Starred review from July 2, 2012
This miraculous volume of selected letters provides a moving and revelatory portrait of the famed author of Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat’s Cradle. Organized by decade from the 1940s to the 2000s (Vonnegut died in 2007), the letters chart Vonnegut’s life from his service in WWII to his first steps in the world of publishing, his emergence into literary fame, and beyond. The grain of Vonnegut’s charming and unmistakable voice is palpable, along with his sense of humor that produces unexpected poetry on almost every page. The private and public Vonneguts both shine, as in his magical letters to his many children, or his painful reflections on divorce, war, and growing older. Elsewhere Vonnegut reveals aspects of his writing process and his philosophy of fiction, and marks his ongoing opposition to violence and censorship. Of particular literary interest are his letters to such authors as Norman Mailer, Anne Sexton, Bernard Malamud, and Jose Donoso. Edited by writer and longtime friend Wakefield, the volume begins with a warm retrospective essay, and each section is prefaced with overviews of each decade of Vonnegut’s life, as well as helpful notes to explain his references. Fans will find the collection as spellbinding as Vonnegut’s best novels, and casual readers will discover letters as splendid in their own way as those of Keats. Agent: The Farber Agency.
January 1, 2023
A penetrating view of the life, work, and character of a renowned writer, artist, playwright, and countercultural icon. Wakefield, editor of Vonnegut's collected letters and short stories as well as a personal friend of the late author, incorporates dozens of the former as well as extracts from speeches and personal memories into a present-tense, second-person encomium that slides smoothly over some rougher spots--notably fractured relationships with certain publishers and agents as well as both of his wives. But readers who are still, after so many years, encountering Vonnegut's edgy, profane, often hilarious writing in high school or later will find links aplenty between his early experiences and later works and themes alongside ample documentation of his devastating and even now timely attacks on warmongers and, as the author of several perennially challenged books, self-appointed censors. The epistolary passages make up for a relative paucity of direct quotes from the books in providing a sense of his voice, and the notes for an undelivered talk that close the main narrative (the editor adds on substantial reminiscences and acknowledgements) do capture his characteristic sensibility and wit: "And how should we behave during this Apocalypse? We should be unusually kind to one another, certainly. But we should also stop being so serious. Jokes help a lot. And get a dog, if you don't already have one....I'm out of here." Sympathetic, authoritative, and readable. (photo credits, index) (Biography. 13-18)
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February 1, 2023
Gr 8 Up-Wakefield, a lifelong friend of Vonnegut, here pens an unusual biography for young adults. The time line of this biography is typical: it follows Vonnegut's life through childhood, high school, college, military service, young family and working life, to finally getting published and becoming a literary sensation. In high school, he identified as a bit of a nerd, but was voted one of the most popular boys in school along with the star athletes, much to his surprise! His parents were of means, particularly his mother. They lost most of their money in the stock market crash of 1929. Ultimately, his mother couldn't adjust to a simpler lifestyle and died by suicide when Vonnegut was 21. He raised seven children while struggling to make a living getting published. After he and his wife had three children, they adopted his sister's four orphaned sons after their parents died suddenly. Much of his early life makes for compelling reading. However, the narrative style of the biography is rather unconventional, using the second-person mixed with personal letters. Reading Vonnegut's life from his own point of view feels very intimate and will keep readers engaged. While Wakefield discusses Vonnegut's values and influences and how well received his novels were once he got published, the biography falls short in educating readers about the remarkable stories that made him an icon, perhaps missing an opportunity to inspire readers to seek them out. VERDICT A curious and appealing biography that is recommended where literary classics are popular.-Karen T. Bilton
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