I saw his obituary two minutes ago. He'll be missed. I just read seven of his books in a row over the last couple of months.
Chris Chan | 04.12.07 - 3:04 am | #

Bluebeard, along with Jules Feifer's "Man in the Ceiling", was one of my favorite books dealing with us wacky artists, and I too fondly remember the day I got it signed.
Granted, theses days, I am more apt to give a fellow artist L'engle's "Walking on Water" (O:
safe traveling,
mike | Homepage | 04.12.07 - 7:18 am | #

I'm with you, Dawn. I too don't agree with much of his philosophy nowadays, but I was a fan of his unique writing style.

Parts of Breakfast of Champions, in particular, still stick out in my mind as being laugh-out-loud funny.
John Jansen | Homepage | 04.12.07 - 12:14 pm | #

So it goes...
Joel | Homepage | 04.12.07 - 12:36 pm | #

I was a big Vonnegut fan in High School.

I guess now he has become unstuck in time and fixed in eternity.
Jeff Miller | Homepage | 04.12.07 - 12:52 pm | #

Here I go with the usual negativity. First off, I read 9 of Vonnegut's books in the 1970s and early 80s. I liked them, but when you're young and reading concepts for the first time, you're generally uncritical. After becoming an economics major, a lot of what Vonnegut said became patently absurd. But now's the bad part (speaking ill of the dead). I don't quite "get" how he got separated from his unit in WWII. I looked online and versions were that he was a "scout." Now, I was in the Marines 22 years. No one goes anywhere alone -- even scouting is done with 4 or 5 guys. It's incomprehensible to me that you could lose track of everyone unless you were flat out running for miles.
That said, the Bulge was particularly nasty and I have never been under that sort of intense fire.
Overall Vonnegut made his money from me buying his books, and if I am cynical he can take his share of the credit -- he profited from cynicism and defeatism.
Favorites? Mother Night and Deadeye Dick.
Scott Allen | 04.12.07 - 10:07 pm | #

I can remember a vet telling me about his experiences at the Battle of the Bulge. He did go scout by himself. No others were with him.

He was shot by a German sniper and ended up laying the snow for two hours until his buddies came looking for him. It took so long because they didn't start looking for him until his time to return to the camp had passed. His pals then had to circle around the open field where he was laying to kill the sniper before they could rescue him. He said laying the the snow for so long was worse than the actual bullet wound.
Steve Harvey | 04.12.07 - 11:00 pm | #

launched into the chrono-synclastic infundibula
Greg Bourke | Homepage | 04.13.07 - 5:32 am | #

KV had a big influence on me in high school and college, and then later, when I taught high school English, I taught Mother Night. The Sirens of Titan and Breakfast of Champions were my favorites, though.

Vonnegut had a lot of personal charm, but most of his writing leaves me cold today. So much cynicism, so much despair.
naptown | 04.13.07 - 9:33 am | #

Sorry to hear the news. Like you Dawn; he was a brave good hearted soul, and a great American. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U...h? v=Uf6WQs1WnHg
Walt | Homepage | 04.13.07 - 3:57 pm | #

Steve, thank you for the vet's story.
Scott Allen | 04.13.07 - 4:25 pm | #

What am I missing here? Ironically, an issue has come up this week in our diocesan Catholic school regarding the required reading of Slauterhouse 5. From the excerpts I've heard about (I confess, I haven't read the book.) I can't see how this would have a place in a Catholic school. But the comments on this thread refer to Mr. Vonnegut with respect and admiration.
What am I missing?
TNP | 04.14.07 - 12:56 pm | #

Re: Slaughterhouse Five and Catholic schools

I have to say that the Tralfamadorians of Slaughterhouse Five, who exist in all times simultaneously, did help me to have a greater understanding of how God could transcend linear time and be eternal and exist in all times and in all places simulaneously.
Bender | Homepage | 04.15.07 - 11:51 pm | #