Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughterhouse-Five (1969)
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Genre: Science Fiction (Philosophical)
Plot Summary:
Billy Pilgrim, an American World War Two veteran and survivor of the bombing of Dresden, Germany, seems to have made an ordinary life for himself afer the war. He moved back to Ilium, New York (where he grew up), completed optometry school, married a local young lady, and raised two children. However, Billy's story contains an interesting twist. He is "unstuck in time," which means at various points in the story he is whisked away from the present moment and tumbles into his past or future life. He even travels through space to the planet Tralfamadore, where he is observed and mocked by aliens for his human ways. Billy's painful experiences from war, humdrum personal life in Ilium, and bizarre experiences with Tralfamadorians are interlaced chapter by chapter to form a tale that is part science fiction, part historical fiction. SPOILER: Billy goes on tour to speak about his experiences with time travel and aliens, and while speaking to a crowd in Chicago reveals the details of his own death, which does occur promptly two hours afterward.
Geographical Setting: Ilium, New York, and World War Two era Europe (specifically Dresden, Germany)
Time Period: Varies due to "time travel" motif (mostly set in 1945 and 1968)
Appeal Characteristics:
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five is a classic novel that appeals to readers on a number of levels. Vonnegut's writing style is conversational and unpretentious. He draws the reader into the tragic life of Billy Pilgrim as if he were telling a story to a friend. He treats the reader rather personally and reveals details about Billy via a third-person narrative. The tone of the book is remarkably humorous and dark, simultaneously. While the subject of war is generally a serious topic (and Vonnegut's tone in this book is vehemently anti-war), the reader finds himself chuckling at the amusing portraits Vonnegut paints of real people, in real times. A hauntingly realistic portrayal of place and time should appeal to those who appreciate a book with an historically accurate frame. Vonnegut's World-War-Two era Europe is a harsh and tangible setting. On the other hand, the fanciful portrait of life on the planet Tralfamadore, while also very detailed, brings out the fantastic, speculative side of this book's frame. Characterization is an important appeal element of Slaughterhouse-Five. It is a character-centered story that mainly focuses on the protagonist but also features a cast of quirky characters. Due to Billy's time travel, and the narrator's tendency to share these futuristic details with the reader, we are privy to many of the characters' tragic fates from the very beginning of the story. So as Vonnegut develops these characters through Billy's experiences with them, we feel more deeply for them all along, knowing they would not survive the end of the story. The storyline is thought-provoking and issue-oriented--an especially political and philosophical sort of science fiction novel. The reader is never quite sure whether Billy is actually traveling through time and visiting outer space, or if his adventures are merely symptoms of mental illness brought on by war trauma. In Slaughterhouse-Five Vonnegut uses Billy's character to explore issues of memory, violence, and time in ways that provoke the reader to think more deeply about our histories and futures.
Read-alikes: If you enjoyed Slaughterhouse-Five, you may have been mesmerized by Vonnegut's dark humor and issues-oriented, thought-provoking storyline. Those who enjoyed Vonnegut's story may enjoy Joseph Heller's Catch-22, which is a classic satire about a bombardier named Yossarian during World War Two. Reviews describe the book as a darkly hilarious novel that explores the tragedy of war and its effects on human life. If more Vonnegut is what you are after, Breakfast of Champions is a good book to read next. In this book readers will find Vonnegut's signature writing style--frank and unembellished. Like Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions is a thought-provoking novel that delivers a meaningful message. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger, is not a hard science fiction novel and involves no creatures from space. However much of the book’s appeal can be compared to that of Slaughterhouse-Five. The story traces the lives of two lovers: Claire and Henry. Henry time travels, and Claire does not. Their past, present, and future, together and apart, are revealed much the same way that Billy Pilgrim's life is revealed in Slaughterhouse-Five: in vignettes that cross the boundaries of time to reveal strong characterization. Layer by layer, we come to know Claire and Henry and their situation. The time travel motif will appeal to those who liked the speculative sci-fi side of Slaughterhouse-Five that explores the mysterious nature of time. Connie Willis's Doomsday Book is a story about a history student who time travels from the year 2048 to 14th-century England and becomes deeply involved in epidemics of both periods. Similar to Slaughterhouse-Five the book is a mix of classic science fiction and historical fiction. Willis's intelligent writing style is described as dazzling to her readers, and she has won numerous awards, making her the kind of classic author a fan of Vonnegut's fiction would find appealing. All of an Instant, by Richard Garfinkle, is the story of a man who builds a suit that allows him to swim in the waters of time and manipulate human history, resulting in a world of chaos and conflict. Garfinkle is praised for his skillful treatment of philosophical questions of history and time, and his sophisticated writing style and dark tone explore the theme of human conflict in a way that Vonnegut's fans will find appealing.
Red Flags: War-time violence and mildly sexual scenes (including references to adultery and reproduction).
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