I thought this was going to be another "Welcome to the Monkey House", but it is definitely not. It is generally non-fiction and quite sobering where it is not depressing. I found it sad how the political problems facing the United States in the 1970's are still here and very much alive. I agree with Vonnegut - we need a new culture: "Lonesome no more!"

This is an engrossing book of essays (and 1 short story) by the great Kurt Vonnegut. The subjects are somewhat varied, amusing, and often enlightening. I enjoyed the book immensely.

Good stuff here for fans and for future fans. A good read if you're a writer or want to be in the future.

While there are moments in this that didn't click for me I still walk away with the overwhelming sense of appreciation that I always feel after reading Vonnegut. Every piece is filled with the wry humor which drew me to him in the first place, and the emotional weight that keeps me coming back. Vonnegut, for as much as he jokes about the term during his addess to the American Physical Society, embodies what I would consider ideal qualities of humanism. He uses this term to joke about his dog Sandy being a humanist because of their interest in humans and how they smell. While interest is key, Vonnegut clearly carries a passionate interest and, most importantly, care for humans. It is clear that his negativity stems from a desire for humanity's condition to be otherwise. Lest we forget that most of these were written during Vietnam and the rise of Nixon. This is why Vonnegut, as one of his critic friends remarked to him puts a "bitter coating on a very sweet pill". Vonnegut looks on at the silly little untruths we tell ourselves(Foma), the meaningless objects we revolve around (Wampeters) and the nonsensical associations we seek to be apart of (Granfalloons) with a sometimes joyous, sometimes cynical but always caring gaze.

"The arts put man at the center of the universe, whether he belongs there or not. Military science, on the other hand, treats man as garbage - and his children, and his cities, too. Military science is probably right about the contempability of man in the vastness of the universe. Still - I deny that contemptability, and I beg you to deny it, through the creation and appreciation of art." - Address to graduating class at bennington college, 1970


Favorites:
- Address to the American Physical Society
- Address to the National Institute of Arts and Letters, 1971
- Good Missiles, Good Manners, Good Night
- The Mysterious Madame Blavatsky
- Biafra: A People Betrayed
- In a Manner that Must Shame God Himself
- Playboy Interview

It's a collection of articles and speeches, so I'm not going to rate it as usual. Not much here for a casual fan, but if you're a Vonnegut obsessive, the unabridged Playboy interview at the end is worth the price of admission. I liked his quote about guns, too. I'll add it to the quote library if it isn't already there.

One of my goals is to read everything that Vonnegut Kurthas published. I have no idea how many of his books I've read at this point, but I'm always amazed at the range that this dry, witty, contradictory writer had. In addition to his novels and short stories, this volume includes personal essays, book reviews, journalism, a play, and a long form interview. Keeping in mind that the earliest printing date was 1976, this book is a time capsule in the continuum of Vonnegut's life, touching on Vietnam, murder, science fiction, and the failed formation of the nation of Biafra--a bit of history I never heard of before, and looked up to ensure that this was not some bit of imagined history sprung from Vonnegut's brain.

This book won't hold much appeal for the casual reader. For Vonnegut scholars and the politically attuned, it holds some interesting nuggets of Vonnegut's writing. While going through the 1973 Playboy interview at the end, I was reminded of how cyclical history truly is. When considering then-President Nixon's fault as the leader of the free world, he notes:

"If he tells us about our neighbors in trouble, if he tells us to treat them better tomorrow, why, we'll try. But the lessons Nixon has taught us have been so mean. He's taught us to resent the poor for not solving their own problems. He's taught us to like prosperous people better than unprosperous people."

This, and other sentiments Vonnegut offers, are eerily similar to ideas proffered today, as I read forty-six years later.

Not every essay and book review in here is a winner, but overall, it's an interesting view into the life of a writer who was still very much in progress at the time of publication.

Who should read this: Vonnegut fans, those curious about Nixon, those looking for views on the Vietnam War from that era, fans of the science behind science fiction, those interested in Biafra.

This is a selection of speeches by Vonnegut, with one fictional short story thrown in. Definitely went a long way to helping me understand Vonnegut as a person, how he saw himself as a writer, and how he placed himself within the leftist/youth movements of the 60s and 70s. I particularly liked one comparison he made between writers & artists and canaries. Like canaries in coal mines, writers and artists are a little more sensitive than the rest of us. They pick up on deadly things heading our way and try to warn us. Thus, we should start being concerned when the writers and artists start dropping dead. Reminds me a little bit of Wendell Berry's role in the environmental movement, warning us for years about a coming catastrophe that many of us are just now starting to take seriously.

That said, not nearly as much fun as reading Player Piano or Cat's Cradle.

It’s Vonnegut. He’s been a part of my life for the last 50+ years. I started with Player Piano and read many of his novels as they were published. He formed my thinking. He was the first author that put into words the chaos in my mind. And I love him for that. I had never read this collection. It wasn’t a novel and in my youth that’s all I wanted. But I’ve been slowly rereading him and reading what I’ve missed. This book was a trip down memory lane. It reminded me of the past and sadly of the present day. If you like Mr. V - I recommend this collection. You’ll get a little closer to home (warts and all) and you probably won’t regret it. I didn’t.

Although this book is unmistakably Vonnegut, you can find everything in it why we love the Master, somehow I understand why it wasn't translated into Hungarian until now. Of course it's a must for fans but try not to read this first from him.

Hasło "Vonnegut" mnie przyciąga. Przeczytałem dotąd kilka różnych książek pisarza, i choć muszę przyznać, że z poziomem mojego zainteresowania było różnie, to regularnie przyciągał mnie sposób pisania autora. Tym razem nie było inaczej.

"Wampetery, foma i granfalony" to przede wszystkim zbiór tekstów pisanych do czasopism i przemówień. Zdarzają się też tu recenzje książek, a także jedno opowiadanie. Długość tekstów jest różna, niektóre mieszczą się na dwóch stronach, najdłuższy tekst ma stron czterdzieści.

Jak można się spodziewać, przemówienia brzmią najlepiej w momencie, gdy są wygłaszane. Recenzje książek, których nigdy na oczy się nie widziało, mogą porywać wyłącznie ciekawymi sformułowaniami. Na szczęście, takich tu nie brakuje. Wśród tekstów zwłaszcza dwa mnie zaciekawiły - reportaż o upadku Biafry i wywiad dla "Playboya" na samym końcu. Pierwszy jest interesujący przede wszystkim ze względu na zrozumienie tematu i ciekawe obserwacje Vonneguta, który znalazł się w Biafrze w momencie, gdy ze wszystkich stron otaczały ją wojska nigeryjskie.

Jedynym, co może przekonać do książki osoby, które nie interesowały się polityką i kulturą amerykańską przełomu lat 60. i 70. jest sposób, w jaki teksty są napisane. Co najmniej kilka razy uśmiechałem się, widząc wyjątkowo trafne moim zdaniem sformułowania.

Książka raczej dla koneserów, osób, których celem jest przeczytanie wszystkich prac Vonneguta. Mimo tego, są w niej interesujące aspekty, które sprawiły, że po jej przeczytaniu nie żałuję tego, że po nią sięgnąłem.

Well written and in places even entertaining... but... if a depressive reads this they may flip between "wow, maybe my life isn't so bad" to "wow, it gets worse?" From the speeches he included one has to wonder if he was trying to make sure he wasn't invited back. It should be noted that the works in this book are from the late sixties and early seventies so one should consider what the country was like then. I'm probably not going go hunting for his later collections but if they show up in my Little Free Library they may be worth a few reading days.

I'm not the biggest fan of collections like this, so I knew going in that this wouldn't be a favourite, but I adore Vonnegut so much so I did end up enjoying it overall. Reading about his opinions on fiction and writing and some background on his novels was really fascinating and I'm very glad that I got around to reading this.