May 8, 2015
Having just finished this novel, I am not yet sure what I think of it. Vonnegut's a bit bizarre...I knew that, that's what I like about his work. This particular book, one of his most celebrated, may have gone a bit too far. I'm don't know yet...hopefully I will by the time I finish writing this.
At the beginning of the book, you get the impression that the narrator (who turns out to be Vonnegut himself) is someone from another planet. The outsider's observations on the absurdity of life in the U.S. were funny and true, to an extent. Vonnegut uses this as a way of pointing out certain hypocrisies in our society, especially in regards to the treatment of black people. This book definitely has an anti-racist tone, as it examines the racist attitudes of the white citizens in Midland City. It also casts a harsh light on class and wealth, through the stories of Dwayne Hoover's family (his adoptive father especially), as well as the details of how gangs basically run Midland City. The swindlers are the ones who get ahead, just like in real life.
In spite of the prologue, I still found it jarring when Vonnegut entered the story. That got rid of the idea of a futuristic narrator speaking, so I found it strange that Vonnegut would give us that impression in the first place. I was getting really into the story at that point, too.
Until Vonnegut's arrival, the story mainly revolved around Kilgore Trout (who was a minor character in Slaughterhouse-Five) and Dwayne Hoover. We know all along that these two men will meet, and what the result of the meeting will be. Hoover's descent into madness is the best part of the story, but I mainly enjoyed the details on the different characters. They were all weird and detailed enough to seem realistic.
So really, it's Vonnegut putting himself into the situation that has me most torn. But here's my take on it. He repeatedly refers to the Creator of the Universe...God, of course. Many people who ponder the existence of a higher power wonder why God would allow bad things to happen. Why the hate and violence? Why the natural disasters that kill people and destroy lives? How could God be so cruel?
Well, you could say that a writer is the creator of his or her own universe. In this case, Vonnegut is the creator...he even says to Kilgore Trout, "I am your Creator." Why would he allow one of his characters to go nuts and hurt a bunch of people? Why would he create a (realistic) world with so much racism and poverty? The question isn't answered, though Vonnegut, unlike the actual Creator of the Universe which may or may not exist, expresses a desire to free his characters...but what does that even mean? Without him, they're literally nothing.
I write creatively, a little. I stink at it, but I still do it, in hopes of maybe creating something that somebody else would want to read. This is a book that I think would be best appreciated by people who write. It is complex and multilayered, and I definitely feel like it needs multiple readings to be fully grasped. So in spite of what I feel is a lack of solidity in this work, overall I can appreciate the complexity and what Vonnegut was attempting here. It definitely makes me want to read more by him.
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