If this Isn't Nice, What Is?

by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Genres: Nonfiction

123 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2014

About the author

Kurt Vonnegut, Junior was an American novelist, satirist, and most recently, graphic artist. He was recognized as New York State Author for 2001-2003.

He was born in Indianapolis, later the setting for many of his novels. He attended Cornell University from 1941 to 1943, where he wrote a column for the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun. Vonnegut trained as a chemist and worked as a journalist before joining the U.S. Army and serving in World War II.

After the war, he attended University of Chicago as a graduate student in anthropology and also worked as a police reporter at the City News Bureau of Chicago. He left Chicago to work in Schenectady, New York in public relations for General Electric. He attributed his unadorned writing style to his reporting work.

His experiences as an advance scout in the Battle of the Bulge, and in particular his witnessing of the bombing of Dresden, Germany whilst a prisoner of war, would inform much of his work. This event would also form the core of his most famous work, Slaughterhouse-Five, the book which would make him a millionaire. This acerbic 200-page book is what most people mean when they describe a work as "Vonnegutian" in scope.

Vonnegut was a self-proclaimed humanist and socialist (influenced by the style of Indiana's own Eugene V. Debs) and a lifelong supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

The novelist is known for works blending satire, black comedy and science fiction, such as Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), Cat's Cradle (1963), and Breakfast of Champions (1973)

Reviews

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time I use graduation season as my excuse to return to Vonnegut yet again. He’s just too damn good. Reading him brings tears to my eyes in the same way a cup of hot chocolate with cardamom does. Perhaps I should read a few good speeches every May. I’m sure I will annually be due for further inspiration and calls for community. Lord knows we all are.

I also found it fun how often Vonnegut’s speeches return to the same refrains because I know I would be the same. I’ll do you one better: I know what the refrains would be. “What is mentionable is manageable,” “There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea,”and “If this isn’t nice, what is?”

///

“Most of you will find yourself building or strengthening your communities. Please love that destiny, if it turns out to he yours- for communities are all that’s substantial about the world. The rest is hoop-la.”

“I am certain you are highly valued and badly needed right where you are. If you move East, you may find life becomes a lot less personal.”

“No matter how corrupt and greedy our government and our corporations and our media and Wall Street and our religious and charitable organizations may become, the music will still be perfectly wonderful.”

“I suggest to you Adams and Eves that you set as your goals the putting of some small part of the planet into something like safe and sane and decent order.
There’s a lot of cleaning up to do.
There’s a lot of rebuilding to do, both spiritual and physical.
And again, there’s going to be a lot of happiness. Don’t forget to notice!”

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shame there is so much repetition in this book as it is a collection of Vonnegut’s speeches. Still, nobody uses words like he did.

[Reuben · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting, surprising optimistic considering everything he says. i'm not a fan of the writing style, it's so straight forward it's like drinking plain room temperature water... which is refreshing to hear someone so blunt but doesn't tickle my reading taste buds in the way I like. he's funny, but maybe not as funny as he thinks... but still very funny. solid advice all round.

[Ciara McParland · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoy Vonnegut’s typical witticisms, tongue in cheek commentary on the world, and bits of wisdom, at times I felt his messaging got lost in his absurdity. However, there were some essays that I really enjoyed like, “Advice to Graduating Women (That all Men Should Know!)”

[Christopher Sumpter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite its repetitiveness, I would give this book a four-star rating for its witty writing. I'm subtracting one, though, due to Vonnegut 's disingenuous take on what Jesus actually said.

[Gabi Treece · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forgot how much I love this one. Manifesto for happiness

[Brooke Lange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly rambling and a few gems.

“Some of you won’t stay home. But please don’t forget where you came from.”

[Senti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasantly political. Last sane man in America 🙏🏽

[Jerry Bunin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third edition of “If This Isn’t Nice, what is?” has added to earlier editions of this collection of speeches given by American author Kurt Vonnegut. Most of the speeches were delivered to college students at gradation, but this edition adds an anti-war Moratorium Day in October 1969, a talk he gave in 1974 on building extended families to cure loneliness, and an address recommending sowing some wild oats before settling down. He frequently talks about the fact that he never graduated from college and how he wound up becoming a famous and influential author despite planning, studying and failing other means to support his large family, seven children and a wife, including four children they adopted when his sister and brother-in-law died days apart. He’s funny, thought-provoking, irreverent, angry, compassionate, and almost always seems to be enjoying himself. He was a very popular and relevant graduation speaker for decades. If you haven’t read his fiction, this collection will make you want to become a fan. I read the first edition of this collection between December 2022 and January 2023.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of graduation speeches that Kurt Vonnegut presented across 5 decades. The problem with the collection is that he recycled his best material and used it repeatedly -- and why not? The audiences were almost guaranteed to have never heard it before. And no speech was exactly the same, so there was always a new nugget of wisdom.

The speeches are not arranged chronologically, but that was how I wanted to read them, to see if his themes changed over time (they really didn't). Maybe I'd have been happier had I read it as the editor intended, but I doubt it.

The same problem I often have with Vonnegut -- I think I'm going to like it more than I do.

[ainsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

(would be a 3.5)
i really enjoyed this collection, it's pretty classic vonnegut rhetoric. a lot of the speeches felt like repeats of prior speeches, and some of it was pretty dated- but that's to be expected. i liked it a lot :)

[Jacob Spreng · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed so many speeches in this book. Though many toward the end fell on repeated messages. I am a fan of how he writes and speaks. I encourage all to hear him describe how stories come about and have his voice in your mind as you read along to this book.

[untitled lullaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good short book. The only problem is that these are speeches and therefore you miss breaks so it seems quite odd at times. Scarily reminiscent of today’s politics as well. Love Kurt tho. He’s in heaven now.

[David Liver · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book comes exactly as its title announced, If this isn't nice, What is? There's so much to get inspired by, to be reminded of, to learn about, to laugh at, to skip, to come back to, that even without being a great piece of literature, this remains as powerful as the best of Sundays

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plenty of sweet irreverence and Humanist goodness. The only reason I haven't ranked this higher is that repetition across speeches was, while understandable, a bit of a let down. Still glad it was compiled and that I read it.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Nice little insights, but a little repetitive and many of the cultural references are dated. Still, it's a thoughtful quick read.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quirky little read!

[Lauren Vogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd time reading this. everything he said in his speeches is just as relevant today as it was when he gave them.

[Steven Berkenkemper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to be coming back to this over and over. Such great little bursts of wisdom and brilliance for anyone at any stage of life.

[Valentina Thoerner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of wisdom for the ages.

[Wyatt Moran · Rating 3 out of 5]

if it wasn't the same speech 15 times i would have loved it but wasnt mad either way

[Matthew Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great advice and wisdom in here. I will definitely reread portions.

[Renee Schafman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, life changing. Some of the lines from this book made me pause and say to myself, "wow, I always want to remember that." Wisdom. I am now keen to read some of Vonnegut's work.

[Kaitlin Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heavens sake.

[Samantha Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious & inspiring

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think everyone should read this book. Can get repetitive, but his speeches are so moving.

[Joelle Nutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating original voice with a unique vocabulary that infects your thinking. Doodley Squat and such and one. Delicious to read right after my own college graduation.

[Toby Chan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really nice reminder from a friend. 2 stars because this collection repeats itself, no fault of Vonnegut.