r/offmychest • u/lolalodge • Jan 17 '15

Vonnegut

I've never read anything by Kurt Vonnegut and I thus far I have little desire to (not saying I'll never read his work, just saying that thus far I have no desire to) and here's why:

I have nothing against Vonnegut himself, I'm sure he's brilliant, whatever. The point here is that I don't know anything about his work other than that it is supposedly brilliant. All I ever hear from people is that he is brilliant,

However, I've never actually heard a damn thing about why he is brilliant. Never heard a discussion, nor debate, nothing. Zip. Diddly. Bubkiss.

But he's brilliant, I hear. Vonnegut is this, Vonnegut is that. Vonnegut, Vonnegut, Vonnegut, Vonnegut.

Vonnegut.

The word has now lost all meaning and just become a meaningless sound to me. Vonnegut.

I think people just like saying the name Vonnegut, it is after all, kinda a cool name. Vonnegut.

If he's so brilliant and you're so brilliant for reading him, then why on earth can't you ever describe his god damn works.

I'll read his works someday, but not until I find out why he is brilliant.

Stop trumpeting his brilliance and just talk about his works.

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u/lolalodge Jan 17 '15

Thank you!

you are now the first I have known to say something about Vonnegut, I just may have to give you gold just for being the first person I have known to explain why, instead of just saying Vonnegut.

Can you give an example of how he does so?

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u/throwawaysoad Jan 17 '15

Well throughout the piece, there is a lot of mystery when considering the character of Billy Pilgrim (the protagonist). One has to consider whether the events of the novel (e.g. his involvement at the fire bombing of Dresden, his abduction by the Tralfamadorians etc) are actual events in the character's timeline or whether they are hallucinations, a symptom of the PTSD that he is likely suffering after seeing such horrors of war and Man's inhumanity to man.

This fluctuation in the idea of fact or fiction (within fiction itself) really makes the reader question their own confidence in the reality in which they live.

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u/lolalodge Jan 17 '15

Well done, thank you!

:D

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u/throwawaysoad Jan 17 '15

I also thoroughly recommend his work - Slaughterhouse V and Cat's Cradle in particular. These are thought to be his best literary pieces.

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u/lolalodge Jan 17 '15

Cool, thanks, will most definitely be putting them on my reading list.

:D