Slapstick - books.rollnotice.com

243 pages

English language

Published Feb. 23, 1976 by J. Cape.

ISBN:: 978-0-224-01342-0

(1 review)

The book explores one of Vonnegut's favorite recurring themes, which is his belief in our need to belong extended families and how they would be an adequate, larger and more useful substitute for biological ones. The most endearing section of the novel, in my opinion, lies in its introduction, where Vonnegut candidly describes his beloved sister's death, which took place shortly after she had learnt of a train accident where her husband and children had been killed. As for the novel's plot, it follows the relationship of a boy and his sister who grow up together in isolation from the outside world because of their unsightliness. The boy turns out to be seen as more presentable and is separated from his sister, who grows to resent him for his seemingly desertion. Through some twists and turns they successively reunite and separate and after a major catastrophe, the boy becomes president …

The book explores one of Vonnegut's favorite recurring themes, which is his belief in our need to belong extended families and how they would be an adequate, larger and more useful substitute for biological ones. The most endearing section of the novel, in my opinion, lies in its introduction, where Vonnegut candidly describes his beloved sister's death, which took place shortly after she had learnt of a train accident where her husband and children had been killed. As for the novel's plot, it follows the relationship of a boy and his sister who grow up together in isolation from the outside world because of their unsightliness. The boy turns out to be seen as more presentable and is separated from his sister, who grows to resent him for his seemingly desertion. Through some twists and turns they successively reunite and separate and after a major catastrophe, the boy becomes president of the United States, his campaign being centered on the formation of extended families on a grand scale.

15 editions

David Swinstead reviewed Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut (Delta book)

A nice little slice of Kurt's mind

5 stars

I read this in one sitting on a plane and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Often struggle to get into a book on a flight, there's so much noise around, I usually find I have to read the first page or two over and over before I really find my focus. But with this book it came to me and I was into it straight away, and couldn't stop turning the pages until I'd finished.

As he explains in the prologue (so I'm not classing it as or marking it as a spoiler) this is not an autobiography but something vaguely close to one, an oddball fairy tale about how he thinks of and feels about the world. In that regard the story is very personal to him despite being quite fantastical in plot and themes.

Kurt writes tales of family and kinship, or allegiance and the oddities of human tribalism, of …

I read this in one sitting on a plane and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Often struggle to get into a book on a flight, there's so much noise around, I usually find I have to read the first page or two over and over before I really find my focus. But with this book it came to me and I was into it straight away, and couldn't stop turning the pages until I'd finished.

As he explains in the prologue (so I'm not classing it as or marking it as a spoiler) this is not an autobiography but something vaguely close to one, an oddball fairy tale about how he thinks of and feels about the world. In that regard the story is very personal to him despite being quite fantastical in plot and themes.

Kurt writes tales of family and kinship, or allegiance and the oddities of human tribalism, of loving and of... not loving.

Though the plot was even a little more haywire than Kurt's usual fare, and so it wasn't my favourite of his, nonetheless I really enjoyed taking another walk through Kurt's psyche. I rarely feel at home as much as when I'm reading Vonnegut.

Hi ho

Subjects

Presidents -- United States -- Fiction