Dusty’s review of God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater > Likes and Comments

Dusty, I happened to really like this book, BUT . . . thank you so much for these lines:

"Also, I don't understand why he has such a loathing, in this novel, for dependent clauses joined with anything other than a stupid, belchlike comma."

Good God do I hate that and it really started to irritate me in this book. I also don't remember this being Vonnegut's habit in other books. You're exactly right about the effect it has. Thank you for pointing it out.

I always enjoy reading the extremely negative comments of the books I love because they tend to raise points about the work I would never see on my own. It gives me something new to consider when I re-read a story. I won't argue the point of Vonnegut's punctuation and will look for it and maybe even be angry at it the next time I read this book.

I would like to point out that in the example given Vonnegut is referencing places and events that are central to his story The Sirens of Titan. I don't know about the rest of the book but regarding the example you provided it read to me not as 'a loathing' of his work but rather a wink to those in the know. It's a literary Easter Egg kept short, simple, and sweet.

Couldn't disagree more. Okay, Vonnegut was not an elegant writer, as an artist he was less than perfect. But as an original and 'biting' satirist, he was tops. And this book is a portrait of money and it's corrupting
power, as instanced in the metaphor of the "money river" which seekers crowd along to slurp up as much as they can guzzle. Look at what has happened in the U.S. in recent years. Vonnegut died toward the end of the Bush II administration, embittered at what he saw as the destruction of this country. Everything he said in this book was true. Not tasteful, sometimes crude, but true.

"Norman Mushari killed the afternoon by driving over to Newport, paid a quarter to tour the famous Rumford mansion."
that's part of what I love about vonnegut, the conversational tone. :)

Your review is thoughtful and well meaning, but I'm with Contrarywise on this one. Vonnegut is a tough old Dutchman who can't be bought.

You make me sick. Your narrow view of the wonderful world of grammar confines you to a prison of mundane prescriptive grammar. Wake up and enjoy what Vonnegut does with words and syntax! Don't be such a pedant, cursing a master of wordly expression. You prescriptive tunnel vision limits the full enjoyment of this novel. Don't sit there and pretend you have some higher knowledge of "syntax", you pretentiously pedantic pseudo intellectual. Long live artist such as Vonnegut who break the monotonous tone of the prescriptive grade school grammarians!

P.S. I am half way through the novel and am loving it. Vonnegut's voice and style are as present in this novel as in any other. If you can't handle him, don't go around attempting to discredit this great satirical artist, it only annoys those who are able to appreciate his greatness.

I echo Ted's sentiments, minus the name-calling. I disagree with your claim that the use of commas where a conjunction is "correct" makes Vonnegut sound bored. That's just how some of us reg'lar people talk, sometimes. I think it creates a tone that fits with the book's principles. And you didn't like those...

I wish I could also disagree with you about the ending. Vonnegut is like one of the all-time great masters of endings, in my eyes. Not just with the endings of his books, but the way he ends chapters, paragraphs... This book even seems to exemplify his talent for endings. Until the ENDING ending. I'm not sure what he was thinking there. I can't think of how to defend it, nor how to attack it. But I definitely didn't like it.

I've read in few Vonnegut novels and count him as one of my favourite authors, that's not to say he's consistently good and hits all the right notes, but he's nothing if not unique. I'm interested to read this book from your less-than-positive review alone.