Ryan Scott
January 14th, 2012, 10:53 AM
This is an autobiographical collage, the sequel to 1980's Palm Sunday, written to encompass the life, thought, and non-fiction writing of the author, mostly in the 1980s. The book was published just after the fall of the Soviet Union.
I think it reflects his understanding of the world at the time, which was much more pessimistic than his earlier works. It is similar to the nihilism of his novel, Hocus Pocus, published about the same time.
Vonnegut has always been a skeptic of God, but a profound champion of humanity. At this point in life, he seems to believe that while humanity has value and is very much worth saving, that the course of history will lead to our collective self-destruction.
I found Palm Sunday a much better read.
I think it reflects his understanding of the world at the time, which was much more pessimistic than his earlier works. It is similar to the nihilism of his novel, Hocus Pocus, published about the same time.
Vonnegut has always been a skeptic of God, but a profound champion of humanity. At this point in life, he seems to believe that while humanity has value and is very much worth saving, that the course of history will lead to our collective self-destruction.
I found Palm Sunday a much better read.