See, that's the thing about some of these old classic books. They become so iconic that you almost feel like you are doing something wrong, or [image]
See, that's the thing about some of these old classic books. They become so iconic that you almost feel like you are doing something wrong, or you are being too "predictable" if you like them.
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For its time, this book was a giant feminist cry, and it still bucks a little bit against the system with a protagonist that is NOT looking for love or marriage. But, I think the thing that struck me more than anything was the tragic way mental illness was treated back then. Shock treatments, insulin treatments, and lobotomies were standard care for these poor patients. It just made me feel so outraged on their behalf!
Of course the patriarchal system where men controlled women's bodies in every way was also murder-inducing. From the condescending attitudes towards illness, like telling a female that her (common) complaint must be all in her head, to the barbaric way they treated childbirth, it made me wish that when I was born I could have slapped my doctor. My mother was one of those women who was left to scream alone in a labor room, then drugged in a twilight sleep just in time to be taken to a delivery room, on her back, to have a baby pulled out of her with forceps. Ugh! I can't imagine the fear and horror that the mothers must have felt, all alone, in a society that acted like giving birth was dirty or shameful.
Thank God that we don't have those types of attitudes going on in our society nowadays.
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Okay, we still have a little bit more work to do. I'm just happy that the millennial generation females have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to male-bullshit....more
After just reading another classic, my son came up to me and asked me to buddy-read this one with him. Then, my daughteThis book in a nutshell: [image]
After just reading another classic, my son came up to me and asked me to buddy-read this one with him. Then, my daughter said she would join us. What am I supposed to say to that? "I'm sorry, my children. I know that you would be greatly enriched by reading classic literature and having a literary discussion with me, but I would rather read about vampires having sex. Now, go get mommy some wine and then lock yourselves in your rooms to play video games." Seriously? Like I would ever do that! (Although... do you think it would work? I'm not going to do it or anything. I'm asking for a friend.)
But, surprisingly, or maybe not so much, I always end up enjoying these classic books and usually understand what all the hoopla over them was. This book was freaking amazing. Like many of these type of books, it was weird as hell, but still amazing.
Here's what you need to know:
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Billy Pilgrim is abducted by aliens and learns that time is not linear at all. This gives us the reason for why the story is constantly jumping from past to present to future.
We revisit many events in his life with a major focus on his time in the war. He was a POW and was witness to the bombing of Dresden, which actually happened to Kurt Vonnegut. It is very obvious that he lost his marbles during the war, so we have a case of an unreliable narrator. Personally, I love unreliable narrator books when they are done well, and this one is.
There is so much meat in this book. So much symbolism. So many deep thoughts. So much philosophy, that I felt like my brain might explode. Let's face it, on a normal day my deepest thought is wondering what my dog is thinking.
[image] This dog has seen some things.
Of course, my dogs probably have less going on in their heads than this guy. They haven't seen things. I close the bathroom door so they don't see me naked. They don't need that kind of stress in their lives.
Anyway, if you were expecting a literary review and thoughtful analysis of this book from me, I'll just ask you if you even know me at all. Of course I was going to go off on rabbit trails, put in gifs and memes and basically bring it all back to being about my dogs or food. That's what I do. If you want something in depth and thoughtful, go to a smart reviewers review. If you want to know what some shlub with a potty mouth and a sense of humor thinks - I liked it. But, now it's back to trashy romance....more
I read this as part of a reading challenge. I've never seen the movie either, and now that I've read it, I don't think I want to.
[image] This is what iI read this as part of a reading challenge. I've never seen the movie either, and now that I've read it, I don't think I want to.
[image] This is what it would take to make me watch a movie that includes this as a scene.
It's really hard to review this book because it has been studied, picked apart, and written about for years and years. So, I'm going to approach it as I would any book: what an average American shlub thinks about it. No scholarly dissertation, no thesis, no talking about the symbolism. Just how it made me feel.
The biggest thing about this book is the fact that it is harder than hell to read. It's like decoding hieroglyphics. The language is some sort of made-up slang that will annoy the crap out of you when you start the book. And, this slang language is ridiculous. Many of the words are silly sounding and rhyming. (It is supposed to be an off-shoot of Cockney Rhyming Slang). You may just want to shoot yourself in the head after a few pages.
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It's like Dr. Seuss broke bad or something. Seriously annoying.
The next big thing is the senseless, brutal violence in this story. There is killing, raping, and torture. It's horrible stuff. In this case, the stupid language actually helps because the words used for everything takes you a step-back from the violence.
The torture of our narrator was really the most important part of the story. Everything the book is saying comes down to whether the torture was a good thing or bad thing. There are complex issues that are explored, like crime & punishment, free will vs. determinism, parental and governmental responsibility, etc... This is why so much has been written about a book that calls eggs "eggiwegs". It had better be deep if one is willing to slosh through that much annoyingness. It's like running through a Lego gauntlet. There had better be something good at the end.
The version I read of this book included an extra chapter that was originally edited out of the American version of it. When I noted where it would have cut-off, I actually thought it would have been a much better story if it ended there. I guess that means the editor understood us Americans. But, in the forward that was written by the author, he whines and bitches about the editing. He actually whined and bitched about a lot of things. He was pretty bitter about the book and about Stanley Kubrick making a buttload of money off the movie. His own protagonist would have bitch-slapped him, cut him up a bit, and raped his mother if he met his creator. Seriously, the guy was a self-important weenie.
[image] Luckily, this author is dead, so I get to trash him without remorse.
So, would I recommend anyone reading this book? No freaking way. I just finished it and I have a headache, am slightly depressed, and will be afraid of teenagers from now on. Just skip this and read something that will make you happy....more
Every once in a while I feel the need to get a couple of IQ points back by reading something that is considered a "classic" or won prizes or whatever.Every once in a while I feel the need to get a couple of IQ points back by reading something that is considered a "classic" or won prizes or whatever.
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So, this book is based on a real murder that happened way back in the 1950's. A family was killed in a small town in Kansas and it was a big deal. Not like these days. We hardly flinch anymore when the weekly killing spree is on the news. Truman Capote was super obsessed with this case and took his buddy, Harper Lee, with him to Kansas where they interviewed everyone extensively in this small town. This book was the result and took him 6 years to get out. He insisted that it is completely factual even though he was called a filthy liar with pants on fire because "they" say he made some things up. Personally, I don't care. The book is good whether or not he exaggerated or gave "alternative facts." Again, sign of the times. We are so used to facts being spun that we don't even expect absolute truth anymore.
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The only thing that was difficult for me with this book was the unbelievably descriptive writing. I have little patience for long flowing sentences with many many adjectives to describe a wheat field. I die of boredom really easily. It's a problem. But, I pressed through it because I am brave like that, and I found myself very immersed in the story. I don't know if it is because all of that purple prose got my mind envisioning the story better than others or what, but it worked. Still not a converted fan of the excess adjectives though. I made ONE exception. Can I go back to my vampire smut books now?
I'm not even going to rate this book. I hated it so much, but the writing is amazing. It takes a truly gifted writer to take you inside the mind of soI'm not even going to rate this book. I hated it so much, but the writing is amazing. It takes a truly gifted writer to take you inside the mind of someone this twisted and vile. I would swear that Nabokov himself must have been a pedophile to be able to write such a convincing diary of the mind of one. It truly read like a first-hand account. It's disturbing. So disturbing that I had a bit of a hard time sleeping last night. And, that is a sign of an amazing author. That is why it is considered a classic. And, that is also why it was banned. It's too convincing.
If you don't have to read it, I would never recommend this book to anyone for leisure reading. I would only recommend it to someone interested in becoming a writer, or someone studying literature.
For the rest of us - those who read for pleasure - stay the hell away. Run away, far away!
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* I read this book as part of my 2016 Mac Halo Group book challenge: "read a banned book".
Amazing, of course! I have to read my classics in between my sci-fi's and post-apocalyptic dystopians to keep me sane and literate. Fitzgerald's cynicAmazing, of course! I have to read my classics in between my sci-fi's and post-apocalyptic dystopians to keep me sane and literate. Fitzgerald's cynical view of the upper crust, old money crowd of the 20's never fails to entertain me. His stories can be harsh on the female characters, but he is not much easier on the males, except the protagonist. Great fun, old sport!...more
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