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Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel; 50th anniversary edition Hardcover – February 1, 1994

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 35,936 ratings

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A special fiftieth anniversary edition of Kurt Vonnegut’s masterpiece, “a desperate, painfully honest attempt to confront the monstrous crimes of the twentieth century” (Time), featuring a new introduction by Kevin Powers, author of the National Book Award finalist The Yellow Birds
 
Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time
 
Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous World War II firebombing of Dresden, the novel is the result of what Kurt Vonnegut described as a twenty-three-year struggle to write a book about what he had witnessed as an American prisoner of war. It combines historical fiction, science fiction, autobiography, and satire in an account of the life of Billy Pilgrim, a barber’s son turned draftee turned optometrist turned alien abductee. As Vonnegut had, Billy experiences the destruction of Dresden as a POW. Unlike Vonnegut, he experiences time travel, or coming “unstuck in time.”

An instant bestseller,
Slaughterhouse-Five made Kurt Vonnegut a cult hero in American literature, a reputation that only strengthened over time, despite his being banned and censored by some libraries and schools for content and language. But it was precisely those elements of Vonnegut’s writing—the political edginess, the genre-bending inventiveness, the frank violence, the transgressive wit—that have inspired generations of readers not just to look differently at the world around them but to find the confidence to say something about it. Authors as wide-ranging as Norman Mailer, John Irving, Michael Crichton, Tim O’Brien, Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Strout, David Sedaris, Jennifer Egan, and J. K. Rowling have all found inspiration in Vonnegut’s words. Jonathan Safran Foer has described Vonnegut as “the kind of writer who made people—young people especially—want to write.” George Saunders has declared Vonnegut to be “the great, urgent, passionate American writer of our century, who offers us . . . a model of the kind of compassionate thinking that might yet save us from ourselves.”

More than fifty years after its initial publication at the height of the Vietnam War, Vonnegut’s portrayal of political disillusionment, PTSD, and postwar anxiety feels as relevant, darkly humorous, and profoundly affecting as ever, an enduring beacon through our own era’s uncertainties.
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Popular Highlights in this book

From the Publisher

All this happened, more or less.

Like so many Americans, she was trying to construct a life that made sense…

I have this disease late at night sometimes, involving alcohol and the telephone.

So it goes

The New York Times says, “Very tough and very funny … very Vonnegut.”

Life says, “A funny book at which you are not permitted to laugh, a sad book without tears.”

Los Angeles Times says, “Funny, satirical, compelling, outrageous, fanciful, mordant, fecund.”

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4.4 out of 5 stars
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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4.5 out of 5 stars
4,678
4.3 out of 5 stars
2,975
4.5 out of 5 stars
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“A free-wheeling vehicle . . . an unforgettable ride!”—The New York Times “Marvelous . . . [Vonnegut] wheels out all the complaints about America and makes them seem fresh, funny, outrageous, hateful and lovable.”—The New York Times “[Kurt Vonnegut’s] best book . . . He dares not only ask the ultimate question about the meaning of life, but to answer it.”—Esquire “Vonnegut is George Orwell, Dr. Caligari and Flash Gordon compounded into one writer . . . a zany but moral mad scientist.”—Time “[Vonnegut] at his wildest best.”—The New York Times Book Review A collection of Kurt Vonnegut’s shorter works. “There are twenty-five stories here, and each hits a nerve ending.”—The Charlotte Observer

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Poignant and hilarious, threaded with compassion and, behind everything, the cataract of a thundering moral statement.”The Boston Globe

“Very tough and very funny . . . sad and delightful . . . very Vonnegut.”The New York Times

“Splendid . . . a funny book at which you are not permitted to laugh, a sad book without tears.”Life

“Funny, satirical, compelling, outrageous, fanciful, mordant, fecund . . .  ‘It’s too good to be science fiction,’ [the critics] would say. But Vonnegut doesn’t care, and you won’t care, either, because this is a writer who leaps over genres.”
—Los Angeles Times

From the Inside Flap

"Slaughterhous-Five is one of the world's great anti-war books. Centering on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know.

"From the Paperback edition.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Modern Library; 50th Anniversary ed. edition (February 1, 1994)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385312083
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385312080
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 850L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.46 x 0.94 x 8.33 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 35,936 ratings

About the author

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Kurt Vonnegut
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Kurt Vonnegut was a writer, lecturer and painter. He was born in Indianapolis in 1922 and studied biochemistry at Cornell University. During WWII, as a prisoner of war in Germany, he witnessed the destruction of Dresden by Allied bombers, an experience which inspired Slaughterhouse Five. First published in 1950, he went on to write fourteen novels, four plays, and three short story collections, in addition to countless works of short fiction and nonfiction. He died in 2007.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
35,936 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book readable and thought-provoking. They describe it as funny and darkly humorous, with good comic relief. The story is described as an anti-war novel that touches on the horrors of war. Readers appreciate the unique style and quirky illustrations. They also mention the interesting time travel aspect.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

1,277 customers mention "Readability"1,111 positive166 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and well-written. They appreciate the brilliant writing style and clear storytelling. The book is described as a classic novel that should be read by all.

"...It's fine. It does some clever stuff. It's a decent attempt to make a movie out of a book that wants very badly to stay a book...." Read more

"...Worth a read ... just to say you did. Also interested in his "Mother Night " (Campbell referenced here) and the movie with Nick Nolte...." Read more

"...Bought this book for my great niece so she could read and appreciate a master storyteller." Read more

"Was perfect, basically new. Would recommend!" Read more

289 customers mention "Thought provoking"261 positive28 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and engaging. They appreciate the philosophical content, subtle commentary on scripture, and poignant observations about the human condition. The book covers a range of concepts from war to science fiction and constantly surprises the reader with its creative writing style.

"...It's fine. It does some clever stuff. It's a decent attempt to make a movie out of a book that wants very badly to stay a book...." Read more

"...How to describe it? Silly, empathetic, philosophical, observant, whimsical, searing, unapologetic...." Read more

"...this story is told in Vonnegut’s characteristic style of simple declarative sentences. A breeze to read...." Read more

"...It is an important achievement by any standard, the most significant of Kurt Vonnegut's work...." Read more

233 customers mention "Humor"210 positive23 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find the characters amusing and the writing style humorous. The book is described as a thoughtful tale of dark reflective humor with a unique writing style.

"...Part war story, part science fiction, and part bizarro, observational comedy, I couldn't explain it concisely if I tried...." Read more

"...unstuck in time, and you will too as you read this thoughtful tale of dark reflective humor...." Read more

"...forever living with that memory and hence this rather comical piece of a science fiction novel came as a result of this historic event...." Read more

"...: it conveys it's painfully serious message through absurd and hilarious means--a text-book technique in the world of satire and a more basic tenant..." Read more

197 customers mention "Anti-war story"180 positive17 negative

Customers find the book an insightful look into war and its consequences. They describe it as an anti-war novel that explores the absurdity of warfare and its consequences. The book is described as an essential part of 20th century fiction, revealing the destructive power of war in a different way.

"...What a weird and quirky novel. Part war story, part science fiction, and part bizarro, observational comedy, I couldn't explain it concisely if I..." Read more

"...There is much made of this being an anti-war book, and certainly there is that aspect within the pages...." Read more

"...In Vonnegut's story telling he interweaves science fiction...." Read more

"...classes, Slaughterhouse Five is considered by many to be the ultimate anti-war satire, a story that scolds the meaning of all war..." Read more

154 customers mention "Style"134 positive20 negative

Customers appreciate the book's style. They find it whimsical, concentrated, and unusual. The illustrations are simple, hand-drawn images of objects that add a colorful dynamic to the story.

"...How to describe it? Silly, empathetic, philosophical, observant, whimsical, searing, unapologetic...." Read more

"...piece of illustrated literature I'd read, but all the quirky illustrations were simple, hand-drawn images of objects I never expected to be depicted..." Read more

"...Dresden was a beautiful city, the very cultural center of Germany on the river Elbe, and had absolutely no military value...." Read more

"...It is a terse and concentrated work of art, that will yield returns to the careful reader long after you put it down." Read more

105 customers mention "Time travel"94 positive11 negative

Customers enjoy the time travel in the book. They find the concept interesting, describing it as a science fiction/psychological crossbreed about time travel, aliens, philosophy, and war. The idea of time being cyclical and happening all at once is appreciated. Readers appreciate the tightly knit timelines as the story progresses.

"...From a science fiction perspective, the book has some neat passages about time travel, the fourth dimension and how life would be if time was..." Read more

"...But, as the book progressed, the timelines became more closely knitted; the book became more understandable and therefore more readable...." Read more

"...These aliens see all time in a single moment...." Read more

"...- but on a much larger level it is a twisted science fiction/psychological cross breed about time travel, aliens, philosophy, war, perspective, life..." Read more

89 customers mention "Sadness"74 positive15 negative

Customers find the book heart-wrenching and humorous. They describe it as a classic that evokes a full range of emotions from horror to tragedy. The book is described as profound, revealing a rare glimpse behind emotional damage and coping skills. Readers describe it as simple yet complex, challenging with dark themes and connections to history.

"...of Vonnegut - moralistic yet nihilistic, pointless yet poignant, heartbreaking, uproarious, and deeply human while at the same time bizarre and alien..." Read more

"A challenging book with dark themes and connections to history. It’s sad and tense...." Read more

"...It has a symmetry and repetition that is endearing and captivating rather than annoying...." Read more

"This is a combination of a lot of different things. It's funny, yet sad, and quick, but deep...." Read more

239 customers mention "Plot"81 positive158 negative

Customers have different views on the plot. Some find it intriguing and complex, while others feel it lacks a compelling narrative. The story is described as bizarre, ambiguous, and complex.

"...It's ultimately pretty forgettable, even to people who remember George Roy Hill's better movies...." Read more

"...a holocaust novel (it's not), allow it to be smart, silly, funny and weird and an enjoyable adventure." Read more

"...The story as a whole to me, feels just a bit disjointed, and feels like the author had to work very hard to get an entire book out of it...." Read more

"...The disparate plot (what little there is) tells the strange life of Billy Pilgrim, a WWII veteran who lived through the bombing of Dresden, one of..." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2025
    This is one of the best books of the 20th century and is widely recognized as such. But here's the beginning of the product description here:

    "Adapted for a magnificent George Roy Hill film three years later (perhaps the only film adaptation of a masterpiece which exceeds its source)"

    I was so intrigued by this weird description of a beloved classic as somehow inferior to a movie I didn't know existed by a forgotten director that I tracked down a copy of that George Roy Hill film. It's fine. It does some clever stuff. It's a decent attempt to make a movie out of a book that wants very badly to stay a book. It's ultimately pretty forgettable, even to people who remember George Roy Hill's better movies. It doesn't show any aliens or really even any bombing, so there's nothing to recommend it over the book. Congratulations to George Roy Hill's son or whoever wrote that description in getting to me to pick up a copy of the movie, though.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2024
    Jumps around a lot (with the time travel, of course). Not a lot of tactical details about the fire-bombing of Dresden, but plenty on the aftermath.
    Reminiscent of Forrest Gump, with jumps to different events in his life, anchored by a soul-crushing family life.
    Worth a read ... just to say you did. Also interested in his "Mother Night " (Campbell referenced here) and the movie with Nick Nolte.
    Would love to find Sci-Fi books by Kilgore Trout ... if he weren't "madey-uppy" by Vonnegut. ;)
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2024
    My three favorite writers - Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe & Kurt Vonnegut. Bought this book for my great niece so she could read and appreciate a master storyteller.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2025
    Was perfect, basically new. Would recommend!
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2024
    First, I agree that the Author has many good works. Second, I agree this book is good. I don't personally believe it's nearly as brilliant as many would lead you to believe. I am an avid reader, especially in this genre, and I've read all of Kurt's books. Here's my take on why it's honestly a three star book and not a 5 star book (many will disagree, but it's also very personal).

    There are passages in the book which are absolutely brilliant and phenomenal - I think pretty much all can agree on that. That said, there are other parts of the book which are just plainly long drawn out random paragraphs that the author used as filler to complete a chapter (some of which are as unremarkable as the others being brilliant). The story as a whole to me, feels just a bit disjointed, and feels like the author had to work very hard to get an entire book out of it. I think the brilliant parts published as a novella with a bit more focus would be a perfect score.

    The literary elite of course will tell you as a lowly average reader that you don't get the nuance, or the many distinct references, nor the deeper meaning, etc... That may be true, but the flip side is individual people enjoy individual things, and for me - I enjoyed this book as just a 'good' (but not brilliant) read. I see an awful lot of reviews that are obviously people parroting reviews from others, without really putting down their own thoughts or being completely honest.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2021
    I read this novel as a young man and again later in my 30s. I thought I'd give it another read to see if it's as strange as I'd remembered. What a weird and quirky novel. Part war story, part science fiction, and part bizarro, observational comedy, I couldn't explain it concisely if I tried. The disparate plot (what little there is) tells the strange life of Billy Pilgrim, a WWII veteran who lived through the bombing of Dresden, one of the most horrific events of WWII. But he soon becomes "unstuck in time" and we careen back and forth throughout his life: his time as an optometrist, his time in WWII, the time he was abducted by aliens called Tralfamadorians, who see the entirety of time all at once. Strange story. Is Billy’s unstuck state an analogy for insanity? Could be. Vonnegut (he is the narrator of the novel and appears in the Dresden part of the story) tells this strange story with an empathetic lilt as he retells many of the disturbing events that Billy and the other characters endure, punctuating any mention of death with his well-known phrase, "So it goes."

    Since the Tralfamadorians see time as a whole and not in a linear fashion, I imagine that’s how Vonnegut approached this story. Told in sections that are out of order (literally and figuratively), the one thing that is a constant is Vonnegut’s narrative voice. How to describe it? Silly, empathetic, philosophical, observant, whimsical, searing, unapologetic. A hilariously observant passage finds Billy Pilgrim in a train car filled with war prisoners during WWII. He’s sitting next to a hobo who is not a prisoner; he’s just on the train for the ride. The train car is filthy, despondent, cold, and the prisoners are hungry, tired, dejected. The hobo tells Billy, “This ain’t bad. This ain’t nothing at all.” It’s all in your perspective, Vonnegut seems to offer the reader. So it goes.

    I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I highly recommend it. I would give this novel 5 stars.
    9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • A. Therrien
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
    Reviewed in Canada on January 8, 2025
    This is a good read, would recommend.
  • Israel Mar Martinez
    5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended
    Reviewed in Mexico on October 13, 2024
    It was an awesome book, I enjoyed it a lot.
  • Sertan
    2.0 out of 5 stars Hasarlı ürün.
    Reviewed in Turkey on November 29, 2024
    Kitabın basımı, sayfaların rengi, font gerçekten hoş lakin ürünüm hasarlı geldi, arka tarafı ezilmiş neredeyse yırtılmış bir kondisyondaydı. Ancak gelmesini heyecanla beklediğim için geri iade etmek ya da değişim sürecini beklemek istemiyorum o nedenle buruk bir şekilde okuyorum.
  • Binding is not upto the mark. Pages are almost coming out as I read.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Book binding
    Reviewed in India on May 16, 2024
    Binding is not upto the mark. Pages are coming
    out as I read.
  • Raquel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Muy bueno
    Reviewed in Spain on May 2, 2024
    Me gusta mucho esta autor. Recomendado 100%. Buena edición.