Customer Reviews

A Man Without A Country

5 star:		(121)
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3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

In my review of "Timequake," I labelled Vonnegut as "Novelist Emeritus," noting that his writing is still enjoyable, you read it with half a smile on your face. But you are laughing and smiling with polite respect towards the old master.

I picked up "A Man without a Country" at the Coop and opened at random, and read this paragraph:

"In case you haven't noticed, as the result of a shamelessly rigged election in Florida, in which thousands of African Americans were arbitrarily disenfranchised, we now present ourselves to the rest of the world as proud, grinning, jut-jawed, pitiless war-lovers with appallingly powerful weaponry- who stand unopposed."

He continues on in this vein, and draws parallels between the current worldview of America and the way the world viewed Germany as the Nazis rose to power. He has the clarity and honesty to refer to the characters running the Bush administration as psychopaths.

Wow! I take it all back. Perhaps, in "Timequake" he was burdened with the artifact of a failed novel, but wanted to make something out of it, colored it with his unique perspective but ended up with a softer version of his usual fare. It felt a little lazy, like Vonnegut imitating Vonnegut.

But here, freed from the artifice of fiction, we get classic Vonnegut. In fact, more than a return to form, but better than ever. This book finds him clever and witty, but also very angry and indignant, and righteously so. I have the same concerns and emotions but lack the ability to formulate it and express it in words so beautifully. So it's refreshing to read Vonnegut, and it's inspiring to know that he is not the doddering old professor but a wise old lion with still plenty of bite left.

I won't try to tell you it's all great, that there are none of the soft, self-indulgent moments that detract from his later novels, but there is plenty of greatness on display. Buy it, read it, enjoy it. Thank you for listening.

Reviews like the one below by the 23-year-old who never had read Vonnegut before this current volume remind me of Mr. V.'s statement (I paraphrase, perhaps grotesquely) that the cumulative effect of the Vietnam-war protests and of '60s activism in general was that of a banana-cream pie hurled off a stepladder: here is unquestionably the Greatest of contemporary American novelists, whose work and vision as a whole provide clarity, wisdom, and guidance with humor and love for both the survival of the species and for America--yet he remains largely ignored and neglected by the current American demos, for whom democracy is named, and reviewed by only 24 or so while the latest potboiler gets 345 Amazon reviews the very day it's published.

Certainly Vonnegut himself is well aware of these vagaries of fame and influence.

But let me heartily proclaim the obvious--that we truly should declare Mr. V.'s birthday a new national holiday (strapping it firmly to the one, for some, it already is on 11/11); schoolchildren should compete in Vonnegut Declamation Contests, vying to repeat from memory the longest and most salient passages from his works; we should have Vonnegut Festivals, Seminars, Television sitcoms, toothpaste, bottled water--even a Vonnegut Party in national, state, and local elections, which might well take the place of the corrupt and anemic Democrats.

Alas, it seems we are repeating the past as the Old Reliables (Studs Terkel, John Leonard, and company) trot out their appropriate praises; some teevee interviews are conducted; the bored Harvard and Yale crowds clap politely; the schoolchildren continue with their videogaming and baby-producing; and New Orleans is reduced to a new Love Canal, Iraq civil-wars, the wealthy bolt their gated enclaves, and the rest of us, debt-torn and grief-fatigued, stew in our own juices.

Look: if you haven't done so recently, go back and reread (or first-read) SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE, CAT'S CRADLE, HOCUS-POCUS, GALAPAGOS, GOD BLESS YOU MR. ROSEWATER, and MOTHER NIGHT (among others: but start with these).

Think about what the man is saying. Look around you. Maybe turn off your television for a moment of silence.

Here is the real deal, folks.

This is our guy. Ignore him at your peril.

Let's get those "Sermon on the Mount" plaques up in every corporate lobby.

Let's get tap-dancing. There's not much time left for a party.

Kurt finally concludes the half-century journey on which he has taken us with this hilarious, heartfelt, charming epilogue. Vonnegut gives us literary polaroids of his childhood and day-to-day life, places us at the dinner table with Mark Twain, Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, and Eugene Debs, and manages to answer the question: "What does it mean to be human?" All the while single handedly battling George W. Bush, H-Bombs, and the "Guessers."

After reading Mr. Wolfensburger's review, my Vonnegut juices got stirred up.

How is it possible for a person to be "educated" in this country through college and not have even heard of Kurt Vonnegut Jr, much less having never read any of his books? Start off with "Slaughterhouse Five", then "Breakfast of Champions", then any and all of the rest of them.

After you finish Vonnegut, continue with Joseph Heller's "Catch 22", and go on to Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".

After these warmups of how this country functions, you can begin your education.

If you are a humanist, you will probably dig Man Without A Country. I've read the Amazon reviews, and I'm astounded by people who take offense to Vonnegut's humanistic perspective. One reviewer below suggests that A Man Without A Country contains talking points straight from the Democratic National Committee. I checked the DNC website and couldn't identify any lines from Vonnegut's book. So it goes.

Yes, Vonnegut draws connections between Bush and Hitler-they both called themselves Christians despite what many "liberal" documentaries suggest about Hitler being a pagan. But being opposed to Bush doesn't make Kurt a Democrat. Read Kurt's words, HE'S A HUMANIST. For those of you that are anti-humanists, there are plenty of sentences to be taken out of context to exploit towards your own divisive agendas. Vonnegut reminds us of a line by Shakespeare: "The Devil will quote scripture for his purpose."

When did respecting each other become politically divisive? I've often wondered why respecting science is politically divisive. Kurt sheds some light on these topics among others.

Look, if you think the world is all hunky-dory, this won't be your cup of tea. Or, if you dug Vonnegut's earlier work solely for his humor, you may be disappointed with this read. Vonnegut grapples with his grasp on turning out humor, about how other humorists loose their humor as they age. Vonnegut still has his humor, but he is pissed off--many readers haven't known when he has been joking and when he has been serious. For the remedial readers he annotates his jokes by saying, "I'm kidding."

Just because Kurt loves humans, he isn't beyond shaking his finger at those who preach love as they drop bombs and enslave little brown folks. If you object to this assessment of our current world order, and you have read the books Vonnegut suggests every non-twerp has read, then, I'm open to reading your objections to the content of Kurt's assertions. Seriously, do you consume much non-American media?

Fellow humanists, it's time to take these ideas seriously. Enough of the politicians spewing their accusations at the other party. Kurt would prefer politicians stop partying and work on real peaceful, humanitarian efforts, like providing drinkable water.

Kurt begins his penultimate book: "There is no reason good can't triumph over evil, if only angels will get organized along the lines of the mafia."

Here's to Bokonon. * Kurt, I look forward to reading your next novel. I hope you do find a way to write its ending.

I came across this book via an unlikely source: John Stewart's interview with Vonnegut on the Daily Show. While I'd heard the name Vonnegut before, I never really knew anything about him or his views, nor his comedic look on certain pressing issues.

At the same time, I found myself (as I dazed in a tired stupor at the boob-tube) wondering why and how this overtly charismatic man, a potential American literary icon, had escaped my knowledge. As I thought more and more, I realized that whether I liked his writings or not, or whether or not I disagreed with him, I needed to read through some of his works -- a sort of "Obligation of the American Soul®" if you will.

And so, as a 23-year old recent college graduate, I ponied up the money and headed to the local Border's shop to pick up the latest (and supposedly final) of his books, A Man Without A Country. I'm not sorry I did.

Vonnegut employs a very readable, conversational style of writing, which lends a sort of friendly "Hey, here's what I think, you go mull it over while I do something else" attitude. While I don't find myself in complete agreeance with everything he says, I believe his general ideas provoke thought and consideration, and his experience and wisdom should not go unnoticed. Any man or woman who has lived to the ripe age of 82 should have some important points to make about life, and one who is as politically charged and sassy as Vonnegut makes several excellent arguments.

I'm not (at this point) familiar with his earlier works, and so I cannot say whether or not he's repeating himself or pulling the same old stunts. What I can say is that if you have a couple hours on hand, you should buy or borrow this book and take a peek through its pages.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is the rarest of writers, a genuinely funny and unique person, with a voice like no other, and a way of seeing things all his own. All his books have his own strange combination of truth- telling , fantasy, crazy fact,jibe, reflection, and original insight.

In this one written when he is eighty- two he does a hatchet - job on the Bush Administration, the consuming -carelessly gas- guzzling American, and humanity in general. The title of the work is explained by Vonnegut,""I am a man without a country, except for the librarians and a Chicago paper called In These Times."

He criticizes humanity for being chimpanzees in love with their own power. But as always with Vonnegut there is some lurking hint of redemption and cockeyed affection in the pages. In these essays one center of that is his essay on extended families which he favors. He is dismayed at the thought that most people today are so self- centered that they give little time to planning and acting for generations ahead.

With Vonnegut the diatribe can be tiresome but it is most often redeemed with some flash of crack- up humor.In explaining why he wrote the book at his advanced age when his own father retired at fifty- five,he says " I've lived a long time . I didn't plan to live so long. It was a graceless thing to do. But what am I going to do with myself. This is what I do."

In reflecting upon humanity , he says " Only a nut case would want to be a human being, if he or she had the choice"

This kind of stuff may be tiresome, but I don't think Vonnegut should be taken so literally. The humor tells us that despite all the condemnations he has a bit of hope at least for some of us.

Vonnegut's writings have given a lot of people pleasure through the years. That he is disenchanted with most of us does not mean that we should be disenchanted with him.

I think instead we should take the best of what he has to give, and consider seriously his criticisms of us, even if a good share are judged by us to be unfair.

The planet is helped a bit by having this kind of old codger and his writings around.

You may not like us so much Mr.Vonnegut, but some of us sure do like you.

Before I go on with my review, I have to say R.I.P. to the late Kurt Vonnegut. He is one of the greatest authors of our generation, and he will be missed.

A Man Without A Country is one of the greatest pieces of non-fiction I have ever read, and I do not enjoy non-fiction much. Kurt Vonnegut tackles a wide variety of subjects including politics, (he has a scathing portrayal of George Bush, which cracked me up) sex, literature, war, religion, and even writing, and he says it with such confidence and a lot of humor to boot. A Man Without A Country is a fantastic swan song from a great writer. The only gripe I have with this excellent piece is that it is far too short (I read it in less than an hour.)

I would give this book 4.5 stars, but I'm rating it a 5 to help try to bump the overall rating to a 4.5.

Full disclosure: I am a big Vonnegut fan. Breakfast of Champions is possibly my favorite book (top 5, definitely), so I naturally had to grab what is probably going to be his last book.

First reaction: Meh. It was a breezy, generally enjoyable read, but Vonnegut doesn't really hit up any new topics. Lots of contemplating the fact that he wrote Slaughterhouse-Five, lots of jabs at the Bush administration, lots of talk about how we are dependant on oil.

It's just an unfocused pile of scribblings - not that that's necessarily a bad thing. Vonnegut fans will enjoy the quick read, but just send novices to his classics. I recommend Player Piano, Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five, Welcome to the Monkey House, and of course, Breakfast of Champions.

For the many of us who are currently disillusioned about the state of the world, nearly caught in the same mud that caused Mark Twain and Albert Einstein to give up on the human race, this joyous little book by veteran American writer Kurt Vonnegut is an elixir. Never one to hold his tongue in pointing out the foibles of mankind, Vonnegut rambles on about the Bush Dynasty, the outrageous abuse of natural resources, the plight of the poor, the essential good of Socialism in its pure state, deriding a country that demands the placement of the Ten Commandments in the classrooms but simultaneously completely ignores the Beatitudes of the sermon on the mount - all the hypocrisies that flood our planet and point toward a gloomy end if we remain oblivious.

And yet acerbic and wise though Vonnegut's observations are, he remains funny and gently in praise of music and the arts and especially of the importance of human kindness. In the end this is a memoir of a one of our great writers who gives us a tasty history of his life from his vantage in Indiana to his post of letters in universities, a man who is able to make his observations that sting like napalm, point our attention to the government abuses, tickle our need for love and concern of our natural resources with the master stroke of humanism.

So for those who truly care about tomorrow, read this little book, then read it again. It is smart, funny, bracing, and very important. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, January 06