well as with the things he doesn't say he makes it as clear perhaps as anyone ever has how horrific and also how absurd war is.

n  

Derby described the incredible artificial weather that Earthlings sometimes create for other Earthlings when they don’t want those other Earthlings to inhabit Earth any more. Shells were bursting in the treetops with terrific bangs, he said, showering down knives and needles and razorblades. Little lumps of lead in copper jackets were crisscrossing the woods under the shellbursts, zipping along much faster than sound.

A lot of people were being wounded or killed. So it goes.

n

With the protagonist Billy Pilgrim having come unstuck in time, experiencing the events of his life out of order, and getting abducted by aliens and shown in their zoo on Tralfamadore along the way, this is not exactly the most straight-forward anti-war novel you will ever read. But for all its extravagance, it reaches a state of clarity that not many authors can achieve. Vonnegut was indeed a unique talent.

n  

It is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds.
And what do the birds say? All there is to say about a massacre, things like “Poo-tee-weet?

n


3.5 stars

This book is almost impossible to review. Hell, I'm not even sure how to shelve it. Considering a Vonnegutian shelf right now. But this might very well end up only containing Vonnegut books. Which would make it kind of pointless.

Kurt Vonnegut managed to write a book that's completely loose, all over the place and still manages to somehow make sense in the end. About what exactly, that is up to the reader.

It is shelved as Sci-Fi a lot. But although the main protagonist Billy Pilgrim is traveling back and forth in time and gets kidnapped by aliens (which leads to one of the most comical scenes I've ever read), I don't think it should be categorized as Science-Fiction.
I think it is a book about PTSD, as a result of Pilgrim witnessing the bombing of Dresden during World War II. Therefore the kidnapping and all the time-traveling doesn't really happen. His mind is just all over the place. The "structure" of the book used to emphasize this.
But then again, I might be completely wrong.

You really should experience it for yourself.
But be prepared for a read that might feel somewhat like a psychedelic trip.
Also, I'm sorry it is quite possible you will hate this book. But you might just as well love it.

The only thing I'm sure of is that Vonnegut was a unique talent.

I fell short of loving this particular book. But upon re-reading (which I will surely do someday) my rating really could go anywhere. Right now I just don't know.

So it goes.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom always to tell the difference.”

Slaughterhouse-Five is an iconic book for readers and is widely studied in academic environments. Vonnegut’s elements of unconventional narrative structure, satire, science fiction, autobiography, and historical fiction create a distinctive style. This is an American classic and one of the greatest anti-war novels. He stated that this novel resulted from a 23-year struggle to write about his experiences as an American POW. In my opinion, at its heart, this book served as a therapeutic process for Vonnegut’s psychological and emotional trauma.

Note: This book was published in 1969. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) became an official diagnosis in 1980, when the American Psychiatric Association provided the framework for clinicians to identify and treat the diagnosis, filling an important gap in psychiatric theory and practice. (Previous historical wartime diagnoses such as - shell shock, battle fatigue, combat stress reaction, traumatic war neurosis, etc.)

“Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.”

My favourite book.

This book in a nutshell:


After just reading another classic, my son came up to me and asked me to buddy-read this one with him. Then, my daughter said she would join us. What am I supposed to say to that? "I'm sorry, my children. I know that you would be greatly enriched by reading classic literature and having a literary discussion with me, but I would rather read about vampires having sex. Now, go get mommy some wine and then lock yourselves in your rooms to play video games." Seriously? Like I would ever do that! (Although... do you think it would work? I'm not going to do it or anything. I'm asking for a friend.)

But, surprisingly, or maybe not so much, I always end up enjoying these classic books and usually understand what all the hoopla over them was. This book was freaking amazing. Like many of these type of books, it was weird as hell, but still amazing.

Here's what you need to know:



Billy Pilgrim is abducted by aliens and learns that time is not linear at all. This gives us the reason for why the story is constantly jumping from past to present to future.

We revisit many events in his life with a major focus on his time in the war. He was a POW and was witness to the bombing of Dresden, which actually happened to Kurt Vonnegut. It is very obvious that he lost his marbles during the war, so we have a case of an unreliable narrator. Personally, I love unreliable narrator books when they are done well, and this one is.

There is so much meat in this book. So much symbolism. So many deep thoughts. So much philosophy, that I felt like my brain might explode. Let's face it, on a normal day my deepest thought is wondering what my dog is thinking.


This dog has seen some things.

Of course, my dogs probably have less going on in their heads than this guy. They haven't seen things. I close the bathroom door so they don't see me naked. They don't need that kind of stress in their lives.

Anyway, if you were expecting a literary review and thoughtful analysis of this book from me, I'll just ask you if you even know me at all. Of course I was going to go off on rabbit trails, put in gifs and memes and basically bring it all back to being about my dogs or food. That's what I do. If you want something in depth and thoughtful, go to a smart reviewers review. If you want to know what some shlub with a potty mouth and a sense of humor thinks - I liked it. But, now it's back to trashy romance.

2.5? Mam wrażenie, że koncept był genialny i strasznie duży tu był potencjał, ale koniec końców niezbyt to wybrzmiało. Albo po prostu byłam za głupia

This was more than I could have ever expected!!!
A new favorite!
Can’t wait to continue on my Vonnegut journey!