This Is Trivial.

I was never tasked with reading Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. in high school. It has always been deemed a classic in the literary world and usually found in high school English class curriculums. Let me start by saying I adore Kurt Vonnegut, his dark, twisty satirical sense of humor has a way of pulling you in and resonating in your brain. I felt a complete connection with Jailbird and remember the impact it had on me so vividly. Jailbird isn’t one of his more highly praised books, and it wasn’t the first book I read by Vonnegut. Honestly, I don’t remember which was, but as long as I can remember inviting Mr. Vonnegut into my life, I have always enjoyed his company. A gal I know once told me she was going to get the Vonnegut asterisk tattooed on her and I paused, just staring at her, wondering if she knew it’s not really an asterisk. For those of you who have not read Breakfast of Champions, here’s an excerpt with the “asterisk”:

 

This is where you leave me. 

Overall, I did not like Slaughterhouse Five. There. I said it.

It was so strange and at times hard to follow. There were definitely parts of the book I loved as it was written by someone who knew how to write well and grab my attention, but when I finished reading it and put it down, I felt a sense of confusion as to why it’s regarded as highly as it is. Whenever I don’t like a book, there is an amount of guilt that comes with it. How can I dislike something I love so much? This time it struck all the chords in me that maybe there is something wrong with my perception, or I read it incorrectly. Whatever it is, it had to be my fault that I didn’t fall in love with this book, by this author I think so highly of. I also realize this maybe the most trivial thing I ever write about. 

I started to think more about it. Not so much about Kurt Vonnegut in a secular way, but how people perceive him. Anytime I hear his name being thrown around, it’s almost always followed up with how much he is loved/adored/appreciated. Except once! One time a friend and I were talking and in complete honesty, I was told that my friend didn’t get it. Didn’t get the hype around him or his work and we talked at length about it. I so appreciated the candor of the conversation, because it does sometimes feel like a fad to be a fan of Vonnegut. I realize I started this post out praising the man and his work, and I also find that I don’t appreciate him any less solely because he wrote a book I’m not on the Vonnegut bandwagon with everyone else. I probably would have failed this portion of my English class if I had been subjected to reading and writing a report on Slaughterhouse Five. 

I might be a little more pensive when I hear someone say they love Kurt Vonnegut and all of his works, I have yet to read them all, but I know not every single one of them is a winner for me…I didn’t really like Cat’s Cradle either if I’m being honest. It’s kind of a humbling experience- coming to the realization someone you admire shouldn’t be idealized. So it goes.