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Vonnegut experienced a minor renaissance as a novelist during the 1980s, starting with this wonderful, engrossing tale, arguably his last true long-form masterpiece. It is curious that he sets the novel in Midland City, Ohio, clearly linking it to "Breakfast of Champions," a connection which is bolstered by numerous common characters. In this sense, the two books are intriguing companion pieces. "Deadeye Dick" also echoes Vonnegut's early masterpiece, "Mother Night," in its depiction of the effects of WWII on the collective psyche of the German-American population. This novel also resonates strongly with the author's two previous collections of non-fiction in that many of the themes and sentiments expressed in the former are explicated in the latter. And while "Deadeye Dick," in common with "Slapstick," fails to achieve a definitive climax, in this case the meandering, unresolved nature of the narrative works favorably, mainly as a result of the confidential tone which the narrator achieves.
As with most of Vonnegut's best novels, there is a central theme here: If a person lives long enough, they will eventually hurt other people badly, whether they mean to or not. This theme is explored over and over again: in the accidental childhood crime of the narrator, Rudy Waltz; in the scene in which Rudy (again, accidentally) overhears his brother's wife demeaning him; even in the Epilogue when a clash of cultures between Rudy's brother and their Haitian business partner threatens to create a schism between friends.
Recurrent motifs abound. These include short "playlets," which is how Rudy chooses to recall certain past events; his penchant for scat singing; and the numerous recipes which pepper the text. All of these help to break up the narrative, but without ever seeming intrusive or forced, which in lesser hands might be problematic. Perhaps the most interesting feature of this novel, however, is the way in which the Epilogue, without providing an explicit denouement, encourages the reader to extrapolate one. In the end, we are left with the sense that -- yes! -- Rudy Waltz has found his peace, that better-adjusted, more tolerable, if not necessarily happy, days lie ahead of him.
As with most of Vonnegut's best novels, there is a central theme here: If a person lives long enough, they will eventually hurt other people badly, whether they mean to or not. This theme is explored over and over again: in the accidental childhood crime of the narrator, Rudy Waltz; in the scene in which Rudy (again, accidentally) overhears his brother's wife demeaning him; even in the Epilogue when a clash of cultures between Rudy's brother and their Haitian business partner threatens to create a schism between friends.
Recurrent motifs abound. These include short "playlets," which is how Rudy chooses to recall certain past events; his penchant for scat singing; and the numerous recipes which pepper the text. All of these help to break up the narrative, but without ever seeming intrusive or forced, which in lesser hands might be problematic. Perhaps the most interesting feature of this novel, however, is the way in which the Epilogue, without providing an explicit denouement, encourages the reader to extrapolate one. In the end, we are left with the sense that -- yes! -- Rudy Waltz has found his peace, that better-adjusted, more tolerable, if not necessarily happy, days lie ahead of him.
