The title of this novel came up in the book title game and I became curious about it. I thought in fact that it was about the original children crusade and that the author was German, because of his name. He is in fact an American author, though descendant of Germans.
As we say here: I aimed at was I saw and hit what I didnīt see. The novel is in fact an uncommon work which combines the bio of the author, his war memories and SF.
Right in the beginning I was taken by the authorīs difficulty of approaching the main subject of his novel, (Spoilers) his memories of the destruction of the city of Dresden, which he witnessed as the war prisoner of the German. For years and years he "keeps writing on his war novel". One day he visits an old pal from war times and he notices that the wife of this friend is very incommoded at his visit, banging doors and so on. He is very astonished, because this is the first time he meets her. At last he ask her, what is the matter, and she tells him pointing to the childrenīs room: now you and my husband will talk about your war memories and then you will write your book and they will read it and get enthusiastic about the war and want also to fight at the war. So he promises that his book wonīt stimulate people to fight at wars. He dedicates the book to her.
And then, at some moment, Billy Pilgrim, his alter ego comes to life. Pilgrim maybe because of the first pilgrims that reached America, maybe because of Vonnegutīs ancestors which went to America , or because of "The Pilgrimīs Progress" by Bunyam. Billy who who travels in time and place, between past and future, between US, the war scene and a planet called Tralfamadore.
"Billy is spastic in time, has no control over where he is going next, and the trips aren't necessarily fun. He is in a constant state of stage fright, he says, because he never knows what part of his life he is going to have to act in next."
Billy scuttles back and forth between the several scenarios of his existence, feeling an outsider in all of them.In his meekness he is like a modern clown of God. His life is structured round a devastating experience of war that never heals.
I liked this novel a lot. It is a very human, though at times cruel account of the war. A sad irony seems to underlie it. The ending was a bit extended as if the author didnīt want to let his Billy go.