Slaughterhouse-Five
by Kurt Vonnegut · first published 1956
43% recommend50% neutral7% critical
Why HN recommends it
Vonnegut's semi-autobiographical novel about the Dresden bombing conveys the horror of war through dark humor and a distinctive voice; a good first Vonnegut, and one many readers reread and suit to teens.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Slaughterhouse-Five is one of the world's great anti-war books. Centering on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know.
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…lightly or without good reason) So I love Lord of the Rings, the Silmarillion, Martian Chronicles (and other Ray Bradbury books), Ursula K Le Guin(Earthsea), Kurt Vonnegut (Cat's Cradle, Sirens of Titan, Slaughterhouse Five etc), Dune, Game of Thrones series, Neuromancer, Asimov (basically everything but especially Foundation series), Terry Pratchett, and so on... And I consider Gene Wolfe's work to be on a par with all…
on “Gene Wolfe Turned Science Fiction into High Art (2019)” ↗…brilliant. The other two are meh. - Neuromancer, Gibson: So disappointing I couldn't finish it. Is there a better cyberpunk book out there? - Ready Player One, Cline: Loved the book, loved the movie. - Slaughterhouse-Five, Vonnegut: Not a pure Sci-Fi book, but loved it nonetheless.
on “Ask HN: Recommend a Good Sci-Fi Book” ↗…"Everything is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer. The premise is too complicated to describe here, but it really delves into the cruelty and self-protectionism of the human heart. Plus, its hysterical! "Slaughterhouse Five" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Describes the horror of war and the effect it has on the rest of your life. "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" by Gabriel Garcia Marques. Tells the story of a murder that everyone…
on “Ask HN: Good books?” ↗> Fiction: “The Lord of the Rings” (J.R.R. Tolkien); “Game of Thrones” (George R.R. Martin); “Slaughterhouse Five” (Kurt Vonnegut); “Blood Meridian” (Cormac McCarthy); “The Stand” (Stephen King). > Nonfiction: “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” (Tom Wolfe); “Halsey’s Typhoon” (Tom Clavin); “Band of Brothers” (Stephen…
on “Know your NeRD: What submariners can expect from their new e-readers” ↗Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five is a sci-fi story that's also considered real literature. It's mostly set in the 20th century. I don't like terms like "real literature". I would say the Foundation series despite its weaknesses is worth…
on “Philip K. Dick on Blade Runner” ↗Kurt Vonnegut's works: The Sirens of Titan, Mother Night, Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five, Player Piano, Jailbird, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater... Find the time to read Vonnegut.
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗If you liked reading this post, I highly recommend Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. One of my favorite quotes, "So it goes," is repeated often throughout the book, and though it usually refers to tragic circumstances, it too hints that life will throw major wrenches in our plans that…
on “The Rejection Book: Good luck, bad luck, who knows?” ↗…liked "The Three Musketeers" then you might also like "Kidnapped" (Stevenson) and "Watership Down" (Adams)-- although probably few would consider that a classic. "Catch-22" (Heller), "Mother Night" and "Slaughterhouse Five" (Vonnegut), and "The Little Prince" (Exupery) are all "classic" books I've read many times over. I was not a huge fan of "Les Miserables" (Hugo) before I read it out loud with my wife about a year ago,…
on “Ask HN: classic literature recommendations?” ↗Those are my three favorite Vonnegut novels. Nice choices :-) I'd second my sibling poster's recommendation of Galapagos, if you haven't read that one. Slaughterhouse Five and Cat's Cradle are probably his two most widely-read and widely-referenced books, so if you haven't read those yet and you're still on a Vonnegut kick after those three, maybe read them. They're all…
on “Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?” ↗The Big Two are Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five. They're the two you're mostly likely to end up talking with someone about, or to have familiarity assumed by an article or something. If we were to make it a Big Three the third one would be Breakfast…
on “How To Write With Style (1999)” ↗The big ones for me: 1) Antifragile by Taleb (Skin in the Game is so far excellent as well) 2) The Border Trilogy by McCarthy 3) The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky 4) East of Eden by Steinbeck 5) Slaughterhouse Five by Vonnegut
on “Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?” ↗…books in my last move, which makes me a bit sad because I had the Library of America editions and hadn't finished reading his later novels (a bunch of missing books, like someone left a box on a curb). Slaughterhouse-Five is a great read, and really gets to Vonnegut's style of writing. Player Piano is his earliest novel and reads very differently (a more conventional style), but the story and writing are fantastic. It's…
on “Ask HN: Best non-business books to read on vacation” ↗…his abridged Vonnegut shelf, including Galapagos. Sirens of Titan also is good. Very strange. For people who do not read much but are desirous of learning more, I'm unsure of the best approach. Maybe Slaughterhouse-Five or Cat's Cradle? Vonnegut deals in Scenes. It is why we love him. Like Fitzgerald, he wrote of a Movie Age. And so I evaluate him based upon his individual scenes, not books. My favorite is from Breakfast…
on “Kurt Vonnegut at 100” ↗Slaughterhouse-Five
on “Ask HN: Which book would you pick to re-read for the rest of your life?” ↗Kurt Vonnegut has some good stuff. Slaughterhouse Five, Cats Cradle and I really liked A Man Without a Country. The Discworld series (Terry Prachett) is good if you liked HHG
on “Ask HN: What should I read next?” ↗