Best book to read by Kurt Vonnegut after Slaughterhouse V?

[JhKreisler]

Hi,
I really enjoyed reading Slaughterhouse V by Kurt Vonnegut. It's definitely one of my favorite books, because of its unique style and way of combining satrical humor with more serious topics like war.

I was wondering which book by Vonnegut you would recommend to me to read now, having this in mind?

Thanks

[PeterL]

You might try The Sirens of Titan. It is aalso about fatalism.

[zygama]

breakfast of champions,definitely.

[Gregory Samsa]

I absolutely loved Slaughterhouse-Five, but was very disappointed with both Cat's Cradle and Breakfast of Champions. So maybe Mother Night or The Sirens of Titan could be something?

[dfloyd]

you probably have to be an American and understand the Weaties breakfast serial byline to get the fulll import

[Charles Darnay]

I knew when I saw this thread it would just become a list of all his other books. But I will also throw in my nomination of Sires of Titan, as it's my favourite Vonnegut.

[paradoxical]

Slaughterhouse-Five is one of my favorite books as well. It was one of the first "serious" books that I ever read, and I only read it because it was controversial, and I was young and rebellious.

Since then, I've read almost every thing that Vonnegut has published. There's only two or three books of his that I haven't read, and I have to agree with the others that Breakfast of Champions is the next logical choice.

However, I humbly suggest that you next read Hocus Pocus. I absolutely love this book and while Mother Night is great, as well as Breakfast of Champions, I think you would be prefer Hocus Pocus as you mentioned his unique way of combining humor with serious topics. This comes across brilliantly in Hocus Pocus. Even more so then Breakfast of Champions in my opinion, and Hocus Pocus is more of a contemporary look at society.

Personally, I didn't enjoy the Sirens of Titans all that much. If you don't read Hocus Pocus next, I would suggest Galapagos (another brilliant work by Vonnegut) or Mother Night. Again, this is all just my (very humble) opinion. So it goes.

[JhKreisler]

I knew when I saw this thread it would just become a list of all his other books. But I will also throw in my nomination of Sires of Titan, as it's my favourite Vonnegut.

True, I also knew it would become such a list, but I was wondering which book would be recommended the most so, helpful anyway:)

[JhKreisler]

you probably have to be an American and understand the Weaties breakfast serial byline to get the fulll import

Well, I'm not an American, Belgian actually,
so Breakfast of Champions not the best choice for me as a European?

[JhKreisler]

Slaughterhouse-Five is one of my favorite books as well. It was one of the first "serious" books that I ever read, and I only read it because it was controversial, and I was young and rebellious.

Since then, I've read almost every thing that Vonnegut has published. There's only two or three books of his that I haven't read, and I have to agree with the others that Breakfast of Champions is the next logical choice.

However, I humbly suggest that you next read Hocus Pocus. I absolutely love this book and while Mother Night is great, as well as Breakfast of Champions, I think you would be prefer Hocus Pocus as you mentioned his unique way of combining humor with serious topics. This comes across brilliantly in Hocus Pocus. Even more so then Breakfast of Champions in my opinion, and Hocus Pocus is more of a contemporary look at society.

Personally, I didn't enjoy the Sirens of Titans all that much. If you don't read Hocus Pocus next, I would suggest Galapagos (another brilliant work by Vonnegut) or Mother Night. Again, this is all just my (very humble) opinion. So it goes.

Your (very humble) opinion is pretty helpful for me
Although I have to say, the books by Vonnegut that the two libraries have were I regulary get my books, are unfortunalety rather limited.
They don't have Hocus Pocus nor The Sirens of Titan nor Mother Night.

This is the list of books they have:
After Armageddon and other Stories ; Between Time and Timbuktu ; Breakfast of Champiosn ; Cat's cradle ; That night in Dresden ; Galapagos ; God Bless You Mr. Rosewater ; God Bless You dr. Kevorkian ; Man without Land ; Palmsunday ; Slapstick, or lonesome no more! ; Timequake

So from this list, I assume I have to go with Breakfast of Champions? Or is the 'not that being familiar with the American-thought/ideas'-issue a blockade?
(sorry for my rather crappy english)

[PeterL]

This is the list of books they have:After Armageddon and other Stories; Between Time and Timbuktu ;Breakfast of Champiosn ; Cat's cradle ; That night in Dresden ; Galapagos ; God Bless You Mr. Rosewater ; God Bless You dr. Kevorkian ; Man without Land ; Palmsunday ; Slapstick, or lonesome no more! ; Timequake

So from this list, I assume I have to go with Breakfast of Champions? Or is the 'not that being familiar with the American-thought/ideas'-issue a blockade?
(sorry for my rather crappy english)

Of that collection I would read the short stories; he wrote better short stories than novels for the most part. Of the novels
Cat's cradle and God Bless You Mr. Rosewater are certainly the best. I have seen a list of his novels with his opinions of them; it is very instructive, but I can't find it right now.

[paradoxical]

Well thank you, I'm glad I could be helpful.


So from this list, I assume I have to go with Breakfast of Champions? Or is the 'not that being familiar with the American-thought/ideas'-issue a blockade?
(sorry for my rather crappy english)

Oh no, I think that comment was just tongue-in-check. I think you would really enjoy Breakfast of Champions. It really is a great book. Lots of dark humor and deals with some pretty serious subject matter.

[dysfunctional-h]

blehhh i hated Slaughterhouse Five but really enjoyed Cat's Cradle. He was a very flawed figure (his adaptation of Stravinsky's A Soldier's Tale was complete trash), but he was funny sometimes, I'll give him that.

[hellsapoppin]

This one's easy: Breakfast of Champions

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/46/BreakfastOfChampions%28Vonnegut%29.jpg/200px-BreakfastOfChampions%28Vonnegut%29.jpg

[Shevek]

If you appreciated the satire of Slaughterhouse V you will probably enjoy Cat's Cradle. I would argue the latter is a lot zanier, which might not appeal to you if you're simply looking for an emulation of Slaughterhouse V. Vonnegut is more than a dark humorist, so keep an open mind while reading and you'll appreciate the depth of "Bokononism" and the world of San Lorenzo.

[Gregory Samsa]

I posted this in another thread about Vonnegut:


In "The Sexual Revolution", Chapter 18 of his book Palm Sunday, Vonnegut grades his own works. He states that the grades "do not place me in literary history" and that he is comparing "myself with myself." The grades are as follows:

Player Piano: B
The Sirens of Titan: A
Mother Night: A
Cat's Cradle: A-plus
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater: A
Slaughterhouse-Five: A-plus
Welcome to the Monkey House: B-minus
Happy Birthday, Wanda June: D
Breakfast of Champions: C
Slapstick: D
Jailbird: A
Palm Sunday: C

[PeterL]

Thanks for posting that. It means that I have one A to read: Jailbird. Of the one that I have red I completely agree with him.

[Rores28]

Breakfast of Champions... in some ways I actually thought it was better than Slaughterhouse.... I definitely haven't laughed at any other book so hard as I laughed at this one.