The first Sheffield forum book club choice is Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut.

You can buy it from many good bookshops - new and second hand - also on Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0440180295/qid=1067634480/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/t/202-1558766-4317408 ).

Post your comments, reviews etc here and at the end of the month I or someone else will synthesise them into a short piece.

Good choice!!! I bought it recently (last two weeks)...it really is an emotional novel. I'd recommend all Vonneguts books...highly satirical.

Its actually in a special series at the moment, its been sold in Waterstones for £3.99.

thanks for the info christoph - amazon is £7.17 with postage.

Anything else about the book that you liked?

Would you recommend this book to your friends?

Who won't enjoy reading this book?

Well I liked the book mostly for the way Vonnegut approached the subject he was discussing. He actually manages to couple humour with great tragedy.

I cant think of many who would dislike the book, but I would warn people that they shoudn't expect it to have a normal narrative - i.e a traditional protagonist beginning middle end kind of novel

Originally posted by Christoph
Good choice!!! I bought it recently (last two weeks)...it really is an emotional novel. I'd recommend all Vonneguts books...highly satirical.

Its actually in a special series at the moment, its been sold in Waterstones for £3.99.

i popped into waterstones in orchard sqaure today and it was £6.99 for a reight tiny paperback! i'll have to stick to my DBC pierre book (in the 3 for 2 offer) until i can find a cheaper copy or find one in a library.

Vonnegut is the most important US author EVER.

Read Bluebeard next.

They didnt have it in my library on Saturday so next weekend I am going to ask my folks if I can borrow their copy when I visit

So dont say too much about it until I at least have a copy to read!

Or you'll spoil it
x

I'd be flabbergasted if a proper 2nd hand bookshop didn't have a copy.

I'm trying to dig mine up atm, but pm me if you want it when I'm done.

All hail the mighty vonnegut!! Have you ever seen the film version of breakfast of champions? With bruce willis? Surprisingly good actually!!

i've found one copy left at colligate library - others have been lost/stolen.

How come this thread in still in General Sheffield Chat?

Where would you have preferred to see it love?

I'm sure there's something similar in "General chit chat" and possibly in "Noticeboard and Classifieds". Not that promoting reading is a bad thing, of course.

yes - there are several other threads in Misc. that lead to the poll for this book.

If you read them then the genealogy of the idea can be gathered.

BTW if someone with an overview (ie. mods/geoff) feels that this is the wrong place for this thread then feel free to move it. I felt (after some reflection and a little consultation) that many people just don't look in obscure forums like misc; and so posted this thread here where most people would see it.

Anyone managed to read the book yet? I still haven't found mine! (boxes upon boxes upon boxes of books in cellar)

You'll be pleased to hear that th book featured briefly in Buffy last night. Not that I watch, of course...

Now that this is official, and seeing as we dont have our thread group, could some sweet and generous mod consider a way of sticky noting this? or do we have to keep making posts to take it back up the list to people who dont know about it?

Alternatively, might Geoff consider making it a featured link, like he does with the competitions and the interviews?

In the meantime, consider this as a punt back up the list

I am hoping to get my family copy on Sunday, but if I fail, I shall be looking to others to kindly loan me a copy.

Watch this space (if you can and if it is still around near the top of the list)

All mods are sweet and generous... I just got here first. :)

Made sticky as requested... Geoff may wish to deal with it in another manner beyond my power.

Nomme

Nomme

You are ALWAYS a great mod

I think you look just fab in that parker too, great roundel!

Well I have the book, I have started it, am about half way through in fact, and so far I am very impressed

Looking forward to discussing it

Did we establish how we are actually going to do that? and when? have I to take notes in case we dont talk about for three weeks and I have forgotten it all? and so on?

:thumbsup:

good stuff belle - glad to hear you are enjoying it.

I was thinking of just posting comments whenever you want to make them - and editing them down at the end of the month.

Does that seem sensible?

Okay I have read it

I didnt want to be the first, but as it is now the 18th and nobody else has said anything, I might as well.....

I liked this book (always useful to get that out of the way first, dont you think?)

I thought the use of a time machine as a device to do away with telling the story in a chronological order made it much more interesting.

I enjoyed the characters, all of them seemed very convincing and like people I know. There werent many sympathetic characters, but there isnt in life either really, so that was fair.

From the daughter telling her Dad that he should stop in bed and do what he was told, to the pro Nazi American officer, to the guy with the young wife, in the next bed, who had decided Billy was mad and would not move on this, even when he realised he must be wrong...

Billy was terrifically portrayed, and really hopeless. He allowed all sorts of things to happen to him and was more of an observer of his own life than an active participant, another strength of the time machine, in that it excused him making or taking any decisions for himself.

I dread being told anyone has died in case I start saying "so it goes"

I loved Kilgour Trout, the author of 75 books who had never met a fan before

I loved the clothes they all wore, especially Billy. The fur coat that was way too small for him that the Nazis gave him to keep him warm, the glittery curtain from the English Officers' theatre in the POW camp (and Cinders' shoes) and his smart Father of the Bride outfit.

I loved the "zoo" on the planet where they had sex and made a baby, under the hot lights.

Nearly 20 years ago it was suggested I read this book, but I didnt fancy it, now I want to read all the rest of Vonnegut's stuff, you cant say fairer than that can you.

I could say loads more, probably will, but dont want to be talking into a vaccuum.

B

I'm ashamed to say I have yet to pick it up (can't find it anywhere may already be lent out), but you may be interested to know that it is quite autobiographical, and that Vonnegut really was trapped in a cellar when they firebombed Dresden.

Did you like the style? I especially like Vonnegut for the way in which he addresses the reader, as if you were there sat next to him and enjoying a coffee together.

If you're looking for another good vonnegut book (they are all good) you could do worse than two of his other classics - Cat's Cradle and Breakfast of Champions.

Yes I liked the style.

Most of my favourite authors write in that style, now I come to think about it.

I can lend you my copy if you like, but as my step-dad said to me when he handed it over, some of the pages are loose and there are lots of student markings in it.

If you can bear it, I could bring it with me when I next see you, it would give you a few days to read it before the end of the month if you are a fast reader - or you could try your library for a copy?

KV does show up twice in the book, from memory. He interrupts and says something like "That was me reader, me, the author, I did that bit personally" - I wont tell you what in particular, not in polite company! But it involved the latrines after their first meal in weeks on a cattle truck type train.

You could then lend me the next one you think I should read, in return

B