A Man Without a Country (2005)

One of the first novellas I read after my undergrad, and it really helped me get over a reading slump. I must re-read it at some point. Vonnegut is (/◕ヮ◕)/ ( )

There are some good passages, but the whole is like a few unrelated articles stitched together, despite the recurring themes of impending ecological catastrophy (where one can only agree with the author) and Vonnegut's despair at the younger Bush having been re-elected (where one feels he rather overestimates how different things would be if Kerry won instead); also, some of the good passages he'd already published elsewhere. One of the books with a title that is better than the text itself. ( )

Cares about the world
but seems a little cranky
fed up with bullshit. ( )

A Man Without A Country is an interesting look at the mind of one of my favorite authors, but the introduction by his daughter is almost sufficient in that respect -- and arguably better written than either of the actual Vonnegut stories in this collection. Reading the first story, an unpublished piece written sometime before Player Piano, has an interesting plot but very mediocre writing. It goes fast and is ultimately a nice read, but it's not particularly interesting. The second story, We Are What We Pretend To Be, an unfinished novel from 2000, is interesting more because of how cynical and even broken it seems. I read and loved Timequake, a novel equally miserable about aging, but somehow this story about a troubled comedian just had none of the charm of that novel. Maybe it would have been better with editing. ( )

Reading this book was like sitting and listening to a grandfather wax vociferous on the state of the world. Repetitive and opinion-filled, but wonderful and entertaining and often true. How cool would it have been to have Kurt Vonnegut be your grandpa? ( )