For me, the past three novels have created a dark setting while I was flipping through the seemingly never-ending pages. For 1984, my head was completely covered with black and depressing images. Not a hint of colour anywhere. Brave New World was a bit more bearable, since colours were even mentioned in the novel. Although it wasn't completely coloured with bright crayola markers, it still felt lighter and had a "happier" mood then 1984. But SH5, oh boy ohh boy. My mind is in complete mush. When I suddenly understood what was going on, Billy just HAD to conveniently time-travel to another part of his life. So you could say that throughout the novel, Vonnegut left me pretty confused. However, after re-reading a few confusing sections, I had a better understanding of the storyline.
What I really liked about this novel is the outline. It's like a puzzle, unsolved with the pieces all in the wrong places, but somehow still fits together, glued together with super-glue. It doesn't fit but it does at the same time. How amazing is that?
Although many will disagree with me on this, but I thought the beginning was incredible, although the ending was already given away. But then again, I'm the type of reader that when reading, flip to the end to assure my heart that the ending will turn out exactly as I had hoped. But still, all it did was tell you that at the end of the novel, a little birdy chirped. Not exactly a spoiler...
So the characters...they're a most interesting bunch I've ever read about. None of them were based on stereotypes, maybe except the blonde clerk Kilgore Trout was talking to at Billy's engagement party. They all had interesting personalities, not what I had expected (Then again, it's Vonnegut we're talking bout here..). Their characteristics range from different ends of the spectrum; to me, they seemed less realistic, probably due to the lack of connection I can relate to them. So this was a first...
Overall, this novel explored a different variety to characters, settings, and moods. Among it all is the theme of being "unstuck in time," discussed so often in the literary world.
I think this novel should be given more credit and recognition than it already has and should be much more appreciated for the genuine themes under all the confusion so it'll be less banned throughout the world (if it's available and banned elsewhere besides USA).
Maybe this is Vonnegut's way distinguishing the intelligent and the ones who claim to be intelligent. But I'll never know, and in the mean time, I'm gonna grab some yogurt to eat.
farewell my lovelies :{D (lol..that sounds creepy.. o_o)
liz
picture credit goes to http://animal-e.deviantart.com/
cool
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