Why did I only discover him after his death?

books:

	• Armageddon in Retrospect Kurt Vonnegut Berkley Trade, 2009 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 38 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Worthy and Respectful

Went Kurt Vonnegut went to meet what he would have called his non-existent maker in 2007, I - doubtless like many others - feared that his unpublished writings would be shamelessly milked for profit without regard to his wishes or reputation as has sadly happened with so many other writers. This thankfully has not occurred. Armageddon in Retrospect, his first posthumous collection, came out in 2008, but it is an excellent, respectful work that adds to his canon and preserves his reputation. With ten short stories, three non-fiction pieces, and numerous drawings over 200+ pages, it is a feast for fans. The truth is that short stories were never Vonnegut's forte, and he openly admitted that he wrote them to finance novels, but he had surprisingly good work in the vaults. Armageddon is not far below Welcome to the Monkey House, his main collection, and above Bagombo Snuff Box, his previous closet clearer. Neophytes should of course start with his best-known novels, but this is essential for fans.

The subtitle clearly describes the contents: New and Unpublished Writings on War and Peace. These themes were of course essential to Vonnegut's life and work, and putting out any worthwhile uncollected material relating to them is a worthy endeavor. Presumably the only truly new piece is Vonnegut's last speech, which deals with war and peace only in part but was inevitably included. It was to have been delivered in his hometown of Indianapolis, its mayor having declared 2007 the Year of Kurt Vonnegut. He unfortunately never made it, but it was faithfully delivered by his son Mark. Fans will of course treasure the historic document - perhaps Vonnegut's last real piece of writing -, and it is indeed notable, shot through with trademark humor and insight. However, very little of it is new, being mostly recycled from A Man without a Country, Vonnegut's prior book, and elsewhere. Still, it has an undeniable poignancy - and not only because of its unique status.

The two other non-fiction works are worth the price of the book alone. The first is a reproduction of the first letter Vonnegut sent his family after being rescued from a POW camp in World War II Germany. It is a remarkable historical artifact in itself and a treasure for fans, giving a contemporary inside look at his life's central event. This long-time fan with substantial Vonnegut knowledge was surprised to learn that the events he survived were even more horrific than he ever let on despite talking of them near-ubiquitously. Perhaps even more notably, though it is only an informal letter written in his twenty-second year, his talent for clear and concise writing, deft black humor, and profound insight into life's dark side was already very evident.

The final non-fiction piece is a first-person account of Vonnegut's POW experience focusing mostly on his work burning bodies after the infamous Dresden bombing. He talked of and drew on this event innumerable times, most famously in Slaughterhouse-Five, but this account's stark immediacy is extremely powerful and valuable for filling in important details. Truly noteworthy is how much of Vonnegut's later work was anticipated here. This, along with perhaps feeling too close to it, is likely why he held back such an excellent piece.

This probably goes for much of the fiction also, though it varies more in quality. Most of the stories are set in WWII Europe, several in POW camps. Quite a few are clearly even more autobiographical than Vonnegut usually was, but his gift for sharp, clear, and engaging storytelling is omnipresent. His trademark humor is on strong display, as is his acerbic misanthropy, though both are less present than generally. "The Commandant's Desk" and the title story are in his top short story tier, and the collection would be worthwhile for them alone. It is easy to see why he held back stories like "Great Day," "Guns before Butter," and "Unknown Soldier," as they are merely decent, but the others are genuinely good - stronger than most works in Bagombo and worthy, if minor, canon additions. Some may be bothered by the stories' similarity, but this is after all a themed collection, and "Unknown Soldier" (set essentially in the present) and "The Unicorn Trap" (a historical piece set in medieval England) give some variety. All told, the stories have most classic Vonnegut strengths and will be greatly appreciated by fans.

Like many Vonnegut books, Armageddon is also liberally illustrated with his simple but charming drawings, and like A Man, it has graphical representations of some of his epigrams. Those who have liked these in the past will be glad for their inclusion, and they give a personal touch rare in posthumous works.

Also not to be missed is Mark's Introduction, which gives very personal insight into his father's life, personality, and work. Mark had previously written a memoir (The Eden Express), and as in it, he proves himself a capable writer, having seemingly inherited his father's clearness and conciseness and some of his humor. It is so touching that I nearly cried, and I am sure many will go all the way.

The book's only real weakness is lack of dates. The flap says the pieces were "Written over the course of a lifetime," which implies the dates are known and makes them even more important. It would be very interesting to see where these stories fit in Vonnegut's chronology and to what other works they may be related. However, this is a minor complaint about an excellent collection that is a feast for fans and an appropriate tribute to one of America's greatest writers.

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A Man Obsessed

After his death, I (like most readers of Vonnegut) was hoping for some great unreleased treasures that had been sitting in a long-forgotten filing cabinet. Sadly, it doesn't look like that will be the case.

What we have here is a somewhat interesting collection of Vonnegut's lesser uncollected short stories. There is a theme at work, specifically, Vonnegut's unending obsession with the firebombing of Dresden and his time in the military which so shaped (warped) his view of mankind.

As always, the writing is witty, quirky and overflowing with a sense of both optimism and suspicion for mankind. A must for any Vonnegut completist, but wholly skip-able for the casual fan.

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Why did I only discover him after his death?

4 stars mean a great book and one I would suggest to almost anyone.

This was the first book I had ever read by Kurt, since finishing it I have read two of his novels and intend to most likely read everything he ever wrote.

Not only are the introduction and nonfiction documents of his life beyond fascinating. The book also manages to give you an idea who he was as a person, which is really something all him books manage to do.

The stories center largely around his experiences in WW2 and there are hits and misses here. The part that I found most interesting however was that even the 'misses' kept me interested. It was perhaps the first collection of short stories ever, which upon finishing a story I didn't think, at least once, that was not very good. Just as inventive and quirky as the other works Kurt is known for this book is a romping, enjoyable read.

Prose and character are strong. Kurt manages to write in a free style without hampering himself down with trying to conform to the necessities of 'Literature'.

A highly enjoyable read for anyone who either likes Kurt or is new to him.

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Why?

Just because I'm a Vonnegut junkie, I picked this up at my local Borders a while back. I was excited to read some short tidbits by the infamous Kurt, considering he was always so good at getting his point across within a few short words after building you up, building you up, making you laugh, and smashing reality in your face. He really would only need a few pages to do this, and so I wanted to read this, even after his ironic death.

It really wasn't what I wanted. Though the stories were good, as anything by Kurt certainly would be, I found my liking in the opening introduction by Mark, his son, and the speech he was supposed to deliver, but died prematurely. It somehow made me feel closer to the man that had published so many works. I found myself missing him worse than ever and felt like I needed to go back and reread my collection.

The short stories, however, although good, did not have much reason to be published. Perhaps in a larger volume they would have stood up to the challenge fine but I just couldn't swallow them well enough. I, of course, found myself laughing and thinking about the world around me when I read them but it was nothing as profound as what I had read in the first two readable bits.

It's a good introduction book to Vonnegut, but shouldn't be used as an introduction if you intend on reading his speech or Mark's discussion of his father. Those stand after the reading of Vonnegut, and after the love you inevitably grow for him and mourn his loss. I certainly recommend taking the stories within with a grain of salt, not expecting what you might have previously read if you are the type to have read him before.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

The New York Times bestseller-a "gripping" posthumous collection of previously unpublished work by Kurt Vonnegut on the subject of war.

A fitting tribute to a literary legend and a profoundly humane humorist, Armageddon in Retrospect is a collection of twelve previously unpublished writings on war and peace. Imbued with Vonnegut's trademark rueful humor and outraged moral sense, the pieces range from a letter written by Vonnegut to his family in 1945, informing them that he'd been taken prisoner by the Germans, to his last speech, delivered after his death by his son Mark, who provides a warmly personal introduction to the collection. Taken together, these pieces provide fresh insight into Vonnegut's enduring literary genius and reinforce his ongoing moral relevance in today's world.

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