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My Review:Title: Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty Dance with Death
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Published by: Caedmon
Release Date: November 4, 2003
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Ethan Hawke
Length: 5 hours and 13 minutes
Genres: Classic
Source: Library
Reading Challenges: CC's Goodreads Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:
Blurb:Kurt Vonnegut's absurdist classic Slaughterhouse-Five introduces us to Billy Pilgrim, a man who becomes unstuck in time after he is abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. In a plot-scrambling display of virtuosity, we follow Pilgrim simultaneously through all phases of his life, concentrating on his (and Vonnegut's) shattering experience as an American prisoner of war who witnesses the firebombing of Dresden.
Slaughterhouse-Five is not only Vonnegut's most powerful book, it is as important as any written since 1945. Like Catch- 22, it fashions the author's experiences in the Second World War into an eloquent and deeply funny plea against butchery in the service of authority. Slaughterhouse-Five boasts the same imagination, humanity, and gleeful appreciation of the absurd found in Vonnegut's other works, but the book's basis in rock-hard, tragic fact gives it a unique poignancy--and humor.
Billy Pilgrim is the most irritating character ever! He is cowardly, yet determined to live. And he seems to accept things as they are, not really caring if they are true or not. Honestly, I laughed through a lot for this book because it was just so ridiculous. I’m sure there is something I am not getting. I’m clearly not smart enough to understand it but so it goes….
The alien adventure was weird but the account of Dresden was interesting enough for me to keep listening. The time jumps were what really got me to finish it though, if it was a linear telling I probably would have DNF’d this one. I don’t care how ‘classic’ a book is, if it’s boring, I won’t finish it. This one was so oddly entertaining so I quite frankly gobbled it up. It’s not too long so it had that going for it.
I loved the narration by Ethan Hawke though, he absolutley KILLED it, I could listen to stereo instructions if he read them.
Doubt I’d read more by this author, just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
Huh, this actually sounds interesting. I never knew what it was about.
Heh, I read this many, many moons ago. I don’t recall much of the story, except it was a quick book. I read it for required reading in high school.