We all know those books and authors we read in high school and never fully appreciateed until later in life. Kurt Vonnegut was one of those authors for me. Over the summer, I decided to pick up some of his other works often shadowed by the brilliant Slaughterhouse Five. Don’t get me wrong, Slaughterhouse is a gem of literature, yet it’s one of the gems you’ll either treasure or consider completely worthless, depending on your taste.
After reading some of Vonnegut’s other works, I quickly discovered how much I appreciated his writing and style now that I was out of high school, and not being forced to read him as a mere requirement in class. I blasted through three of his lesser-known works in a few short weeks and remain hooked today. If you feel like exploring Vonnegut, check out these titles – you won’t be sorry!
Cat’s Cradle – This was, without a doubt, my favorite of the three Vonnegut gems I read over the summer. Cat’s Cradle follows a group of entertaining characters as they search for one of the world’s deadliest substances – a new form of ice that freezes at room temperature. Cat’s Cradle may seem like a zany science fiction story (like many of Vonnegut’s other works), however, it’s much more than that, exploring multiple societal issues like imperialism, the role of religion on everyday life, capitalism and others. Sound too heavy for you? Don’t worry – the best part about Cat’s Cradle is that Vonnegut interweaves these themes together so well into the plot that the reader isn’t taxed or exhausted while reading. Themes are invisible under good storytelling, and I do have proof of that – Cat’s Cradle gave me chills at it’s last lines, and I was up for a good hour after reading it in the middle of the night thinking about it!
Hocus Pocus – Told from the perspective of Eugene Debs Hartke, a West Point graduate and Vietnam veteran, Hocus Pocus is a man’s reflection on history. Hartke examines his life and the world falling apart around him as he waits for his trial of an initially unnamed crime. The story is told in small snippets of Hartke’s memory and is so oddly gripping that I found myself speeding through it. The sequences jump around a lot (again, like many of Vonnegut’s other works), however I was engrossed in the book so it wasn’t too difficult to follow. This work really solidified my idea that when you’re reading Vonnegut, you always have to reach the end of the work before passing judgement. The final page of Hocus Pocus made the book for me – it was another chiller, and I would highly recommend it to anybody!
The Sirens of Titan – In my opinion, this book was the most like science-fiction of the three Vonnegut titles I read. The Sirens of Titan follows the “richest and most depraved” man on Earth, Malachi Constant, on a crazy space journey which shows him the meaning of human life. I wasn’t as thrilled about Sirens as I was for the previous two books, however I loved how Vonnegut was able to write the story so loosely and casually, and yet everything comes full circle at the end. And, yet again, Vonnegut makes some very profound assertions about mankind and our purpose in life. Sirens of Titan is a fun read with a deep purpose.
I know I sound like a literary nerd, and I am! It’s cool! If you’ve read any Vonnegut or other authors like him, let me know what you think!