Slaughterhouse 5, or The Children's Crusade - A Duty-dance with Death
2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by 
crimson-tide
from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Sunday, September 20, 2009
crimson-tide from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Sunday, September 20, 2009
Amazon.co.uk Review:
It took Vonnegut more than 20 years to put his Dresden experiences into words. He explained, "there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again." Slaughterhouse Five is a powerful novel incorporating a number of genres. Only those who have fought in wars can say whether it represents the experience well. However, what the novel does do is invite the reader to look at the absurdity of war. Human versus human, hedonist politicians pressing buttons and ordering millions to their deaths all for ideologies many cannot even comprehend. Flicking between the US, 1940's Germany and Tralfamadore, Vonnegut's semi- autobiographical protagonist Billy Pilgrim finds himself very lost. One minute he is being viewed as a specimen in a Tralfamadorian Zoo, the next he is wandering a post-apocalyptic city looking for corpses. Slaughterhouse Five-Or The Children's Crusade A Duty-Dance with Death is a remarkable blend of black humour, irony, the truth and the absurd. The author regards his work a "failure", millions of readers do not. Released the same time bombs were falling on South East Asia, this title caused controversy and awakening. Essential reading for all. So it goes. -- Jon Smith
Description:
"Prisoner of war, optometrist, time-traveller - these are the life roles of Billy Pilgrim, hero of this miraculously moving, bitter and funny story of innocence faced with apocalypse. "Slaughterhouse 5" is one of the world's great anti-war books. Centering on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden in the Second World War, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know."
On the "1001 books you must read before you die" list.
It took Vonnegut more than 20 years to put his Dresden experiences into words. He explained, "there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again." Slaughterhouse Five is a powerful novel incorporating a number of genres. Only those who have fought in wars can say whether it represents the experience well. However, what the novel does do is invite the reader to look at the absurdity of war. Human versus human, hedonist politicians pressing buttons and ordering millions to their deaths all for ideologies many cannot even comprehend. Flicking between the US, 1940's Germany and Tralfamadore, Vonnegut's semi- autobiographical protagonist Billy Pilgrim finds himself very lost. One minute he is being viewed as a specimen in a Tralfamadorian Zoo, the next he is wandering a post-apocalyptic city looking for corpses. Slaughterhouse Five-Or The Children's Crusade A Duty-Dance with Death is a remarkable blend of black humour, irony, the truth and the absurd. The author regards his work a "failure", millions of readers do not. Released the same time bombs were falling on South East Asia, this title caused controversy and awakening. Essential reading for all. So it goes. -- Jon Smith
Description:
"Prisoner of war, optometrist, time-traveller - these are the life roles of Billy Pilgrim, hero of this miraculously moving, bitter and funny story of innocence faced with apocalypse. "Slaughterhouse 5" is one of the world's great anti-war books. Centering on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden in the Second World War, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know."
On the "1001 books you must read before you die" list.
Journal Entry 2 by crimson-tide from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Sunday, September 20, 2009
crimson-tide from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Sunday, September 20, 2009
Reserved for the 1001+ Books VBB.
Update 23rd January 2010:
Chosen from the box by dolphin-au. It's still tbr but should get it done within a couple of months.
Update 23rd January 2010:
Chosen from the box by dolphin-au. It's still tbr but should get it done within a couple of months.
Journal Entry 3 by crimson-tide from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Thursday, March 4, 2010
crimson-tide from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Thursday, March 4, 2010
Not at all what I expected and took a little time to settle in, but then it revealed itself as one of the great anti-war pieces of literature. Funny, sad, beguiling, thought provoking and tragic all in one. Well worth a read.
Now off to dolphin-au
Now off to dolphin-au
Released 14 yrs ago (3/5/2010 UTC) at Balingup, Western Australia Australia
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Sending to dolphin-au as a pick from the 1001+ Books VBB.
Sending to dolphin-au as a pick from the 1001+ Books VBB.
Journal Entry 5 by dolphin-au from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Arrived safely. One of the books I probably should have read years ago, so glad to finally have this on my TBR list. Thanks crimson-tide.
Journal Entry 6 by dolphin-au at Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Read this quite some time ago, and must have forgotten to journal then. Excellent book!
Since then I read some non-fiction books about the annihilation of Dresden. Apparently there was some military justification for it, but overall I'd say it has to be classified with other atrocities/war crimes during that period.
THis book has been living on the bookshelf of one of my sons. I know one of them has read it, but don't expect journal-entries from them. I guess at some stage it will continue its travels.
Since then I read some non-fiction books about the annihilation of Dresden. Apparently there was some military justification for it, but overall I'd say it has to be classified with other atrocities/war crimes during that period.
THis book has been living on the bookshelf of one of my sons. I know one of them has read it, but don't expect journal-entries from them. I guess at some stage it will continue its travels.
