Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel
by Kurt Vonnegut
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Book Reviews of Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel
Book Review: Slaughterhouse 5 Criticism
Summary: 2 Stars
June 9, 2008
Criticism on Slaughterhouse 5
Slaughterhouse 5, by Kurt Vonnegut, describes the unpredictability of life, as well as the inability to control it. The main character of the book, Billy Pilgrim, goes on many different adventures, some at home, and some on other planets several quadrillions of miles away from earth. Many lessons are taught in the book, some which certain people may disagree with. Among these are ideas that cannot be controlled, and the future cannot be altered by your decisions. Another suggestion is that death is not a large thing to worry about, as one can remember the good parts of someone's life, not just how they are now. However, these lessons have the potential to be disregarded by people who believe otherwise, if they are not already.
An interesting aspect of the book is that it is written in a format similar to the described Tralfamadorian format in the book. Several small passages make up the majority of the book, which alludes to the way the inhabitants of planet Tralfamadore format their books. Their books are meant to contain many short, happy memories that can all be viewed at once to form a single image of contentment. However, not all of the scenes in this book may be viewed as joyful. Plenty morose sections counter the good in this book.
The repetition of "so it goes" (1) in this book is unique and confusing. Usually it follows a mention of death, therefore following the main theme of life being uncontrollable, but is absent at certain instances, such as the death of Russians. This may be because the author doesn't like this group of people for some reason, or it may just be one of the many cases of disrespect in this book.
This novel has many inappropriate aspects as well. Wikipedia commented that "Because of its realistic and frequent depiction of swearing by American soldiers, its irreverent language (including the sentence `The gun made a ripping sound like the opening of the zipper on the fly of God Almighty,') and some sexually explicit content, Slaughterhouse-Five is among the most frequently banned works in American literature, and in some cases is still removed from school libraries and curricula." (2) This is true, as many swear words were often repeated, and coupled with pornographic content at the end of chapter nine, this book may not be recommended to some audiences. Not to mention the fact that the repetition of this content distracts from the meaning found in this novel. However, any alterations to create a censored book would drastically alter the plot, so unfortunately it is hard to avoid this content if one wishes to read the novel.
In conclusion, Slaughterhouse 5 is a unique book with many hidden details that this criticism just touched the surface of, though it may not be recommended to some audiences. Vonnegut has created another novel that matches his style exactly.
(1) Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut
(2) Wikipedia Search "Slaughterhouse 5"
Book Review: Strange and disjointed, but interesting
Summary: 4 Stars
This was my first read of Vonnegut. I had heard much about this novel, and finally got around to reading it. His book seems to go out of its way to display the fractured and dissembled nature that war brings to individuals. Billy Pilgrim's chaotic and disorganized state of going from one place to the next is a testament to how control is seriously lacking in war times. Billy experiences this in many different times and transformations, as he travels back in time to the war, then reverts even further back, and then finally to his time after the bombing of Dresden. The insanity of war is akin to Billy's losing touch at many points; the horrific massacre at Dresden is the reference point for this madness. Still, as we look at the book from the point of view of Billy, by novel's end, we realize that he is just one example.
As many others have alluded to, Slaughter House Five takes a very serious subject, with disturbing images and negative aspects, and seems to make them matter-of-fact and nondescript. The understated tone, such as using the phrase "So it goes" every time death is mentioned, makes for black humor. In a way the entire book can be considered an oxymoron, as much of what Billy experiences (comrades dying, his wife's accident, being taken prisoner by aliens from Tralfamadore, having to dig through corpses) is written in a comically tragic way.
There also seems to be a point made about humanity's lack of control in events. Lack of control is a constant theme in the novel. At one point, Billy questions one of the Tralfamadorians about the violent ways of humans; their response is to imply that it is a silly question because there is nothing anyone can do about it, even if it is a future event. Billy seems to also become frustrated with the various haphazard leaps in time, to which he has no control. Ironically, much of what is taking place in the "real world" is also uncontrollable. Fate seems to rule all, even though this seems to be an illogical excuse for events. Free will becomes an illusion.
In this way, appearance and reality are mixed up. Perhaps this is why Vonnegut begins the novel, "All this happened, more or less. The war parts, anyway, are pretty much true." There is an understated explanation for the course of events, despite the fact that many of them are true and seem real. Despite what we think of whether Billy is completely crazy, there is much reality to what he goes through. Vonnegut is a master at making a satire of these experiences. Clearly his intent was to make a statement about the effects war has on individuals.
As far as reading goes, this was a quick read because it is quite original and unique. At times, it can be strangely disjointed, which may make it hard to follow; I found myself wanting to go back and try to figure out where he was going. Still, it is entertaining. I'm not sure I'd just recommend this to anyone, but if you like dark humor, then this is probably the way to go.
Book Review: Stranger Than Fiction
Summary: 3 Stars
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five deserves its own literary genre. It is a balderdash of stories from World War II, tales from after the war, and accounts from the planet Tralfamadore. Not only does the book mix science fiction with war stories, it does so discursively. Despite the plot's constant digression, the book is not devoid of value. It is neither a completely insipid nor an entirely vacuous piece of writing. The book tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, a man from Ilium, New York, who is thrown into WWII and becomes a prisoner of the Germans. Billy Pilgrim meets several interesting people in the war, like Roland Weary, and experiences the bombing of Dresden. The most interesting part of the book is the fact that author Kurt Vonnegut is the narrator and occasionally adds first-person insight to events. Vonnegut's position as narrator allows readers to ascribe themes to a particular person. The theme of fate, for example, is no longer just a random subject but a real person's ideology. Anytime someone or something died, Vonnegut immediately followed with "so it goes." This reveals his belief that certain events are inevitable. Such insight also allows readers to make a connection between Vonnegut and Pilgrim. Billy Pilgrim, who has become "unstuck in time," seems to just follow where life takes him, whether it is a boxcar for prisoners of war or an entirely different planet. He has no control of his time-travel. This also shows that war probably is not good for a person's mental health, and Billy appears crazy when he tries to explain time-travel. Vonnegut expressed his own memories of the war through the fictitious character of Billy Pilgrim, and added events like his trip to Tramfamadore and sleeping with Montana Wildhack, to represent his dreams and fantasies. His appearances in the story make the implausible story seem more realistic. Another way Vonnegut manifests his ingenuity is by showing how that the Allies were not always "good." (In fact, as described, they are both inimical and pernicious.) Most Americans are not aware of this raid that killed thousands of innocent people and transformed Dresden into an infernal blaze. He describes it in a way, however, that does not make American readers feel like their world is being turned upside-down. By stating the facts of the bombing of Dresden, he is able to show how common perceptions are not always correct.
While the lack of confluence of this novel is particularly goading, Vonnegut is able to show how common perceptions are often misleading and how fate is a key factor in life. Although Billy's time-travel points to the fact that life often takes a person somewhere without their consent (or knowledge of time-traveling, for that matter), had the book been organized differently, it would have made the story easier to follow. Because the book encompassed so many different settings and events, it is difficult to classify Slaughterhouse Five and even more difficult to follow its story.
Book Review: A Classic with Good Reason
Summary: 4 Stars
"Billy Pilgrim has become unhinged in time." It's the classic line that starts off the classic story of what is considered to be Kurt Vonnegut's opus, Slaughterhouse Five. For those who didn't have to read this seminal tale in their college literature classes, Slaughterhouse Five is considered by many to be the ultimate anti-war satire, a story that scolds the meaning of all war (via examining the fire bombing of Dresden during WWII) through fairly anti-jingo themes and a bumbling optometrist (Billy Pilgrim) who claims to have learned the meaning (or rather, meaninglessness) of life from a troupe of extraterrestrials that locked him in an intergalactic zoo towards the end of his time-traveling adventures.
Re-reading that last sentence will give you a fair idea of the nature of Slaughterhouse Five: it conveys it's painfully serious message through absurd and hilarious means--a text-book technique in the world of satire and a more basic tenant of sarcasm. Slaughterhouse Five--which most likely gained much of its prominence as an anti-war tome released on the cusp of the Vietnam Era--offers the reader a narrative that periodically sets up check points that challenge the reader into looking beneath the surface of the prose and to figure out the inherent symbolism Vonnegut is trying so desperately to display. And on that level, the book succeeds. We're constantly introduced to a cadre of oddball avatars that could represent just about any solider involved in any war in a foreign land, and we immediately learn how they die before we learn how the war effected them, how they in turn effected the war, and the indelible mark they've left on the world by being just another individual in the never-ending line of individuals that make up human existence. It's in this message--that even the most random and common life matters, no matter how inconsequential and expendable it may seem--that the book soars. Unfortunately, it's in its relevance where the book sinks.
While the book is exceptionally well written, with Vonnegut providing innocent yet lush descriptions and verbiage, Slaughterhouse Five will easily collapse under its own "classic" status for some readers. Despite what the late Vonnegut (and, most likely, your college professor) probably wanted, this book won't resonate with everyone. There's the obvious risk that some just wont get the message of the book--whether it's the message conveyed above or another, maybe more personal, message entirely--and take it's lofty tale too seriously, while those who will get the subtext just won't care. However, that's the unfortunate price that comes from being considered a classic work of art. That said, the book is regarded as a classic for a reason, and active readers would be doing themselves a favor to find out why.
Michael P. Ferrari
Author, Assault on the Senses
Book Review: Definitely worth reading and owning
Summary: 4 Stars
Time-travel and war: two concepts only the ingenious Kurt Vonnegut would incorporate into the same story. Although he introduces the book as a war story, Vonnegut has, in true postmodern style, managed to almost completely obfuscate the point by diverting the inattentive reader's attention to time travel and the fourth dimension. Albeit, the truly sagacious reader can pick up not only Vonnegut's alien-inspired theories about time, but also his earthling-motivated opinions about war. The self-proclaimed pacifist adheres to the tradition of using the pen to conquer the sword by equipping Slaughterhouse Five, the plaintive story of a soldier that was in Dresden during the firebombing of World War II, with heaping spoonfuls of philosophy and humor to help the realities go down.
Vonnegut tells the life story of Billy Pilgrim the same way clouds cry and drop their tears: in so specific order whatsoever as to vivify our consciousness. That's where the time-travel and alien abduction comes in. No hyperbole. What else would you expect from "a master of contemporary American literature?" I wouldn't want to give too much away, but Pilgrim's pilgrimage through the iniquities of time, space, love and war leave him surprisingly without vehemence, despite seemingly endless exposure to contagion that often leaves the feckless hero lurid and not pristine. His indifference, surprisingly, induces in the reader a stronger aversion to war than an outright repugnance would have. Billy's ignominious war experience and illusory extra-terrestrial encounter leaves the reader with an overwhelming influx of information from which he or she has the opportunity to withdraw any of many possible interpretations of war and life thereafter.
These interpretations, as well as the one to five star ratings, depend on the amount and quality of erudition possessed by the reader. For myself, Slaughterhouse earns four stars. As a fairly intelligent and advanced high school student, I can appreciate Vonnegut's literary creativity in writing style in plot, but some of his finer and more profound statements on war and life that everyone raves about go right over my head, even though I know it's there somewhere! For a truly scholarly adult or college student, Slaughterhouse probably holds one more star for greater meaning and clarity. A less intelligent or perceptive adult or student may only award three stars. Yet I refuse to believe that even the dullest intellect could award less than that. Vonnegut's most obvious statements are delivered with inescapable hilarity and wit, even if the more subtle hints between the lines are almost evanescent. There will be a moment for every and any reader, no matter the intellect or age, between finishing the book and reflecting on its meanings, when all that resounds in their minds is all they really need to take from Slaughterhouse Five: the unique feeling that accompanies the completion of any great work of art: "po-tee-weet?"