Itemize Of Books Armageddon in Retrospect: And Other New and Unpublished Writings on War and Peace
| Title | : | Armageddon in Retrospect: And Other New and Unpublished Writings on War and Peace |
| Author | : | Kurt Vonnegut Jr. |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 234 pages |
| Published | : | April 1st 2008 by G. P. Putnam's Sons (first published 2008) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Short Stories. Writing. Essays |
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Hardcover | Pages: 234 pages Rating: 3.94 | 10941 Users | 890 Reviews
Representaion To Books Armageddon in Retrospect: And Other New and Unpublished Writings on War and Peace
War is a funny thing. That's what Vonnegut would have us believe. He is right. He also realizes that there is nothing funny about war. It's a conflicting juxtaposition and yet it is true. Armageddon in Retrospect sat in the to-be-read pile for a good long while. I haven't read much Vonnegut since school, when probably about 9 out of 10 Vonnegut readers read his work, but I do enjoy reading him. Nonetheless, I dreaded this. The title alone told me it would be dreary and the title, for the most part, didn't lie. That's not to say Vonnegut doesn't bring the funny. He almost always does, however, most of the stories compiled herein are about war, often about his experiences in Dresden. The bombing of Dresden in WWII was tragic. As much as Vonnegut tries to spin some bitter-sweet humor off of this topic, the bitterness always remains in the sour undercurrent. Starting with an interesting intro from his son, there's a speech, a letter from young Vonnegut to his family and about a dozen short stories. About half of those stories are about a captured prisoner or a people under a conquering army's subjugation. Apparently this was the sum of the author's wartime experience. Making sense of it all, coming to grips with this new reality and that of his own country's disregard for innocent life comprises much of the subject matter. It is essentially Slaughter House Five played out again in variation. One story, "The Unicorn Trap" steps well outside of the WWII setting, sending us back to peasant life in 1067 England. However, it's the same old, same old, this time with the Normans as conquerors. Armageddon in Retrospect was the first thing published after his death and that always rings morbid. The overall mood brings my rating down to 3 stars, but Vonnegut's superb writing and humor save the day, as usual, and so I'll go with 4 stars.
Declare Books During Armageddon in Retrospect: And Other New and Unpublished Writings on War and Peace
| Original Title: | Armageddon in Retrospect |
| ISBN: | 0399155082 (ISBN13: 9780399155086) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Rating Of Books Armageddon in Retrospect: And Other New and Unpublished Writings on War and Peace
Ratings: 3.94 From 10941 Users | 890 ReviewsCritique Of Books Armageddon in Retrospect: And Other New and Unpublished Writings on War and Peace
This was kind of disappointing. The stories were generally good, though a lot of them were kind of same-y, about his time in the army, in a wrapper of fiction. But the book kicks off with a commencement speech he was to deliver, but died before he did. It was just depressing. He was angry, disheveled, and not funny. He was just angry, without seeing any way things could be better.I don't know if the stories were old, and just unpublished, or written somewhat recently, but I was also disappointedAfter two somewhat disappointing books, I finally picked up a book Ive had since at least my birthday. My experience with Kurt Vonnegut remains slimmer than Id like, with most of it locked away in adolescent memories now slipping beyond the horizon of my mind. So it feels a little odd to be reading Armageddon in Retrospect, theoretically his last work (unless his estate publishes more unpublished tidbits), already. But I did, and I dont regret it. Clap me in irons if you must!Im at a loss for
4.4/5This is a fantastic compilation of stories about war, written in Vonnegut's classic sardonic humor. They were published after his death, put together by his son, who wrote the introduction. Some of the stories were heartbreaking, others whimsical. All were insightful. The stories were organized so that the lighter stories alternated with the heavier ones. The stories are fairly short but influential and full of deeper meaning. They were entertaining, giving insight into the soldier
Quoting the author:"And now please note that I have raised my right hand. And that means that I'm not kidding, that whatever I say next I believe to be true. So here it goes: The most spiritually splendid American phenomenon of my lifetime wasn't our contribution to the defeat of the Nazis, in which I played such a large part, or Ronald Reagan's overthrow of Godless Communism, in Russia at least.The most spiritually splendid American phenomenon of my lifetime is how African-American citizens
Vonneguts harrowing essay on the Dresden bombing, Wailing Shall Be in All Streets, is the highlight and centerpiece of this collection, and one of the best works of anti-war art Ive readsomething like the literary equivalent of Francisco Goyas Disasters of War series. This previously unpublished work is undated, but has the immediacy and urgency of an open wound. Dresden was the last major German city to escape bombing because there was nothing combative about it; it was a city of hospitals and
Armageddon In Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut I read this in about 48 hours in Prague and was perfect to be read whilst sitting on our window ledge overlooking the Old Town Square and opposite the Astronomical Clock.This is the Second Book Kurt has put out since he died, why let death get in the way of a good career.It was also the second book of our trip to be set at least in part in Czechoslovakia as it is one of the places Kurt writes about in this collection of unpublished short stories on the
Rip Torn was the reader in this audiotape. I thought he was great in the movie Cross Creek, but here he was just plain reading weird. And not a funny weird, more of an insulting one. I thought the fiction pieces were unpublished for a reason. The nonfiction was excellent. Vonnegut tries too hard to be Mark Twain. Maybe he should just come out and shout, "Hey, Everybody, look I'm just like Mark Twain!"
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