Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

 Slaughterhouse 5 is satirical version of authors experience in World War II, centered primarily on the Dresden firebombing which wiped out the entire city centre. Narrated through the life of a disoriented and ill trained assistant to chaplain named Billy Pilgrim, since his unfortunate incarceration by Germans to the bombing day and its aftermath, author uses nonlinear narration to steer the story forwards, using satire dark humor to explain the devastation and absurdity of war, and uses his early Sci-Fi writing skills to explain the fatalistic nature of it.

It is something beyond the spell of ordinary writers to see the potency of using two dissimilar categories of writing, to tell a story of war. I might think it’s a catalyst for disaster, but in hands of Kurt its creation of history.  

War is fought by babies, a children’s crusade, but Billy who traversed the entire book referred as child ill trained, innocent war-not-ready-or-likely –to be kind of guy, who emerges as the enlightened one, who quite early learns the trade of avoiding the frenetic nature of war with his ability to time travel, and sulk in unknown world, there by remaining blind eyed to the surrounding madness. It’s a profound way to describe a war, with absence of all the hormones thumping actions and devastation, trying to glorifying the war, the machines and the trigger happy action junkies with uniforms and guns.

Just like Billy, author has surrendered to the insanity of war, and he is powerless to do anything about it.

   

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.”

It’s also remarkable where in author, refuses to judge anyone involved in war, no blames are passed, no questions are asked, no one held responsible. Is just how the war is, we will continue to do what we do to each other. There were deaths, there are deaths, there will be deaths and so it will go on.

I highly recommend this book, irrespective of what genre you like.

I will also recommend the Israeli animated movie, “Waltzwith Bashir” which shares a striking similarity to this book. About a soldier in search of his lost memories of his experience in Lebanon war. Often times it’s even referred as Israeli Slaughterhouse.  Yeah it doesn’t have that bling of World War, but hey war is war, there are deaths, desolation and birds which will have its say. Poo-tee-weet?