For all of my reading life, — I'm in my seventies — I have had trouble connecting with the writingof Kurt Vonnegut, even as most of the people around me rave about him. But I'm not ready to give up. Can someone recommend a book of his that would be an accessible place to start?
by morse-guy
10 Comments
For starters which of his works have you read?
Most people start with Slaughterhouse 5. Cats Cradle and Mother Night are also great ones to start with.
Give Sirens of Titan a try.
Player Piano for me, his first book so it’s pretty easy and the subject is still completely relevant to today
Hear me out: many of his short stories can be found online for free and they’re…well, short, so it’s less of a time commitment than a book. I’m a big Vonnegut fan and his short stories are really compelling. 2BE02B is a good one.
Hey I had a similar problem in the past! I had to read a few unrelated authors to learn how to appreciate his stuff honestly. Voltaire, the Southern Reach series (sci-fi, if you aren’t partial to the genre I wouldn’t recommend it), Lord of the Rings (specifically in the context of reading it as a method of communicating and processing Tolkien’s experiences in WWI, and the substance of male/male bonding in dark times) are a few I can remember off the top of my head. The important thing for me was to read books where the overall message and symbolism were intrinsic and inseperable to the story at large.
Once you start reading Vonnegut, Player Piano is a pretty approachable one.
But also, some authors just don’t speak to some readers, and that’s okay! I’ve never vibed with Ray Bradbury, for instance. There’s simply not enough time in the world to read every book worth reading, it’s alright to spend your time with books that offer more to you specifically.
A good idea is to also visit your local library and talk to some of the employees there, most of them are very well read and can give informed advice.
God Bless You, Mr Rosewater and Jailbird are my two favorites. Both very funny. Neither has sci-fi trappings (to my memory at least).
I would *not* start with Player Piano. His first book and worst book, in my opinion.
Try his short story “Harrison Bergeron”
I think Bluebeard is my favorite
Read A Man Without a Country first. Then read his fiction.