As I searched for new books to recommend to you all, I talked to Jacob Knight, a sophomore studying communications. One of Knight’s favorite books is “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut.
According to Knight, “Slaughterhouse Five” centers on a veteran who was in Dresden during bombings in WWII.
After the war, Knight is abducted by aliens and taken to an alien planet. The book flashes forward and back to his time in WWII and his time on an alien planet.
“I think it’s just a crazy alternate Sci-Fi book,” Knight said. “It’s just a story of humanity in a way.”
“Slaughterhouse Five” has been banned a few times for its coarse scenes and language, making it a more “gritty” book, Knight said.
Knight especially liked the book because he thinks Vonnegut is an amazing writer, who is also very relatable. Some anti-war messages come up in the book, which Knight thinks match Vonnegut’s experiences and opinions.
“He has a lot of American values, but at the same time he’s reluctant to think about war in the same way we do,” Knight said. “I think he sees the wars as terrible things but he stands up for the people themselves who fight.”
Beyond the deeper messages of the book, Knight really appreciated the tone and humor of “Slaughterhouse Five.”
“I recommend this book to someone who wants to read a book that is so unlike so many other science fiction books,” Knight said.
“There aren’t many books that have WWII and science fiction mixed in together and I think that’s a really interesting thing.”If you’re interested in learning more about “Slaughterhouse Five” or Kurt Vonnegut, check out Crash Course Literature with John Green here: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6g7S2W27Kc[/embed] Have you read “Slaughterhouse Five”? What do you think about it? Let us know!
