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Slaughterhouse-Five

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

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Nov 04, 2014 F rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, 2014, germany-poland, usa

A re-read.
Loved this so much better the 2nd time around.
Great unique story. Addictive.

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Aug 02, 2023 ForestGardenGal rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics-published-50-years-ago, 1955-1973-vietnam-war, 1939-1945-wwii, type-sci-fi, location-new-york, location-germany, censored-banned-books, censored-on-political-grounds

A Study in Juxtaposition

Simultaneously a non-fiction story about the author's personal perspective and experiences as a POW in Dresden during the WWII bombing of that city, and a fictional SciFi account of a time-traveling, alien-abducted weakling who had similar experiences to the author as a POW in WWII, but also threads together his experiences of abduction, war, and time travel all in a time-jumbled narrative in which the author occasionally inserts himself as having been present at those ce A Study in Juxtaposition

Simultaneously a non-fiction story about the author's personal perspective and experiences as a POW in Dresden during the WWII bombing of that city, and a fictional SciFi account of a time-traveling, alien-abducted weakling who had similar experiences to the author as a POW in WWII, but also threads together his experiences of abduction, war, and time travel all in a time-jumbled narrative in which the author occasionally inserts himself as having been present at those certain war scenes. It is equally satire and serious. It is both sorrow and acceptance. Truth and fiction. A study in juxtaposition.

This book has oft been criticized and suppressed on the grounds of it being anti-war. I think this book instead represents a form of therapy for those involved in wars. It tells a story of and gives solace to the lowly footsoldiers who have no understanding of the intent nor importance of any particular orders given, nor of the repercussions of the actions being taken, but who must follow orders, trust in their leaders to have good intelligence and motives, and despite their small part in the overall actions are nonetheless those who are forced to witness the terror and destruction firsthand that they in part helped to create. This witnessing is a horrible burden to a human soul regardless of the amount of involvement by a soldier or of the intent or outcome of any particular conflict.

There is a definite thread throughout the story of acceptance for what cannot be changed. For humans, that includes the past and death. So it goes. For Tralfamadorians, it includes all moments; past, present and future are simultaneous, necessary, and unchanging; death cannot be understood as a permanent state, and war cannot therefore be seen as tragic at all. So it goes.

PG13 for language, graphic wartime violence, and some sexual content.

Note: some details of the Dresden WWII bombings as presented are exaggerated or different from the facts as now understood after extensive research completed by various governments and the City of Dresden. I suggest that it does not matter; this is a story about a soldier's personal experience and contemporaneous ground level perspective of large scale destruction, and therefore necessarily cannot be accurate. Adrenaline, emotion, and trauma will always affect one's perspective. This is a story, not a governmental factual report. ...more

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