I started reading 'Welcome to the Monkey House' four years ago. I didn't find the first story, "Where I Live" engaging, and I stopped reading. I got on a Vonnegut kick this summer after reading 'God Bless You Mr. Rosewater' and 'Galapagos'. 'Monkey House' just happened to be on the bookshelf, so I read it too.
I wasn't expecting much, but I discovered some gems of Vonnegut's earlier writings. Some of the stories actually had logical plot structures, which can't be said for all of Vonnegut's works. I liked how not all of the stories were science fictiony. The uptopian story 'Welcome to the Monkey House' was my favorite story in the collection, but other more down to earth stories like 'Next Door', 'The Lie', and 'The Kid Nobody Could Handle' were good too. They reveal a side of Vonnegut that I like, and that I had never seen before.