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Kurt Vonnegut dies at 84


Villainelle
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I didn't really like Slaughterhouse 5, but I did appreciate his talent as a writer. And at least he wasn't a complete nut like J.D. Salinger.

You, sir, are my new best friend.

I didn't like Slaughterhouse 5 either, but I really enjoyed Cat's Cradle. No one can deny that his books certainly had a point to get across.

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Well...fuck.

I can't say that I admired the man, and I certainly didn't agree with his political views, but I got some enjoyment out of his stories nonetheless. Nothing too deep or worthwhile was impressed upon me, especially since he would write such nonsensical ramblings half the time and disregarded so many traditional conventions of literature.

But, well, fuck I still wish he would have kept going for a few more years or somethin'.

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To the as-yet-unborn, to all the innocent wisps of undifferentiated nothingness: watch out for life.

IMO, if you're not here to pay the man his respects, get out.

I think I can agree with that. Criticism (intelligent or otherwise) can wait a little.

Ironic that I just got Cat's Cradle out of the library the other day. Vonnegut is definitely one of my favorite authors, for his creativity, humor, and poignant self-criticism.

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;258143']...especially since he would write such nonsensical ramblings half the time and disregarded so many traditional conventions of literature.

His disregard for the traditional was actually the main thing I liked about his writing.

Also on the subject of Vonnegut's writing style; from an interview with Douglas Adams from 1979 that I read a few weeks ago:

"Sirens of Titan is just one of those books – you read it through the first time and you think it's very loosely, casually written. You think the fact that everything suddenly makes such good sense at the end is almost accidental. And then you read it a few more times, simultaneously finding out more about writing yourself, and you realise what an absolute tour de force it was, making something as beautifully honed as that appear so casual."

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Ironic that I just got Cat's Cradle out of the library the other day.

That is not ironic. That is coincidental. Lord.

Vonnegut was bloody brilliant, and will live on as a great satirist of the age in his writing. I remember how ecstatic I was to be able to voluntarily read Slaughterhouse-Five for a project last year (along with Heller's Catch-22). I saw Vonnegut's name on the list and immediately knew what I was going to do. Breakfast of Champions was on there too, but the other choices I would have had along with it weren't as appealing. I've since read it and Cat's Cradle, and really want to read some more whenever I get time for voluntary reading again. Anyway:

Rest in peace, knowing that it goes so.

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That is not ironic. That is coincidental. Lord.

3. coincidental; unexpected: It was ironic that I was seated next to my ex-husband at the dinner.

If I wanted to be silly about it I could say also that all the world's a stage and it's dramatic irony that I checked that book out. Nonetheless, my usage of the word stands as is.

Anyways, have you guys read the rest of his short stories? Welcome To The Monkey House is an awesome collection of them, and I was fairly amazed. He was already one of my favorites when I read it, but I had no idea that he had such versatility. Many of the works are much more traditional than was his standard fare, and almost all of them are exceptional examples of the short story genre, one of my favorite types of writing.

Also, that picture Effector linked to got me a little misty-eyed despite myself.

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