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jessica's Reviews > Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five
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here it is. yet another book that i didnt read in school but decided to pick up later in life. and i think this is one of the rare instances where i think i would have benefited from some educational instruction to supplement my reading, because i did not seem to get this on my own.
i mean, on a surface level, i understood the anti-war tones and commentary on society in general, but anything deeper than that eluded me. so taking this at face value, i think its safe to say this is a really weird book. lol.
also, i wasnt really a fan at how women were portrayed in this. they were always noted as being ugly, or dull, or only good for sex. and i know many people might say thats vonneguts signature satire, but it definitely rubbed me the wrong way.
overall, i get that this story evokes much needed discussion on several important issues. however, this didnt impact me as significantly as it was probably meant to. so it goes…
↠ 2.5 stars
i mean, on a surface level, i understood the anti-war tones and commentary on society in general, but anything deeper than that eluded me. so taking this at face value, i think its safe to say this is a really weird book. lol.
also, i wasnt really a fan at how women were portrayed in this. they were always noted as being ugly, or dull, or only good for sex. and i know many people might say thats vonneguts signature satire, but it definitely rubbed me the wrong way.
overall, i get that this story evokes much needed discussion on several important issues. however, this didnt impact me as significantly as it was probably meant to. so it goes…
↠ 2.5 stars
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Reading Progress
June 3, 2015
– Shelved
June 3, 2015
– Shelved as:
to-read
Started Reading
October 16, 2018
–
Finished Reading
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Mel (Epic Reading)
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rated it 3 stars
Oct 17, 2018 04:50PM
Agreed!! I’ve never really understood the love for this book.
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oh good!! so happy to hear im not the only one!!
I read this in school. What I remember most about it and what I think I actually liked were the discussions we had with our professor. This I remember more than the actual plot :))
yeah, i had a feeling discussing the book would be much better than the book itself. so glad you had such a positive experience with this, ana! :)
I remember reading this and just being confused... Wasn't for me either!
oh, that makes me feel so much better about myself! lol.
That's my biggest issue with reading classics later in life, it seems like some can be hard to understand.
yeah, i agree. i looked up a reading guide for this online afterwards and that helped a little. but i think classics are better understood when someone is teaching/discussing them.
I see books like these as having value for evolving genres and influencing future authors, but not necessarily being the most enjoyable to read 😅
that is such an amazing comment, kath. i never would have thought about it that way!!
One of the most profound statements I’ve heard about this book is that all of the time traveling, Tralfamadorian higgledy-piggledy that Pilgrim goes through is actually just his own special post-traumatic stress disorder. That theory gave me cause to reread this one a few years down the road from when I’d originally read it. At the time of my first reading I also found this to be kind of overrated/didn’t get the fuss. I think expectations kind of ruined my first read of the book. Later, after reading considerably more Vonnegut, my reread of SV was much more profound. No lecture required. I think I got used to his themes and style (the themes never really change that much) and so I was able to appreciate how well they were developed here. Anyway, if you go to Vonnegut again, I’d recommend Cat’s Cradle or Galapagos.
whilst reading it, i had the feeling that the time travel sequences were psychological. i didnt have any proof, just a feeling. so i find a lot of sense in the PTSD idea. and i do like your idea of coming back to this after i have read some of his other stories. i like how you were able to more fully understand his themes and style after you were exposed to them more - hopefully it will be the same for me! i actually own cats cradle, so i might give that a read sometime soon! thanks, josh! :))
I agree with you. I read this is uni and even with instruction I just never 'got' it. I don't remember much about it now either so it's fair to say it didn't have an impact on me, despite it being so iconic.
i totally get where youre coming from, claire. i think thats just the case with books in general - they dont all work out for everyone! hopefully there are some other 'classics' that you enjoy!! :)
If they'd let me read books like this at school I would have stopped skiving off and paid more attention in class!
My daughter gave this to me after reading it for a college class. I laughed to see that it originally belonged to a teacher (my daughter purchased in used) and that it has been highlighted and has notes in the margins of the pages. Hopefully this will help with my reading!
Totally agree with you on the misogyny. I just reread this book after 30 years on a recent visit to Dresden; the constant disparaging remarks about women really struck a sour note. I guess my (and society's) sensibilities have changed, fortunately. Kind of ruined my fond memories of the book.
I can tell you, It didn't leave much to me either. Expectation were pretty High, since It was recommended by a friend I consider a fine intellectual.
I absolutely relate to your review!
I agree with you about the sexism, but as someone who has read a fair bit of Heinlein, you ain't seen nothing! Vonnegut is bell hooks in comparison.
