An excellent read. And while it’s not going to be one of my top ten favorite books of all time, I must say that I can well see what the big hoopla was all about. Vonnegut, in a mix of fact and fiction, a blend of great passion and pain with a very straight unemotional narrative, and with a great use of creative device to play with narrative structure, gives a very powerful rendition of his experience and thoughts of man, life and death.
The "So it goes" phrase that was everywhere within the book is Archie Bunker’s "Whatever"; the phrase in Johnny Cash’s song on Vietnam, "Roll on, it don’t mean nothin". It is both sad commentary on the fact that war and death is inevitable, and a plea that someone do something to stop the madness.
The voice and style of the narrator in this novel is a comfortable, knowing one. There is humor, but it is told with a straight face, and our laugh in response comes out a short "Huhh!" There are symbols and metaphors both religious and political that likely require a second reading to catch; the narrative is often too interesting to want stopping and pondering as would more likely reveal some more of Vonnegut’s deeper feelings.
I’m curious to read some of Vonnegut’s other works and have put him on my "to read" list.
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Glad to see you reconciled with “So It Goes.” It does set a tone within the book, which remains my favorite Vonnegut (my daughter recently discovered this one, too, and adores it).
Unfortunately, Vonnegut later took the catch phrase to ridiculous extremes in future novels, like a pop star repeating the same hook in every new song. But in the moment that exists for Slaughterhouse Five, it works. It really works.
What would you suggest as a Vonnegut second read?