Armageddon in Retrospect by Kurt VonnegutPutnam, 2008
233 pages
Date completed: June 29, 2010
Kurt Vonnegut never fails to amaze me. Not only was Mark Vonnegut's introduction to this posthumous collection fantastic, but the collection itself, which includes several short stories, a letter, a speech, and samples of Vonnegut's artwork, does not fall short of the high expectations I've come to associate with KurtVonnegut's work. Although nearly all of the material was centered on, or inspired by, Vonnegut's experiences in World War II, he uses the material in a variety of ways so that it never grows stale or dull.
The short stories in particular caught my attention, perhaps because this was my first exposure to Vonnegut's shorter pieces. I'm much more accustomed to his novels, which include frequent mini-epiphanies followed by page breaks that slow me down by making me think deeply. The stories, on the other hand, flow mostly without any interruption except, in some cases, separation into a few parts. The rhythm of these stories is much less choppy and creates a much clearer story arc than I'm used to when reading Vonnegut-- not that I'm trying to say that the stories are better than his novels, of course. The reading experience was just shockingly different.
I was delighted by this collection, and whizzed through it quickly. I really want to read more Vonnegut (eventually, I want to read everything he's published), but I like that I can absorb each piece slowly. I love that I still have so much Vonnegut to discover. My conclusion is simple: read this collection.
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