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12/13/07

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Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favorite writers, though honestly I've only read a few of his books. I can't say why, only that I go through books so slowly and there are so many books I want to read. When I heard about his death, I thought it was time I finally read what is considered his best book, Slaughterhouse-Five.


The book is about Billy Pilgrim, who has become "unstuck in time"; meaning that he unwillingly skips from one moment in his life to another. One minute he'll be in Germany as a prisoner-of-war, the next he'll be consoling his wife, and the next he'll be stuck on another planet with a movie star. The book also has a strong anti-war message; Vonnegut was a P.O.W. during the bombing of Dresden, which is one of the worst moments in human history; the book speaks about the aftermath in a horrifying way.


Even though Vonnegut tends to write about fantastic subjects, his characters ring true. I think that's what I love about his writing, is that he brings you into these strange worlds and makes you believe in them. His writing is also done in a casual conversational tone, where you feel like he's personally telling you a tale.


I saw the movie many years ago, don't really remember it all that well. But I'll try to revisit it soon.


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