Roderick’s Comments (group member since Oct 18, 2013)

Roderick’s comments from the Classics Without All the Class group.

Excuse me. The Tralfadorians are real certainly...how very human of me. Of course, I saw all this coming. It was just to provoke a response :-)

I'd have to go back and read the context, but I think it an easy way to differentiate between Tralfadorian and human behavior. Recall Billy Pilgrim separates himself from "humans" with his new Tralfadorian knowledge, therefore, he can refer to his own species as humans when speaking in the context of the Tralfadorian aliens which is a figment of his imagination.

Vonnegut is narrating Chapter 1 in much more of a first person voice. The rest of the book he is narrating as well, but it's almost a close third person to Billy.

I don't believe so....He's the only one that survives the plane crash. Am I wrong?

Oh, I know how it ends. Billy on Tralfamadore with Montana raising their children :-) Since Billy sees all events simultaneously, this is surely what he'd choose, don't you think?

Vonnegut really wanted to show the madness of war, of which Billy is a victim. The fictional end of Billy (view spoiler)[his own assassination after a speaking engagement (hide spoiler)] versus when the actual time we see him last as a reader (view spoiler)[was it in the radio station or after when he sees the girly magazine with Montana on the cover? (hide spoiler)] I believe are secondary to the real ending of Dresden.

That's my humble opinion anyway.

Yes, the first chapter is autobiographical. I found it to be an interesting way to start a novel, mixing the reality with the surreal that's to come.

The failure of capitalism (as you call it) is because capitalism isn't allowed to work. Massive bank bailouts, constant government involvement with failed institutions that should be buried, Solyandra-like created entities that are government subsidized--this isn't capitalism, it's chrony capitalism that has been invaded by the virus of socialism...So when you are speaking about Capitalism, which one are you speaking about? Because capitalism is not the latter.

There will be a group read on "The Brothers Karamazov" in June on one of the groups. I'm waiting till then. I think they will have a Dostoyevsky month.

Lea wrote: "I've just started A Tale of Two Cities."

Hi Lea, a tough read, but worth the effort in my opinion...

Colleen wrote: "I wasn't too impressed with The Alchemist. I have to admit Salem's Lot freaked me out last night and I'm not yet done with it. Gotta get through tonight lol.

Holly - I'm go..."

I agree that The Alchemist wasn't so good. I just finished Toscanelli's Ray which for the serious literary buff was amazing. A Toni Morrison lyricism to it.