Take one
mixing bowl and add:
- A
scrawny, guileless and gutless American soldier/optometrist, an alien abduction
and World War II
- Add a
sprinkle of time travel and stir until well combined
- Fold in
a loveless marriage, a fatalistic attitude and a life-long nemesis and knead
until a soft consistency
- Cook in
an oven on medium heat for 2 hours and then leave to cool
- Season
to taste and sample the final result in one sitting - Kurt Vonnegut's, Slaughterhouse Five
I suppose
I should have known when I first bought it that it was going to be an unusual
read. I only had to mention the title before the shop assistant became
incredibly animated. He literally jumped on the spot and rattled off a raft of
sci fi authors and other works by Vonnegut. In between his breathless enthusiasm
he got out that Slaughterhouse was one of his favourites and what did I think
of it? Was I re-reading it?
When I
told him that I'd never read any of his work before and that I was just
re-educating myself on the classics he dropped me like a hot plate. I read his
face instantly. 'She's not one of my people.'
I
practically had to force him to take my money for the book. I knew then, that
this book wasn't going to be any old classic book to tick off the list.
It was
better.
Think The Time Traveller's Wife set in WW2 with an alien
abduction thrown in along the way. It's beyond strange but completely
enjoyable. The The Time Traveller's Wife simply pales in
comparison.
Told from
the view of a timid, often gutless and cowardly man, the book keeps coming back
to the idea that life does not end with death, instead its about the living of
moments. So as the plot develops it jumps back and forth, as Billy, the main
character keeps reliving his time and time again.
It's a
fascinating read and I have deliberately not picked up another book since I
finished it last Friday. I just wanted to savour the taste it left in my mouth.
The thoughts and questions it probed at the reader really made me think about
the past, present and future and all that intertwines.
How Vonnegut came up with the idea and flow
of the book baffles me entirely. I'm struggling just with one linear story and
plot. A jumble of experiences which flit back and forth in time would be
overwhelming to try and capture and put into words.
It was
one of the only books I've read that is written and told exactly the way life
actually is. A jumble of experiences, moments and thoughts. All happening at
once, with memories of the past interfering with the present and future.
It makes
you think about everything that has led to the makings of who you are, small as
well as dramatic moments and experiences. It made me think about what has
turned me into the aspiring writer I am today and that the only thing stopping
me from becoming not only an author but a successful one, is me.
xx
J
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