Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut

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Title: Galapagos

Author: Kurt Vonnegut

Genre: Science Fiction

Length: 324 pages

Published: 1999 (version I read, originally 1985)

Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Galápagos takes the reader back one million years, to A.D. 1986. A simple vacation cruise suddenly becomes an evolutionary journey. Thanks to an apocalypse, a small group of survivors stranded on the Galápagos Islands are about to become the progenitors of a brave, new, and totally different human race. In this inimitable novel, America’s master satirist looks at our world and shows us all that is sadly, madly awry–and all that is worth saving.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

I've only read two Vonnegut books (this and Slaughterhouse-Five), and I still can't decide if I absolutely love him or just kind of like him. I definitely understand his humor and enjoy it. 

The narrator is probably my favorite character. Mostly because he's a ghost. He's omniscient. He's also the son of Kilgore Trout, the science fiction writer talked about in Slaughterhouse-Five. In fact, I have it on good authority that Kilgore Trout is mentioned in some way or appears in most of Vonnegut's books. I enjoy this literary device: having a character that shows up in most of your books. Trout is to Kurt Vonnegut what Flagg is to Stephen King.

Definitely a must read if you enjoy humor, science fiction, or have read anything by Vonnegut!

You can purchase Galapagos through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Galapagos? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

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Title: Slaughterhouse-Five

Author: Kurt Vonnegut

Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Science, & War Fiction

Length: 275 pages

Published: 1976

Publisher: Dell

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) 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.

Don't let the ease of reading fool you - Vonnegut's isn't a conventional, or simple, novel. He writes, "There are almost no characters in this story, and almost no dramatic confrontations, because most of the people in it are so sick, and so much the listless playthings of enormous forces. One of the main effects of war, after all, is that people are discouraged from being characters."

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 a unique poignancy - and humor.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This was...strange. It took me 90% of the book to decide if I liked it or not. The writing was easy to read, which is always great to find. The story was disjointed - but not without reason. The disjointedness of the story was exactly what the author intended. You're following Billy Pilgrim through his life. He becomes unstuck in time and travels back and forth between different eras: WWII, meeting the author Kilgore Trout, time spent in the psychiatric hospital, time spent on the alien planet Tralfamadore, etc. 

I'm going to be reading Galapagos by Vonnegut soon, and I hope I enjoy it as much as I ended up enjoying Slaughterhouse-Five. I definitely plan on picking up more Vonnegut books in the future as well.

You can purchase Slaughterhouse-Five through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Slaughterhouse-Five? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.