PDA

View Full Version : The Amazing New Kurt Vonnegut Thread!!.



Seymour_Glass
11-04-2008, 06:32 PM
He's my new favorite writer. My favorite book of his(that I've read) is Breakfast of Champions. So, let's discuss.

John_and_Yoko
11-04-2008, 06:39 PM
I sadly have only read one book of his, Mother Night.

But that's enough to make me like him! :D I credit that book with teaching me how to think.

I'm interested in reading Slaughterhouse-Five at some point, too.

batsker
11-04-2008, 06:47 PM
My collecting is ahead of my reading. I have 10 S/L Easton press books signed by Vonnegut, yet I've only read about 5 of his. The first was Hocus Pocus when it first came out. SH5 was interesting to me, because I am studying German(as well as History and Economics), and some of the events in the book are based on his experiences in WWII.

fernandito
11-04-2008, 06:48 PM
I haven't read any of Vonnegut's books, but I've heard really good things about Slaughterhouse-Five.

Jean
11-04-2008, 11:54 PM
the only Vonnegut book I like is Cat's Cradle.

Frunobulax
11-05-2008, 12:44 AM
I've read all of his books, and I have enjoyed, liked, or loved them all.

jayson
11-05-2008, 04:38 AM
I've read all of his books, and I have enjoyed, liked, or loved them all.

Same here. Vonnegut is a very important author for me. I'll be a happy participant in this thread.

flaggwalkstheline
11-05-2008, 09:09 AM
ive read lots of his books, my favorites r player piano, the greatest anti-authoritarian manifesto EVER and Slapstick
HI-HO!

jayson
11-05-2008, 09:48 AM
ive read lots of his books, my favorites r player piano, the greatest anti-authoritarian manifesto EVER and Slapstick
HI-HO!

Hi-Ho indeed!
I LOVE Slapstick. Easily among my top two or three Vonnegut works. One I reread every couple of years.

Daghain
11-05-2008, 11:07 AM
I haven't read much Vonnegut since high school. I loved him then; I think I need to add him to my reading list and see if I still feel the same.

valtr0n
11-05-2008, 11:52 AM
Ting-a-ling, you sons of bitches!

I <3 Vonnegut. I've read every book of his, and he's always been a very influential character in my development throughout life so far.

Seymour_Glass
11-05-2008, 05:19 PM
the only Vonnegut book I like is Cat's Cradle.

What? Why not any of the others?

goncho
11-13-2008, 09:20 AM
where should I start if I never read any of his books but mean to?

jayson
11-13-2008, 09:52 AM
where should I start if I never read any of his books but mean to?

I started with Breakfast of Champions and it hooked me.

Jean
11-13-2008, 11:40 AM
the only Vonnegut book I like is Cat's Cradle.

What? Why not any of the others?
I think I got to reread some of those others before I can reply; the only one I have, though (and am going to reread) is just Cat's Cradle, which t/song gave me on my last birthday. I think I had very much the same problems with him as I am having with Palahniuk now: grotesque and hyperbole and extreme satire - by extreme I mean when the author allows himself any means and plays without rules (such as plausibility or coherence or viability of characters) - is something I find ok in a short story, but which annoys and, finally, bores me in a novel.

valtr0n
11-13-2008, 02:00 PM
where should I start if I never read any of his books but mean to?

Slaughterhouse Five for me. Breakfast of Champions is a bit out there, and it makes more sense if you've already read previous works of his... I recommend Slaughterhouse Five, Cat's Cradle, then Breakfast of Champions.

Sirens of Titan is his masterpiece, though. Sirens of Titan is just the best.

Daghain
11-13-2008, 02:01 PM
Damnit, you all are *really* making me want to go back and reread my Vonnegut.

idk, my bff jill?
11-13-2008, 02:15 PM
I've been reading Vonnegut nonstop for the last few weeks, and I'm addicted. xD

I loved Slaughterhouse-Five, Mother Night, and Breakfast of Champions, and my boyfriend just lent me Cat's Cradle which has also been absolutely fantastic so far. =)

I think I'll pick up my own copy of Cat's Cradle and Hocus Pocus on Saturday.

fernandito
11-13-2008, 03:08 PM
Yet another author that I need to get into now.

My wallet is crying.

Daghain
11-13-2008, 04:28 PM
:lol:

jayson
11-13-2008, 04:53 PM
Sirens of Titan is his masterpiece, though. Sirens of Titan is just the best.

Can't argue with that.

Unfound One
11-13-2008, 05:03 PM
I've read Cat's Cradle, and Breakfast of Champions and loved them both.
We did a unit on Cat's Cradle my junior year of high school and it was an excellent time.
We got to demonstrate Boko Maru and such. :)
I've owned Slaughterhouse Five for almost 3 years but haven't gotten around to reading it yet...

Seymour_Glass
11-14-2008, 08:33 PM
I haven't gotten around to reading Sirens of Titan yet. I really want to.

jayson
11-14-2008, 08:38 PM
We did a unit on Cat's Cradle my junior year of high school and it was an excellent time.
We got to demonstrate Boko Maru and such. :)

I read that in 10th grade English class, though we didn't get to put on any demonstrations. I'll bet that was quite funny.

Can I say again that I love Slapstick? Because I do. That and Sirens of Titan are my two favorites.

valtr0n
11-15-2008, 02:39 AM
I haven't gotten around to reading Sirens of Titan yet. I really want to.

Sirens of Titan is, in my opinion, his most overlooked work, and one of the overlooked classics of the last century.

fernandito
11-18-2008, 03:47 PM
I was planning on following up Harry Potter 4 with the next A Song of Ice and Fire book, but I'm thinking that I'm going to have to squeeze Sirens of Titan in there. :cyclops:

Seymour_Glass
11-29-2008, 12:23 PM
I just finished God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. Fucking incredible.

bluelph24
12-20-2008, 08:27 PM
i was just looking up literary tattoos and there are a lot of Vonnegut ones, which inspired me to research Vonnegut quotes specifically, but not restricted to, Cats Cradle, my first and favorite Vonnegut book. after reading several quotes i realize how much i already miss the man. his writings are some of the best i've ever read, and he is definitly one of the top writers, imho, ever, and i've only read 5 books (Cats Cradle, Slaughterhouse-5, Slapstick, Deadeye Dick, and Timequake) and i reccomend every last one of them.


RIP Vonnegut, I hopehttp://www.thehumanaught.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/vonnegut2.jpg

Patrick
12-26-2008, 08:11 PM
My collecting is ahead of my reading. I have 10 S/L Easton press books signed by Vonnegut...
I'm jealous. I have do one though! :)

Vonnegut is one of my favorite authors. I've read most of his books. He's fantastic.

BROWNINGS CHILDE
12-26-2008, 08:22 PM
Havent ever read any Vonnegut, though I have meant to. I guess I will start with SH5. This seems to be the one I have heard the most about.

flaggwalkstheline
12-26-2008, 08:39 PM
Player piano is the greatest book about a revolution ever written, even better than fight club

Whitey Appleseed
12-27-2008, 06:26 PM
Vonnegut's stories are great. Read quite a bit of his stuff...Sally in the garden, sifting cinders, lifted up her leg and farted like a man, the bursting of her bloomers broke sixteen winders, the cheeks of her ass went...And yeah, Sirens of Titan, classic...the last one I remember is maybe his last...Galapagos? maybe. Funny, I remember the earlier stuff, read 30 years ago, better than that one.

Seymour_Glass
12-27-2008, 08:13 PM
Yeah, so I just started Slapstick.

jayson
12-28-2008, 01:23 AM
Yeah, so I just started Slapstick.

One of my fav of his. Hope you like it. Hi-ho.

fernandito
12-28-2008, 05:33 AM
I'm just itching to read Sirens of Titan. :beat:

jayson
12-28-2008, 07:08 AM
Well get yourself to a library or bookstore and scratch that itch!

Emily
01-17-2009, 12:33 PM
I read Slaughterhouse-Five in high school and really loved it. I've always meant to read his other stuff but it just hasn't happened. I think I'm going to soon, any suggestions on where I should start?

jayson
01-17-2009, 01:27 PM
You really could start anywhere because it's all quite good.

I've been re-reading much of it so far this year. I forgot how good Hocus Pocus was. I mean, I remembered liking it, but I forgot how much I really liked it.

Seymour_Glass
02-01-2009, 05:13 PM
Slapstick was really good. I think this Vonnegut fellow might just be a damn good writer.

Brice
02-01-2009, 05:17 PM
Slapstick was really good. I think this Vonnegut fellow might just be a damn good writer.

Have no doubt. He is one of the best.

jayson
02-01-2009, 05:34 PM
Slapstick was really good. I think this Vonnegut fellow might just be a damn good writer.

He sure is. Hi ho.

The "why don't you take a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut" joke has been a long time favorite of mine.

fernandito
02-09-2009, 06:17 PM
Just finished Sirens of Titan - amazing! Vonnegut has jumped to the top of my list of favorite authors, I'm really looking forward to reading more of his stuff.

Any suggestions on what I should read next?

valtr0n
02-09-2009, 07:18 PM
Anything!

Galapagos, Slaughterhouse Five, Cat's Cradle, Slapstick, Hocus Pocus, Timequake (though I think that one's best saved for last), Breakfast of Champions... pick anywhere, and just start. I'm really glad you enjoyed Sirens of Titan so much. :)

jayson
02-10-2009, 02:58 AM
I had a feeling you would like it Feev. Glad I was right. :)

I agree with valtr0n that you can't really go wrong with Vonnegut. Just pick another one and once you've read about 10 pages, good luck putting it down.

Seymour_Glass
03-28-2009, 06:16 PM
I finally started The Sirens of Titan. I'm enjoying it so far, but not to the extent of his others. Then again, I only just started it. And I'm sure it will pick up.

valtr0n
03-28-2009, 06:45 PM
Sirens of Titan is a slow starter. But once you get about halfway through, it really picks up all the way to the end.

jayson
03-29-2009, 01:54 AM
Doing a re-read of Sirens now. Re-read a lot of Vonnegut so far this year. Some take a bit longer to get going, some hit the ground running. Either way, pretty much all of them pay off in the end.

Seymour_Glass
04-04-2009, 12:48 PM
I just finished The Sirens of Titan. It was such a beautiful book in the end. I love it.

mae
04-05-2009, 01:12 PM
Anybody collecting Vonnegut? I'd like to get a few of his novels in hardcover to start, how expensive are the early books?

Munchausen
04-05-2009, 04:38 PM
Which one's the one where the government mandates absolute equality? Is that in Cat's Cradle? S'been a while. But I remember liking it a lot.
SH5 was always fun to read. I remember the part about the knuckleduster particularly.
Breakfast of Champions made me want to draw.

Munchausen
04-05-2009, 04:39 PM
Which one's the one where the government mandates absolute equality? Is that in Cat's Cradle? S'been a while. But I remember liking it a lot.
SH5 was always fun to read. I remember the part about the knuckleduster particularly.
Breakfast of Champions made me want to draw.

valtr0n
04-05-2009, 05:50 PM
Munchausen, that's Harrison Bergeron, a short story. It appears in one of his many short story collections, but I really think it's Welcome to the Monkey House. But it could be one of his others.

jayson
04-05-2009, 07:15 PM
You're correct Val, it is in Welcome to the Monkey House.

Munchausen
04-06-2009, 07:50 AM
Oh yeah.. I borrowed that from my friend's mother. She didn't strike me as a typical KV fan. More into Agatha Christy, I'm sure. And I don't recall returning it.

mae
04-06-2009, 09:40 AM
Just got a few Vonneget first editions to start my collection:

Hocus Pocus
Timequake
Deadeye Dick
Slaughterhouse-Five (25th Anniversary)

All very cheaply, which was surprising. I guess KV isn't very collectable for some reason.

valtr0n
04-06-2009, 10:08 AM
Try looking for older first editions, like Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle. There are two Sirens of Titan 1sts on Ebay right now, for $1250-1500.

Slaughterhouse Five firsts go for up to $700+.

His recent books don't go for much, but his older books are very, very collectable.

Seymour_Glass
04-06-2009, 05:05 PM
I collect crappy paperbacks.:P

mae
04-06-2009, 05:13 PM
I collect crappy paperbacks.:P

:panic:

mae
04-10-2009, 12:08 PM
:rock:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5glQYt4uZ2EgZ2PycytZtlBqtypPwD97FMQR00


NEW YORK (AP) — A posthumous collection of short stories by Kurt Vonnegut will be released this November.

The collection, called "Look at the Birdie," contains 14 stories by the author of "Slaughterhouse-Five" and other works, Delacorte Press announced Friday.

The publisher says it plans to reissue 15 Vonnegut titles including "Mother Night," "The Sirens of Titan," "Galapagos" and "Slaughterhouse-Five." Also due: another collection of his unpublished writings and a book of letters sent to and from the author during his life.

More never-before-seen stories by Vonnegut appeared in the 2008 collection "Armageddon in Retrospect."

Vonnegut died in April 2007 at the age 84. His works contained elements of social commentary, sci-fi and autobiography.

valtr0n
04-12-2009, 03:43 PM
Yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of Vonnegut's death.

His work has meant a lot to me over the years, and every year around this time I find myself missing him, even though I never met him.

I read Mother Night beginning to end yesterday evening in tribute.

jayson
04-12-2009, 04:36 PM
Nice tribute Val. :)
I've re-read a lot of his stuff so far this year and will likely get to the rest soon. It only gets better with time.

mae
04-12-2009, 04:40 PM
The actual date for the new Vonnegut book is October 27:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/038534371X/

Munchausen
04-13-2009, 07:08 AM
I'm kinda antsy about posthumous books seeing as what happened to Robert E. Howard's stuff.

mae
04-13-2009, 08:10 AM
Why? It's uncollected stories. Pretty exciting, I think.

Munchausen
04-16-2009, 06:19 AM
What L. Sprague deCamp and Lyn Carter did to Conan should be criminal. Not saying this is the rule but I shudder at the potential. If it's a polished verbatim of a manuscript, no problem.

valtr0n
04-16-2009, 10:55 AM
If anyone were to edit or polish the stories, I'm pretty sure it'd be Vonnegut's son. He's a writer as well. But I doubt there will even be any polish. Maybe intros or forewords and the such, but beyond that, it should remain unchanged.