Customer Reviews

God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For those of you who are Vonnegut fanatics, this is a book that you must have, but on the same token you may be slightly disappointed. An interesting and funny plot, placing Kurt Vonnegut in the hands of Dr. Kevorkian, but that may be one of the few humorous antics of the book.

Vonnegut's visits with the other side are short, often leaving the reader wanting to know just a little bit more. He uses an interesting approach, interviewing a wide variety of people...from famous thinkers to the typical Joe, reminding us that we much too often overlook the significance of every life.

Vonnegut's liberal-self shines through when he jokes around about the death penalty and the Texas facility that him and Jack must evacuate several times so that it may be put to "full" use. And for history buffs, his interview with Eugene V. Debs will keep you laughing. :)

This work is a short and fast read, which will start the reader off laughing. (The introduction is typical Vonnegut satire.) Not to be compared (by any means) to his major works such as Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five, or Mother Night, but nonetheless worth the read.

You know why I'm giving this book a '4'? Because it's not a masterpiece, but it IS unique and it stuck with me more than any book I've read in the past couple of years. Yes it's short book, but I have come to realize that not all great stories need to be long, drawn-out novels filled with plot twists and dozens of interesting characters. Vonnegut gets quickly to the point here. He usually does. I think that's one of his greatest strengths as an author. And what a great concept! It is collection of interviews with people who have passed away. As the story goes, Vonnegut has worked a deal with Jack Kevorkian whereby he is able to go to the pearly gates, interview someone, and then come back before it's too late. The resulting interviews with both famous and non-famous people are interesting, funny, sad, and, most of all, thought provoking. So if you want a quick read that gives you all of those emotions, get it.

Old Kurt has done it again...Further pushing back the walls of reality to make room for his outlandish yet all too believable fiction. In "God Bless You, Dr Kevorkian" Vonnegut presents written transcripts from the post-mortem interviews he's conducted with dead celebrities(both well known and obscure) through controlled near death experiences courtesy of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. It is through these fictional interviews that Vonnegut gives his take on life, death, and the human experience and ends up at his familiar refrain: Life may be meaningless--but at least it's beautiful. This is vintage Vonnegut--A gospel of the laughable irony of human existence. This book was a joy to read.

"God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian," by Kurt Vonnegut, is a short book (only 78 pages), but fun. The back cover notes describe it as "ficto-journalism and journo-fictionalism," and also observes that the book "began as a series of [...] ninety-second interludes for New York's public radio station."

The book is presented as a series of reports from the afterlife; according to Vonnegut, controversial assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian guided him through controlled near-death experiences, during which Vonnegut interviewed a series of dead individuals: abolitionist John Brown, convicted murderer Karla Faye Tucker, beloved sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov, scientist Sir Isaac Newton, etc.

Along the way Vonnegut touches on such topics as humanism, slavery, genocide, ballooning, writing, and more. There are a number of curious revelations about the afterlife, such as the fact that Louis Armstrong leads a band which includes two Tasmanian musicians. "Dr. Kevorkian" is whimsical, cynical, irreverent, and altogether enjoyable.

This book is a must for all Vonnegut fans, as the author demonstrates his usual wit and wisdom in a series of "interviews" with the famous and the dead. As usual, Vonnegut tweaks society for its failings while exhalting the human race for its loyalty and ability to love. These stories originated as a series of radio spots which Vonnegut did for New York City public radio station WNYC. The only complaint is that each piece is so short. Most will take about one minute to read, leaving the reader always wanting more. Vonnegut could have easily built this into a novel-length work. The idea is a great one, and it is the perfect canvas for him to explore issues and characters from all historical periods. However, one must be thankful for anything from this veteran author, and "God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian" is well worth the purchase price. It is one of the most enjoyable short fictions in many years.

Vonnegut's sense of humor is as ascerbic as ever. He speaks to us "from the death chamber in Huntsville" (Texas). Those of us from Texas have long had cause to be ashamed of that particular place, but Vonnegut's use of it may be the only one that wouldn't embarrass us.

The "interview" with Isaac Asimov is priceless. You will be pleased to hear that Asimov is still writing, although avoiding the embarrassment of publishing new books years after he's dead (unlike, say, L. Ron.)

Thank you Mr. Vonnegut for doing what 100 mg of Prozac a day cannot do. What an inspiration for holding on to one's ideals! Don't read it in the book store. The money goes to a good cause. If I had money I would buy this book for every depressed English-speaking person in the world; that is, most of us. Also, it is a good place to keep a stirring quote by Eugene V. Debs at hand.

I am almost ashamed to say that this was the first Vonnegut book I have ever read -- and I am an English major! After this introduction to him, I am now ready to go to my library and check out all of his novels. In this novella, he takes us through a kaleidoscope of people from all walks of life. He gives as much attention and respect to "a sailor's wife" as he does to Shakespeare -- more even. This novel made me laugh at people I might have taken too seriously and give more thought to those I might not have noticed. I applaud this novel and enjoyed every minute of the half-hour it took me to devour it and I sincerely hope you do as well.

Kurt Vonnegut had a recurring segment on public radio which provided the fodder for this engaging short work. In a series of 21 interviews, conducted "from the death chamber in Huntsville" by dying at Dr. Kevorkian's hands only to be revived at the interview's conclusion, Vonnegut maps out a periphery of the humanist ideals. Not merely entertaining quips, but a roadmap for what is right and wrong, and why we humans ought to do the right thing even without Holy Punishment rained down upon us.

He interviews the obligatory villain, Adolf Hitler, who shrugs off accusations that he's the worst person to ever live.

"I paid my dues with everyone else," he said. It is his hope that a modest monument, possibly a stone cross, since he was a Christian, will be erected somewhere in his memory, possibly on the grounds of the United Nations Headquarters in New York. It should be incised, he said, with his name and dates 1889-1945. Underneath should be a two-word sentence in German: "Entschuldigen Sie." Roughly translated into English, this comes out, "I beg your pardon," or "Excuse Me."

He also interviews John Brown, Karla Faye Tucker, Clarence Darrow (of the Scopes Trial, or Monkey Trial, fame), James Earl Ray, Mary Shelly, William Shakespeare, and Salvatore Biagini, a construction worker who rescued his schnauzer from a pitbull.

My favorites included his interview with Isaac Asimov, friend and fellow humanist; Socialist hero and presidential candidate, Eugene Debbs; and Sir Isaac Newton who spent his time interrogating the interviewer on the nature of the blue tube toward the light of the afterlife. In usual rambling style, Vonnegut expounds on life, insanity, and all manor of social justice issues.

It's a fun read, less substantial than other Vonnegut works, but still full of wisdom and meaning.

- CV Rick

I mean could we ask anything more from the man? Going near his 80's, and still publishing work of this caliber. It may only be a short story padded out to fill a book, but the delightful title and his sarcasm (as per usual) make it a wonderful buy. Given the title I am sure legal problems will follow though -- I can only hope everyone grabs the first edition while they can -- I will treasure MINE always.