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| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut, 1999-01-12 Kurt Vonnegut’s masterpiece, Slaughterhouse-Five is “a desperate, painfully honest attempt to confront the monstrous crimes of the twentieth century” (Time). Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time • One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous World War II firebombing of Dresden, the novel is the result of what Kurt Vonnegut described as a twenty-three-year struggle to write a book about what he had witnessed as an American prisoner of war. It combines historical fiction, science fiction, autobiography, and satire in an account of the life of Billy Pilgrim, a barber’s son turned draftee turned optometrist turned alien abductee. As Vonnegut had, Billy experiences the destruction of Dresden as a POW. Unlike Vonnegut, he experiences time travel, or coming “unstuck in time.” An instant bestseller, Slaughterhouse-Five made Kurt Vonnegut a cult hero in American literature, a reputation that only strengthened over time, despite his being banned and censored by some libraries and schools for content and language. But it was precisely those elements of Vonnegut’s writing—the political edginess, the genre-bending inventiveness, the frank violence, the transgressive wit—that have inspired generations of readers not just to look differently at the world around them but to find the confidence to say something about it. Authors as wide-ranging as Norman Mailer, John Irving, Michael Crichton, Tim O’Brien, Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Strout, David Sedaris, Jennifer Egan, and J. K. Rowling have all found inspiration in Vonnegut’s words. Jonathan Safran Foer has described Vonnegut as “the kind of writer who made people—young people especially—want to write.” George Saunders has declared Vonnegut to be “the great, urgent, passionate American writer of our century, who offers us . . . a model of the kind of compassionate thinking that might yet save us from ourselves.” More than fifty years after its initial publication at the height of the Vietnam War, Vonnegut’s portrayal of political disillusionment, PTSD, and postwar anxiety feels as relevant, darkly humorous, and profoundly affecting as ever, an enduring beacon through our own era’s uncertainties. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Slaughterhouse-five, Or, The Children's Crusade, a Duty-dance with Death Kurt Vonnegut, 1969 A fourth-generation German-American now living in easy circumstances on Cape Cod (and smoking too much), who, as an American infantry scout hors de combat, as a prisoner of war, witnessed the fire-bombing of Dresden, Germany, The Florence of the Elbe, a long time ago, and survived to tell the tale. This is a novel somewhat in the telegraphic schizophrenic manner of tales of the planet Tralfamadore, where the flying saucers come from. Peace. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut, 2009-08-11 A special fiftieth anniversary edition of Kurt Vonnegut’s masterpiece, “a desperate, painfully honest attempt to confront the monstrous crimes of the twentieth century” (Time), featuring a new introduction by Kevin Powers, author of the National Book Award finalist The Yellow Birds Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous World War II firebombing of Dresden, the novel is the result of what Kurt Vonnegut described as a twenty-three-year struggle to write a book about what he had witnessed as an American prisoner of war. It combines historical fiction, science fiction, autobiography, and satire in an account of the life of Billy Pilgrim, a barber’s son turned draftee turned optometrist turned alien abductee. As Vonnegut had, Billy experiences the destruction of Dresden as a POW. Unlike Vonnegut, he experiences time travel, or coming “unstuck in time.” An instant bestseller, Slaughterhouse-Five made Kurt Vonnegut a cult hero in American literature, a reputation that only strengthened over time, despite his being banned and censored by some libraries and schools for content and language. But it was precisely those elements of Vonnegut’s writing—the political edginess, the genre-bending inventiveness, the frank violence, the transgressive wit—that have inspired generations of readers not just to look differently at the world around them but to find the confidence to say something about it. Authors as wide-ranging as Norman Mailer, John Irving, Michael Crichton, Tim O’Brien, Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Strout, David Sedaris, Jennifer Egan, and J. K. Rowling have all found inspiration in Vonnegut’s words. Jonathan Safran Foer has described Vonnegut as “the kind of writer who made people—young people especially—want to write.” George Saunders has declared Vonnegut to be “the great, urgent, passionate American writer of our century, who offers us . . . a model of the kind of compassionate thinking that might yet save us from ourselves.” More than fifty years after its initial publication at the height of the Vietnam War, Vonnegut’s portrayal of political disillusionment, PTSD, and postwar anxiety feels as relevant, darkly humorous, and profoundly affecting as ever, an enduring beacon through our own era’s uncertainties. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: The Writer's Crusade Tom Roston, 2021-11-09 The story of Kurt Vonnegut and Slaughterhouse-Five, an enduring masterpiece on trauma and memory Kurt Vonnegut was twenty years old when he enlisted in the United States Army. Less than two years later, he was captured by the Germans in the single deadliest US engagement of the war, the Battle of the Bulge. He was taken to a POW camp, then transferred to a work camp near Dresden, and held in a slaughterhouse called Schlachthof Fünf where he survived the horrific firebombing that killed thousands and destroyed the city. To the millions of fans of Vonnegut’s great novel Slaughterhouse-Five, these details are familiar. They’re told by the book’s author/narrator, and experienced by his enduring character Billy Pilgrim, a war veteran who “has come unstuck in time.” Writing during the tumultuous days of the Vietnam conflict, with the novel, Vonnegut had, after more than two decades of struggle, taken trauma and created a work of art, one that still resonates today. In The Writer’s Crusade, author Tom Roston examines the connection between Vonnegut’s life and Slaughterhouse-Five. Did Vonnegut suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? Did Billy Pilgrim? Roston probes Vonnegut’s work, his personal history, and discarded drafts of the novel, as well as original interviews with the writer’s family, friends, scholars, psychologists, and other novelists including Karl Marlantes, Kevin Powers, and Tim O’Brien. The Writer’s Crusade is a literary and biographical journey that asks fundamental questions about trauma, creativity, and the power of storytelling. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-five Curtis Smith, 2016 The Bookmarked series focuses on a famous work of literature that left a powerful impression on an author (hence the name, Bookmarked - a book that left its mark). Each entry in the series will be a no-holds-barred personal narrative detailing how a particular novel influenced an author on their journey to becoming a writer, as well as the myriad directions where that journey has taken them. Curtis Smith examines the influence of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five (originally published 1972) on his life and writing. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Stop Living on Autopilot Antonio Neves, 2021-01-19 A raw and inspiring how-to guide that will help you recommit to your life, find your drive, and take action to stay bold, honest, and accountable for lasting happiness. “If it’s time to make a bold and courageous shift in your life, Stop Living on Autopilot is the guide you need.”—Marie Forleo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything Is Figureoutable Take stock of your life: Based on your last 30 days of work (or marriage, or parenting), would your company rehire you? Would your partner immediately recommit to you? Would your children want you to continue to be their parent? The easy answer is, “Absolutely!” But it's probably not the honest answer. Your life might read like a success story, and your parents and friends might even think you have it all figured out, but you have a secret: You've stopped caring about much of anything. You feel out of place in your own life. You'd rather binge-watch Netflix than think about what's next. You're living on autopilot. You have two choices: Experience a slow self-destruction, or commit to a course correction. The good news is, it's never too late to find your drive again. Popular speaker and success coach Antonio Neves is here to offer hard-won lessons and remind you that you do have a say—that you can reboot your life and find fulfillment right where you are. You don't have to quit your job or move to Bali to follow your passion. You do, however, need to shift your perspective and commit to living courageously, replacing passivity with boldness. Stop Living on Autopilot will guide you to confront hard truths about where you are and how you got there, inviting compassion, honesty, and accountability. There's no better time than now to reevaluate your life and lay a stronger foundationfor your next 30 days. Step by step, you can become an active player in your own life and rediscover what makes you great. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Venus on the Half-Shell Philip Jose Farmer, 2013-12-10 Simon Wagstaff narrowly escapes the Deluge that destroys Earth when he happens upon an abandoned spaceship. A man without a planet, he gains immortality from an elixir drunk during an interlude with a cat-like alien queen. Now Simon must chart a 3,000-year course to the most distant corners of the multiverse, to seek out the answers to the questions no one can seem to answer. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-five Harold Bloom, 2007 Discusses the characters, plot and writing of Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut. Includes critical essays on the novel and a brief biography of the author. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Slaughterhouse-five, Or, The Children's Crusade Kurt Vonnegut, 1985 Slaughterhouse-Five is one of the world's great anti-war books. Centering on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: The Lightness Emily Temple, 2020-06-11 ‘A psychologically smart debut that swathes teen desire and friendship in mystery and mirth’ Observer ‘Like a twisted Malory Towers or maybe a cosmic version of ‘Heathers’’ Daily Mail ‘Funny, whip-smart and transcendently wise’ Jenny Offill ‘The love child of Donna Tartt and Tana French’ Chloe Benjamin |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Player Piano Kurt Vonnegut, 2009-09-30 “A funny, savage appraisal of a totally automated American society of the future.”—San Francisco Chronicle Kurt Vonnegut’s first novel spins the chilling tale of engineer Paul Proteus, who must find a way to live in a world dominated by a supercomputer and run completely by machines. Paul’s rebellion is vintage Vonnegut—wildly funny, deadly serious, and terrifyingly close to reality. Praise for Player Piano “An exuberant, crackling style . . . Vonnegut is a black humorist, fantasist and satirist, a man disposed to deep and comic reflection on the human dilemma.”—Life “His black logic . . . gives us something to laugh about and much to fear.”—The New York Times Book Review |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters Julian Barnes, 2012-12-18 It's a hilariously revisionist account of Noah's ark, narrated by a passenger who doesn't appear in Genesis. It's a sneak preview of heaven. It encompasses the stories of a cruise ship hijacked by terrorists and of woodworms tried for blasphemy in sixteenth-century France. It explores the relationship of fact to fabulation and the antagonism between history and love. In short, A History of the World in 10½ Chapters is a grandly ambitious and inventive work of fiction, in the traditions of Joyce and Calvino, from the author of the widely acclaimed Flaubert's Parrot. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Breakfast of Champions Kurt Vonnegut, 2009-09-23 “Marvelous . . . [Vonnegut] wheels out all the complaints about America and makes them seem fresh, funny, outrageous, hateful and lovable.”—The New York Times In Breakfast of Champions, one of Kurt Vonnegut’s most beloved characters, the aging writer Kilgore Trout, finds to his horror that a Midwest car dealer is taking his fiction as truth. What follows is murderously funny satire, as Vonnegut looks at war, sex, racism, success, politics, and pollution in America and reminds us how to see the truth. “Free-wheeling, wild and great . . . uniquely Vonnegut.”—Publishers Weekly |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Love, Kurt Kurt Vonnegut, 2020-12-01 A never-before-seen collection of deeply personal love letters from Kurt Vonnegut to his first wife, Jane, compiled and edited by their daughter “A glimpse into the mind of a writer finding his voice.”—The Washington Post “If ever I do write anything of length—good or bad—it will be written with you in mind.” Kurt Vonnegut’s eldest daughter, Edith, was cleaning out her mother’s attic when she stumbled upon a dusty, aged box. Inside, she discovered an unexpected treasure: more than two hundred love letters written by Kurt to Jane, spanning the early years of their relationship. The letters begin in 1941, after the former schoolmates reunited at age nineteen, sparked a passionate summer romance, and promised to keep in touch when they headed off to their respective colleges. And they did, through Jane’s conscientious studying and Kurt’s struggle to pass chemistry. The letters continue after Kurt dropped out and enlisted in the army in 1943, while Jane in turn graduated and worked for the Office of Strategic Services in Washington, D.C. They also detail Kurt’s deployment to Europe in 1944, where he was taken prisoner of war and declared missing in action, and his eventual safe return home and the couple’s marriage in 1945. Full of the humor and wit that we have come to associate with Kurt Vonnegut, the letters also reveal little-known private corners of his mind. Passionate and tender, they form an illuminating portrait of a young soldier’s life in World War II as he attempts to come to grips with love and mortality. And they bring to light the origins of Vonnegut the writer, when Jane was the only person who believed in and supported him supported him, the young couple having no idea how celebrated he would become. A beautiful full-color collection of handwritten letters, notes, sketches, and comics, interspersed with Edith’s insights and family memories, Love, Kurt is an intimate record of a young man growing into himself, a fascinating account of a writer finding his voice, and a moving testament to the life-altering experience of falling in love. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Slaughterhouse-five Kurt Vonnegut, 1991 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 also 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 unique poignancy-and humor.--From publisher description. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Bluebeard Kurt Vonnegut, 2009-10-14 “Ranks with Vonnegut’s best and goes one step beyond . . . joyous, soaring fiction.”—The Atlanta Journal and Constitution Broad humor and bitter irony collide in this fictional autobiography of Rabo Karabekian, who, at age seventy-one, wants to be left alone on his Long Island estate with the secret he has locked inside his potato barn. But then a voluptuous young widow badgers Rabo into telling his life story—and Vonnegut in turn tells us the plain, heart-hammering truth about man’s careless fancy to create or destroy what he loves. Praise for Bluebeard “Vonnegut is at his edifying best.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer “The quicksilver mind of Vonnegut is at it again. . . . He displays all his talents—satire, irony, ridicule, slapstick, and even a shaggy dog story of epic proportions.”—The Cincinnati Post “[Kurt Vonnegut is] a voice you can trust to keep poking holes in the social fabric.”—San Francisco Chronicle “It has the qualities of classic Bosch and Slaughterhouse Vonnegut. . . . Bluebeard is uncommonly feisty.”—USA Today “Is Bluebeard good? Yes! . . . This is vintage Vonnegut—good wine from his best grapes.”—The Detroit News “A joyride . . . Vonnegut is more fascinated and puzzled than angered by the human stupidities and contradictions he discerns so keenly. So hop in his rumble seat. As you whiz along, what you observe may provide some new perspectives.”—Kansas City Star |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut, Ryan North, 2020-09-23 With Kurt Vonnegut’s seminal anti-war story, Slaughterhouse-Five, Eisner Award-winning writer Ryan North (Unbeatable Squirrel Girl) and Eisner Award-nominated artist Albert Monteys (Universe!) translate a literary classic into comic book form in the tradition of A Wrinkle in Time and Fight Club 2. Billy Pilgrim has read Kilgore Trout and opened a successful optometry business. Billy Pilgrim has built a loving family and witnessed the firebombing of Dresden. Billy Pilgrim has traveled to the planet Tralfamadore and met Kurt Vonnegut. Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time. Slaughterhouse-Five is at once a farcical look at the horror and tragedy of war where children are placed on the frontlines and die (so it goes), and a moving examination of what it means to be a fallible human. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: A Line of Blood Ben McPherson, 2015-09-29 In one of the most entertaining and twisty thrillers of the year a London family, a mother, father and young son, must deal with the murder of their secretive next door neighbor and the intrusive police investigation that follows. Readers will be faced with ever shifting and increasingly frightening suspicions that one or all of them had something to do with it. Alex Mercer loves his family more than anything. His wife Millicent and their precocious eleven-year-old son Max are everything to him, his little tribe. When he is with them all is right with the world. But when he and Max find their next door neighbour dead in his bathtub, their lives are suddenly and irrevocably changed. Max is surprisingly fascinated by the dead body, and Alex is understandably anxious about how Max will react later, once he takes it all in. And Alex is increasingly impatient for the police to conclude their investigation and call this the suicide that it so clearly was. But as new information surfaces, it becomes clear that there is more to this than anyone is saying... Why was the neighbour charging his home improvements to the Mercers’ address? How did Millicent’s bracelet end up in his apartment? And why, in fact, did Max lead his father into the house on the quiet summer night that they found the corpse? As suspicion grows between the three, the once close-knit family starts to disintegrate. Is Alex really the loving husband we believe him to be? And where is Millicent really going when she disappears for hours, walking the parks of London, stewing over something that she can’t forget? Each of them is suffering. Each has something to hide. And as each questions how well they really know each other, they must decide how far they’ll go to protect themselves-and each other-from investigators who are watching every move they make. Just waiting for someone to make a mistake. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: The Lost Art of Reading David L. Ulin, 2011-01 Reading is a revolutionary act, an act of engagement in a culture that wants us to disengage. In The Lost Art of Reading, David L. Ulin asks a number of timely questions - why is literature important? What does it offer, especially now? Blending commentary with memoir, Ulin addresses the importance of the simple act of reading in an increasingly digital culture. Reading a book, flipping through hard pages, or shuffling them on screen - it doesnt matter. The key is the act of reading, the seriousness and depth. Ulin emphasizes the importance of reflection and pause allowed by stopping to read a book, and the focus required to let the mind run free in a world that is not one's own. Far from preaching to the choir, The Lost Art of Reading is a call to arms, or rather, pages. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian Kurt Vonnegut, 1999 This fictional adventure takes the form of a series of interviews' - brief pieces originally read on WNYC, Manhattan's public radio station but now revised and rewritten. As a 'reporter on the afterlife' Vonnegut trips down 'the blue tunnel to the pearly gates' and imagines an afterworld peopled, for the most part, with characters of great dignity and wit who managed to make their unique contributions by simply being who they are. Subjects include Issac Newton, James Earl Ray, Mary Shelley, John Brown, William Shakespeare, and some twenty-five others.' |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Cat's Cradle Kurt Vonnegut, 1998-09-08 “A free-wheeling vehicle . . . an unforgettable ride!”—The New York Times Cat’s Cradle is Kurt Vonnegut’s satirical commentary on modern man and his madness. An apocalyptic tale of this planet’s ultimate fate, it features a midget as the protagonist, a complete, original theology created by a calypso singer, and a vision of the future that is at once blackly fatalistic and hilariously funny. A book that left an indelible mark on an entire generation of readers, Cat’s Cradle is one of the twentieth century’s most important works—and Vonnegut at his very best. “[Vonnegut is] an unimitative and inimitable social satirist.”—Harper’s Magazine “Our finest black-humorist . . . We laugh in self-defense.”—Atlantic Monthly |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: We Are What We Pretend To Be Perseus, 2012-10-09 Vonnegut was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Dresden Frederick Taylor, 2009-04-10 Published to coincide with the bombing, this dramatic and controversial account completely re-examines the Allied attack on Dresden For decades it has been assumed that the Allied bombing of Dresden was militarily unjustifiable, an act of rage and retribution for Germany’s ceaseless bombing of London and other parts of England. Now, Frederick Taylor’s groundbreaking research offers a completely new examination of the facts, and reveals that Dresden was a highly-militarized city actively involved in the production of military armaments and communications concealed beneath the cultural elegance for which the city was famous. Incorporating first-hand accounts, contemporaneous press material and memoirs, and never-before-seen government records, Taylor documents unequivocally the very real military threat Dresden posed, and thus altering forever our view of that attack. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Judy Blume, 2024-11-05 Now a major motion picture starring Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates! A Time Best YA Book of All Time Margaret shares her secrets and her spirituality in this iconic Judy Blume novel, beloved by millions. Margaret Simon, almost twelve, likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She’s just moved from New York City to Farbook, New Jersey, and is anxious to fit in with her new friends—Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. When they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong. But none of them can believe Margaret doesn’t have religion, and that she isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don’t know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush. Margaret is funny and real. As you read her story, you’ll know why this book has been the favorite of millions of readers. It’s as if Margaret is talking right to you, sharing her secrets with a friend. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: The Planiverse A.K. Dewdney, 2012-12-06 A classic book about life in a two-dimensional universe, written by a well-known author. Now brought back into print in this revised and updated edition, the book is written within the great tradition of Abbott's Flatland, and Hinton's famous Sphereland. Accessible, imaginative, and clever, it will appeal to a wide array of readers, from serious mathematicians and computer scientists, to science fiction fans. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Pity the Reader Kurt Vonnegut, Suzanne McConnell, 2019-11-05 “A rich, generous book about writing and reading and Kurt Vonnegut as writer, teacher, and friend . . . Every page brings pleasure and insight.”—Gail Godwin, New York Times bestselling author Here is an entirely new side of Kurt Vonnegut, Vonnegut as a teacher of writing. Of course he’s given us glimpses before, with aphorisms and short essays and articles and in his speeches. But never before has an entire book been devoted to Kurt Vonnegut the teacher. Here is pretty much everything Vonnegut ever said or wrote having to do with the writing art and craft, altogether a healing, a nourishing expedition. His former student, Suzanne McConnell, has outfitted us for the journey, and in these 37 chapters covers the waterfront of how one American writer brought himself to the pinnacle of the writing art, and we can all benefit as a result. Kurt Vonnegut was one of the few grandmasters of American literature, whose novels continue to influence new generations about the ways in which our imaginations can help us to live. Few aspects of his contribution have not been plumbed—fourteen novels, collections of his speeches, his essays, his letters, his plays—so this fresh view of him is a bonanza for writers and readers and Vonnegut fans everywhere. “Part homage, part memoir, and a 100% guide to making art with words, Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style is a simply mesmerizing book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!”—Andre Dubus III, #1 New York Times bestselling author “The blend of memory, fact, keen observation, spellbinding descriptiveness and zany characters that populated Vonnegut’s work is on full display here.”—James McBride, National Book Award-winning author |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-five Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., 2009 Presents a collection of critical essays about Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-five. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: A Man Without a Country Kurt Vonnegut, 2017-06-20 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “For all those who have lived with Vonnegut in their imaginations . . . this is what he is like in person.”–USA Today In a volume that is penetrating, introspective, incisive, and laugh-out-loud funny, one of the great men of letters of this age–or any age–holds forth on life, art, sex, politics, and the state of America’s soul. From his coming of age in America, to his formative war experiences, to his life as an artist, this is Vonnegut doing what he does best: Being himself. Whimsically illustrated by the author, A Man Without a Country is intimate, tender, and brimming with the scope of Kurt Vonnegut’s passions. Praise for A Man Without a Country “[This] may be as close as Vonnegut ever comes to a memoir.”–Los Angeles Times “Like [that of] his literary ancestor Mark Twain, [Kurt Vonnegut’s] crankiness is good-humored and sharp-witted. . . . [Reading A Man Without a Country is] like sitting down on the couch for a long chat with an old friend.”–The New York Times Book Review “Filled with [Vonnegut’s] usual contradictory mix of joy and sorrow, hope and despair, humor and gravity.”–Chicago Tribune “Fans will linger on every word . . . as once again [Vonnegut] captures the complexity of the human condition with stunning calligraphic simplicity.”–The Australian “Thank God, Kurt Vonnegut has broken his promise that he will never write another book. In this wondrous assemblage of mini-memoirs, we discover his family’s legacy and his obstinate, unfashionable humanism.”–Studs Terkel |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: The Yellow Birds Kevin Powers, 2012-09-06 WINNER OF THE GUARDIAN FIRST BOOK AWARD NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER and BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Extraordinary . . . a must-read' Guardian 'A masterpiece . . . a classic' The Times 'A stunning achievement' Sunday Times 'Remarkable . . . every line is a defiant assertion of the power of beauty to revivify' Hilary Mantel 'Harrowing, inexplicably beautiful, and utterly, urgently necessary' Ann Patchett Everywhere John looks, he sees Murph. He flinches when cars drive past. His fingers clasp around the rifle he hasn't held for months. Wide-eyed strangers praise him as a hero, but he can feel himself disappearing. Back home after a year in Iraq, memories swarm around him: bodies burning in the crisp morning air. Sunlight falling through branches; bullets kicking up dust; ripples on a pond wavering like plucked strings. The promise he made, to a young man's mother, that her son would be brought home safely. Written with profound emotional insight, especially into the effects of a hidden war on families at home, THE YELLOW BIRDS is one of the most haunting, true and powerful novels of our time. A NEW YORK TIMES, INDEPENDENT, TIMES, TLS, EVENING STANDARD, SUNDAY EXPRESS, GUARDIAN, SCOTSMAN, SUNDAY HERALD, IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Critical Companion to Tim O'Brien Susan Elizabeth Farrell, 2011 Tim O'Brien is the one of the greatest living American authors. He was drafted for service in Vietnam as soon as he graduated from Macalester College in 1968. His Vietnam War novels The Things They Carried and Going After Cacciato are widely acknowledged as some of the best American war novels ever written. Critical Companion to Tim O'Brien is a comprehensive new resource for anyone interested in this author's life, works, and achievements. Coverage includes: A concise but thorough biography of O'Brien Entries on all O'Brien's works, including his war novels, Going After Cacciato, The Things They Carried, and In the Lake of the Woods; his memoir, If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home; and all his other published novels and short stories, including The Nuclear Age, July, July, and more Entries on related people, places, and topics, such as Green Berets, Ernest Hemingway, metafiction, and Viet Cong Appendixes, including a chronology, a bibliography of O'Brien's works, and a secondary source bibliography. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: In the Weeds Tom Vitale, 2022-10-11 **Nominated for the 2022 BookTube Prize in Nonfiction** Anthony Bourdain's long time director and producer takes readers behind the scenes to reveal the insanity of filming television in some of the most volatile places in the world and what it was like to work with a legend. In the nearly two years since Anthony Bourdain's death, no one else has come close to filling the void he left. His passion for and genuine curiosity about the people and cultures he visited made the world feel smaller and more connected. Despite his affable, confident, and trademark snarky TV persona, the real Tony was intensely private, deeply conflicted about his fame, and an enigma even to those close to him. Tony's devoted crew knew him best, and no one else had a front-row seat for as long as his director and producer, Tom Vitale. Over the course of more than a decade traveling together, Tony became a boss, a friend, a hero and, sometimes, a tormentor.In the Weeds takes readers behind the scenes to reveal not just the insanity that went into filming in some of the most far-flung and volatile parts of the world, but what Tony was like unedited and off-camera. From the outside, the job looked like an all-expenses-paid adventure to places like Borneo, Vietnam, Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Libya. What happened off-camera was far more interesting than what made it to air. The more things went wrong, the better it was for the show. Fortunately, everything fell apart constantly. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts Farnam Street, 2019-12-16 The old saying goes, ''To the man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.'' But anyone who has done any kind of project knows a hammer often isn't enough. The more tools you have at your disposal, the more likely you'll use the right tool for the job - and get it done right. The same is true when it comes to your thinking. The quality of your outcomes depends on the mental models in your head. And most people are going through life with little more than a hammer. Until now. The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts is the first book in The Great Mental Models series designed to upgrade your thinking with the best, most useful and powerful tools so you always have the right one on hand. This volume details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making, productivity, and how clearly you see the world. You will discover what forces govern the universe and how to focus your efforts so you can harness them to your advantage, rather than fight with them or worse yet- ignore them. Upgrade your mental toolbox and get the first volume today. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Farnam Street (FS) is one of the world's fastest growing websites, dedicated to helping our readers master the best of what other people have already figured out. We curate, examine and explore the timeless ideas and mental models that history's brightest minds have used to live lives of purpose. Our readers include students, teachers, CEOs, coaches, athletes, artists, leaders, followers, politicians and more. They're not defined by gender, age, income, or politics but rather by a shared passion for avoiding problems, making better decisions, and lifelong learning. AUTHOR HOME Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: And So It Goes Charles J. Shields, 2012-10-16 From the author of Mockingbird—the first authoritative biography of Kurt Vonnegut Jr., a writer who forever altered American literature In 2006, Charles Shields reached out to Kurt Vonnegut in a letter asking for his endorsement for a planned biography. The first response was no (A most respectful demurring by me for the excellent writer Charles J. Shields, who offered to be my biographer). Unwilling to take no for an answer, propelled by a passion for his subject, and already deep into his research, Shields wrote again and this time, to his delight, the answer came back: O.K. For the next year—a year that ended up being Vonnegut's last—Shields had unprecedented access to Vonnegut and his letters. While millions know Vonnegut as a counterculture guru, antiwar activist, and satirist of American culture, few outside his closest friends and family knew the full arc of his extraordinary life. And So It Goes changes that, painting the portrait of a man who made friends easily but always felt lonely, sold millions of books but never felt appreciated, and described himself as a humanist but fought with humanity at large. As a former public relations man, Vonnegut crafted his image carefully—the avuncular, curly-haired humorist—though he admitted, I myself am a work of fiction. The extremely wide and overwhelmingly positive review coverage for And So It Goes has been nothing less than extraordinary and confirm it as the definitive biography of Kurt Vonnegut. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five William Bly, 1985 A guide to reading Slaughterhouse Five with a critical and appreciative mind encouraging analysis of plot, style, form, and structure. Also includes background on the author's life and times, sample tests, term paper suggestions, and a reading list. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut, 2014-01-14 NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Newsweek/The Daily Beast • The Huffington Post • Kansas City Star • Time Out New York • Kirkus Reviews This extraordinary collection of personal correspondence has all the hallmarks of Kurt Vonnegut’s fiction. Written over a sixty-year period, these letters, the vast majority of them never before published, are funny, moving, and full of the same uncanny wisdom that has endeared his work to readers worldwide. Included in this comprehensive volume: the letter a twenty-two-year-old Vonnegut wrote home immediately upon being freed from a German POW camp, recounting the ghastly firebombing of Dresden that would be the subject of his masterpiece Slaughterhouse-Five; wry dispatches from Vonnegut’s years as a struggling writer slowly finding an audience and then dealing with sudden international fame in middle age; righteously angry letters of protest to local school boards that tried to ban his work; intimate remembrances penned to high school classmates, fellow veterans, friends, and family; and letters of commiseration and encouragement to such contemporaries as Gail Godwin, Günter Grass, and Bernard Malamud. Vonnegut’s unmediated observations on science, art, and commerce prove to be just as inventive as any found in his novels—from a crackpot scheme for manufacturing “atomic” bow ties to a tongue-in-cheek proposal that publishers be allowed to trade authors like baseball players. (“Knopf, for example, might give John Updike’s contract to Simon and Schuster, and receive Joan Didion’s contract in return.”) Taken together, these letters add considerable depth to our understanding of this one-of-a-kind literary icon, in both his public and private lives. Each letter brims with the mordant humor and openhearted humanism upon which he built his legend. And virtually every page contains a quotable nugget that will make its way into the permanent Vonnegut lexicon. • On a job he had as a young man: “Hell is running an elevator throughout eternity in a building with only six floors.” • To a relative who calls him a “great literary figure”: “I am an American fad—of a slightly higher order than the hula hoop.” • To his daughter Nanny: “Most letters from a parent contain a parent’s own lost dreams disguised as good advice.” • To Norman Mailer: “I am cuter than you are.” Sometimes biting and ironical, sometimes achingly sweet, and always alive with the unique point of view that made him the true cultural heir to Mark Twain, these letters comprise the autobiography Kurt Vonnegut never wrote. Praise for Kurt Vonnegut: Letters “Splendidly assembled . . . familiar, funny, cranky . . . chronicling [Vonnegut’s] life in real time.”—Kurt Andersen, The New York Times Book Review “[This collection is] by turns hilarious, heartbreaking and mundane. . . . Vonnegut himself is a near-perfect example of the same flawed, wonderful humanity that he loved and despaired over his entire life.”—NPR “Congenial, whimsical and often insightful missives . . . one of [Vonnegut’s] very best.”—Newsday “These letters display all the hallmarks of Vonnegut’s fiction—smart, hilarious and heartbreaking.”—The New York Times Book Review |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Modern Critical Interpretations Set, 83-Volumes Harold Bloom, 2007-06-01 Presents important and scholarly criticism on major works from The Odyssey through modern literature The critical essays reflect a variety of schools of criticism Contains notes on the contributing critics, a chronology of the author's life, and an index Introductory essay by Harold Bloom |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: The Last Station Nicole Alexander, 2023-03-14 'Unputdownable ... epitomising the great Australian novel.' Anita Heiss 'A warm and uniquely Australian story.' Herald Sun In nineteenth-century New South Wales, the name Dalhunty stood for prosperity and prestige. The family's vast station was home to more than 80 people, and each year their premium wool was shipped down the bustling Darling River to be sold in South Australia. Yet, just decades later, Dalhunty Station is on the brink of ruin . . . In the summer of 1909, eccentric Benjamin Dalhunty and his son Julian anxiously await the arrival of the Lady Matilda, the first paddle-steamer to navigate the river in more than two years. It will transport their very last wool clip to market. Twenty-year-old Julian wants more from life than the crumbling station, but as the eldest son his future has been set since birth. Until the day his mother invites a streetwise young man from Sydney into their home . . . Ethan Harris's arrival shines a light on a family at breaking point. But he also unwittingly offers Julian an escape, as the young men embark on a perilous journey down the Darling and west into untamed lands. The Last Station is a captivating story of heritage, heartbreak and hope, set during the dying days of the riverboat trade along the Darling River. 'An enthralling, gritty adventure... Bursting with pathos, humour and folklore.' Michael Burge author of Tank Water 'A captivating story... Evocative, engrossing and entertaining.' Alison Booth author of The Painting |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Study Guide to Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Intelligent Education, 2020-02-15 A comprehensive study guide offering in-depth explanation, essay, and test prep for Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, an instant success across all popular media. As an anti-war novel of the 1960s, Vonnegut wrote Slaughterhouse-Five as a double story: the main character suffers from the traumatic effects of war; the author struggles with the effects of war on both the character and the author. Moreover, his writing shows his belief that art is no longer a finished product, but it is an ongoing process. This Bright Notes Study Guide explores the context and history of Vonnegut’s classic work, helping students to thoroughly explore the reasons it has stood the literary test of time. Each Bright Notes Study Guide contains: - Introductions to the Author and the Work - Character Summaries - Plot Guides - Section and Chapter Overviews - Test Essay and Study Q&As The Bright Notes Study Guide series offers an in-depth tour of more than 275 classic works of literature, exploring characters, critical commentary, historical background, plots, and themes. This set of study guides encourages readers to dig deeper in their understanding by including essay questions and answers as well as topics for further research. |
| slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut: Slaughterhouse-five, Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut, Sparknotes, 2002 Get your A in gear! They're today's most popular study guides-with everything you need to succeed in school. Written by Harvard students for students, since its inception SparkNotes(TM) has developed a loyal community of dedicated users and become a major education brand. Consumer demand has been so strong that the guides have expanded to over 150 titles. SparkNotes'(TM) motto is Smarter, Better, Faster because: - They feature the most current ideas and themes, written by experts. - They're easier to understand, because the same people who use them have also written them. - The clear writing style and edited content enables students to read through the material quickly, saving valuable time. And with everything covered--context; plot overview; character lists; themes, motifs, and symbols; summary and analysis, key facts; study questions and essay topics; and reviews and resources--you don't have to go anywhere else! |
Slaughterhouse - Wikipedia
In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (/ ˈæbətwɑːr / ⓘ), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. …
Slaughterhouses: How Are Animals Killed In a Slaughterhouse?
Nov 15, 2022 · What is a slaughterhouse? A slaughterhouse is a facility designed expedite the slaughter of live farmed animals. After these facilities kill animals, they reduce the animal’s …
How Slaughterhouses Work: The Harsh Reality of Meat Production
Jun 11, 2024 · A slaughterhouse is where farmed animals are taken to be killed, usually for food. The method of slaughter varies widely depending on the species, location of the …
Slaughterhouses: What are they and how are animals killed in …
What is a slaughterhouse? A slaughterhouse is where farmed animals go to be killed and have their bodies processed into food and other products.
The Slaughterhouse | Tucson's Scariest Haunted House
The world famous Apocalypse Zombie Experience was created right here at SlaughterHouse. An intense, immersive Live action game using military grade Laser weapons to eliminate the …
Slaughterhouse Videos - Video Clips of How Animals Are Killed
Slaughterhouse videos of how animals are killed are never shown in schools. These eye-opening clips show what the meat industry hides being closed doors.
Find a Slaughterhouse Near You - Ag Service Finder
Finding a slaughterhouse near you can be difficult, with the power of the internet. That’s why we’ve compiled a directory with 750+ slaughterhouses and meat processors across the United …
Slaughterhouse workers: What do they do and are they cruel?
Oct 8, 2022 · Slaughterhouse workers have some of the most dangerous and psychologically harmful jobs worldwide, often without health benefits or job security. These workers are paid to …
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF …
Slaughterhouses are a key source of water pollution and environmental degradation. Laws regulating these facilities are weak and poorly enforced, for the animals killed in the process, …
Slaughterhouse - Wikiwand
In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (/ ˈæbətwɑːr / ⓘ), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. …
Slaughterhouse - Wikipedia
In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (/ ˈæbətwɑːr / ⓘ), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. …
Slaughterhouses: How Are Animals Killed In a Slaughterhouse?
Nov 15, 2022 · What is a slaughterhouse? A slaughterhouse is a facility designed expedite the slaughter of live farmed animals. After these facilities kill animals, they reduce the animal’s …
How Slaughterhouses Work: The Harsh Reality of Meat Production
Jun 11, 2024 · A slaughterhouse is where farmed animals are taken to be killed, usually for food. The method of slaughter varies widely depending on the species, location of the …
Slaughterhouses: What are they and how are animals killed in them?
What is a slaughterhouse? A slaughterhouse is where farmed animals go to be killed and have their bodies processed into food and other products.
The Slaughterhouse | Tucson's Scariest Haunted House
The world famous Apocalypse Zombie Experience was created right here at SlaughterHouse. An intense, immersive Live action game using military grade Laser weapons to eliminate the …
Slaughterhouse Videos - Video Clips of How Animals Are Killed
Slaughterhouse videos of how animals are killed are never shown in schools. These eye-opening clips show what the meat industry hides being closed doors.
Find a Slaughterhouse Near You - Ag Service Finder
Finding a slaughterhouse near you can be difficult, with the power of the internet. That’s why we’ve compiled a directory with 750+ slaughterhouses and meat processors across the United …
Slaughterhouse workers: What do they do and are they cruel?
Oct 8, 2022 · Slaughterhouse workers have some of the most dangerous and psychologically harmful jobs worldwide, often without health benefits or job security. These workers are paid to …
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF SLAUGHTERHOUSES: …
Slaughterhouses are a key source of water pollution and environmental degradation. Laws regulating these facilities are weak and poorly enforced, for the animals killed in the process, …
Slaughterhouse - Wikiwand
In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (/ ˈæbətwɑːr / ⓘ), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. …
