So It Goes

Kurt Vonnegut Jr., an American novelist, playwright and short story writer, died last Wednesday at age 84. He was best known as the author of Slaughterhouse Five, though he wrote several other books that were just as fine. Some bullshit critic, whom I won’t cite here because he’s/she’s a bullshit critic, called Vonnegut “our century’s Mark Twain.” He/she was right. Even bullshit critics hit the target now and then.

I’m not going to write a big tribute post to convince you of Vonnegut’s literary greatness. You’re going to have to take my word for it and head off to the library or bookstore. I’m doing this, you see, because I want you to read Vonnegut’s words and see for yourselves. If you’ve never read Kurt Vonnegut before, you are in for one hell of a treat. If you haven’t read him in a while, treat yourself by becoming reacquainted with his work.

Oh, English majors and book discussion groupies? Scratch what I said about “heading off to the library or bookstore” and just hit the bookstore—cash in hand. We reader-types have a moral obligation to keep books like Vonnegut’s in print.

To show you that I’m not a complete prick, I’ll provide this Top 5 Kurt Vonnegut Books Checklist to get you started:

 Slaughterhouse Five

 Welcome to the Monkey House

 Cat’s Cradle

 Mother Night

 Timequake

Our world was a little better off for having Kurt Vonnegut in it. It sucks a bit more, now, without him. So it goes.