"A
Man Without A Country"
by
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt finally concludes the half-century journey on which he has taken us with this hilarious, heartfelt, charming epilogue. Vonnegut gives us literary polaroids of his childhood and day-to-day life, places us at the dinner table with Mark Twain, Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, and Eugene Debs, and manages to answer the question: "What does it mean to be human?" All the while single handedly battling George W. Bush, H-Bombs, and the "Guessers."~Kevin
Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
“[This] may be as close as Vonnegut ever comes to a memoir.”
–Los Angeles Times
“Like [that of] his literary ancestor Mark Twain, [Kurt Vonnegut’s]
crankiness is good-humored and sharp-witted. . . . [Reading A Man Without
a Country is] like sitting down on the couch for a long chat with an
old friend.”
–The New York Times Book Review
In a volume that is penetrating, introspective, incisive, and laugh-out-loud
funny, one of the great men of letters of this age–or any age–holds
forth on life, art, sex, politics, and the state of America’s soul.
From his coming of age in America, to his formative war experiences, to his
life as an artist, this is Vonnegut doing what he does best: Being himself.
Whimsically illustrated by the author, A Man Without a Country is
intimate, tender, and brimming with the scope of Kurt Vonnegut’s passions.
“For all those who have lived with Vonnegut in their imaginations .
. . this is what he is like in person.”
–USA Today
“Filled with [Vonnegut’s] usual contradictory mix of joy and sorrow,
hope and despair, humor and gravity.”
–Chicago Tribune
“Fans will linger on every word . . . as once again [Vonnegut] captures
the complexity of the human condition with stunning calligraphic
simplicity.”
–The Australian
“Thank God, Kurt Vonnegut has broken his promise that he will never
write another book. In this wondrous assemblage of mini-memoirs, we discover
his family’s legacy and his obstinate, unfashionable humanism.”
–Studs Terkel
READER'S COMMENTS ON A Man Without a Country
As an aspiring writer, I must admit that reading Vonnegut can be disheartening. It is amazing that a writer with such a simple style can be so damn clever and witty. Vonnegut is Tom Wolfe without the esoteric phrases--the results for this book being a beautifully written swan song for the American master. Everyone should read this and everything written by the man. He will be missed by many. So it goes.~Michael
It has been more than a year since first
reading "A Man Without a Country", and this past week after hearing of the
passing of one of my favorite authors and an inspiration in my own writing,
I felt the need to visit it again. There are few books that I re-read, but
Vonnegut, Mark Twain, are two authors I return to time and again. Every time
I discover something new, something prophetic, a nuance of language, a humorous
passage I didn't see the first time.
Vonnegut was surely the heir apparent to the legacy of Twain - they even
resemble each other - and whether it is fiction, essays or non-fiction both
writers are true masters. Vonnegut was an inspiration for every generation
since World War II, especially those of us who discovered him in the sixties.
As a political humorist there are few contemporaries who can be so dead on,
and yet at the same time he was not pessimestic about the future.
It is amazing how much he has given us, and how many of his books will last
far after most contemporaries' work has past into oblivion. His legacy is
truly amazing, and like many fans I hope that even though he is now gone
there is at least one more unpublished manuscript, one more chance to visit
an old friend, but for now there is a bookcase full of his gifts to visit
again and again until then.
To those who never read Vonnegut, I urge you to pick up any one of his books,
they are all masterpieces and not a dull one on the shelves.
I have been
a devotee of Mr. Vonnegut since my high school days in the late 60s. His
wit, his insight, his courage in telling the truth, masking it in humor often,
are much to be admired. This book is the epitome - the last written - perhaps
the most important. One of the joys of my life is that my son devours Vonnegut.
His death saddens me - he would probably find that amusing. Let this be his
epitaph "Here lies no C student from Yale".
Read this book. Think. Apply.
Thanks Kurt.~Rick
Before I go
on with my review, I have to say R.I.P. to the late Kurt Vonnegut. He is
one of the greatest authors of our generation, and he will be missed. A Man
Without A Country is one of the greatest pieces of non-fiction I have ever
read, and I do not enjoy non-fiction much. Kurt Vonnegut tackles a wide variety
of subjects including politics, (he has a scathing portrayal of George Bush,
which cracked me up) sex, literature, war, religion, and even writing, and
he says it with such confidence and a lot of humor to boot. A Man Without
A Country is a fantastic swan song from a great writer. The only gripe I
have with this excellent piece is that it is far too short.~Gobi
RE:
A
Man Without a
Country
What's so wonderful about this thin tome is that it observes current events
from soemone who knows what's going on and who's been around for a while.
Not surprisingly, he condemns the extremists now running and ruining the
country and the world. But he also shares new personal stories with us.
Should you buy this book? Anything by Vonnegut should be snatched up and
cherished along with the rest of his works.~Rudolf
RE:
A
Man Without a
Country
I gave a copy of this book to one of my sons (19). "Bit preachy," was his
verdict. Well, if you're an 82-year-old lefty living in the hell that is
George W. Bush's world you're entitled to be a bit preachy.
Kurt Vonnegut is a grumpy old geezer who feels he shouldn't have lived this
long. He hates what he sees of the plundering of our environment and the
disembling of his country's leaders and he's not shy about expressing his
disgust. With wit and venom he skewers the public for its insatiable consumerism
and Bush for his lying and warmongering.
It's a terrible shame that a national treasure of the United States such
as Kurt Vonnegut should spend his last days on this planet feeling he doesn't
belong in the country of his birth.
RE:
A
Man Without a
Country
Kurt Vonnegut spills his guts in "A Man Without A Country," an 82-year-old
man jotting down all his feelings and opinions about the world we live in
-- ranging from music, art, Iraq, George Bush, socialism, fossil fuels, and
plenty more, even his views on semicolons. It's the sixth Vonnegut book I've
read, with Galapagos, Cat's Cradle and Breakfast of Champions far and away
my favorites.
It's a short, very fast read, shorter than you might expect for a man who
seemingly has so much on his mind. All in all, though it kept me entertained,
I'd rather stick with KV's fictional tales. There was plenty here that I
agreed with, there was plenty that I disagreed with. I came away feeling
as though I'd love to sit down with Vonnegut for a few hours and just BS
about a whole host of different topics.
The problem I had "loving" this book was that there was really no way of
escaping the overwhelming cynicism. I do realize that this cynicism is one
of Vonnegut's hallmarks, but at least in his fiction, he allows you to get
a good laugh from his views, then lets you recover and breathe for a few
paragraphs. Here, there's no let-up, no safe haven from the ideas that we're
all doomed, everyone with authority is corrupt, everyone else is cheap and
lazy, and everyplace else is better (to an extent since, again, everyone
is doomed). Unless you agree wholeheartedly with everything Vonnegut has
to say, it becomes overwhelming after a while, and for me, when he compares
America to occupied Poland, it becomes a bit tiresome.
I'd recommend it for those familiar with Vonnegut, and I still look forward
to adding to my Kurt collection.~Phil
RE:
A
Man Without a
Country
Kurt is everything you would expect, but in a good way. It's a quick read,
but worth every minute. He is sarcastic and opinionated and completely
entertaining!~Jennifer
I have read all Vonnegut's biographical
books, and this is the best of the bunch--perhaps because the least biographical.
Mostly it is brief essays on politics and social topics.
It is blessedly free of the long (LONG!) family histories of his previous
biographical books (Palm Sunday, Fates Worse Than Death, even some of Wampeters,
Foma, and Granfaloons), which I found tedious.
But even more, it lacks some of their surliness, too.
Oh, yes, there is some gloom and despair here. But there is also an enormous
amount of high spirits and good humor.
His chapter on music is breathtaking. Should be required reading for every
highschooler.
His references to Marx and Debs and Jesus are refreshing.
They should be required reading for all fundamentalists, of any stripe.
His relentless slagging of George W. Bush and crew is richly deserved. And,
fortunately, he includes in it a constant dose of scorn for how mediocre
these casual butchers are.
It is, of course, not merely their butchery that is undoing them but their
incompetence.
One of the nice things about Vonnegut is his adherence to timeless principles:
humility, humor, freedom, equality, openness, graciousness, a sense of
perspective, and optimism based on facts rather than delusion.
These make all his biographical books (and all his novels, too, for that
matter) timeless, no matter if he is criticizing Nixon or GW Bush.
But this is the best of the lot.~P.S.
This was the first time I ever read Vonnegut,
but I always knew he had a strong wit and intelligence. I was not disappointed
at all when I read this book. This book was a quick read and a fun read.
The author wrote short stories with "cute statement samplers" before each
chapter that were amusing.
I read this book a week after a very close uncle of mine died at the age
of 88. While reading this book I was reminded by what my uncle would say
at the end when he knew his health was failing. He would say my body isn't
doing so good, but the muscle in my head is fine. He had all his wits about
him till the end and isn't that the most important thing?. Mr. Vonnegut seems
to be a bright, intelligent man. The kind of person you would enjoy having
for dinner, because you know that the conversation would flow. This book
made me smile. This book showed me the view point of a man that has lived
82 years and from the way he writes he is still enjoying life. He still enjoys
the simple pleasures of mailing an envelope and it also showed the pleasures
of living in New York City and Long Island, which is where I am from. I recommend
this book.~A. W.
RE:
A
Man Without a Country
Wildly, irreverently anti-establishment (when it matters) Vonnegut is a delight
to read for his humor and esquisite penetration of hallowed balloons, and
he gives cause to reflect on the American social and political scene like
few others have. It is hard to imagine that the author was in his 80s when
it wrote Man without a Country, so fresh is his insight.~J.M.
Vonnegut comes
out of retirement to make a commentary on present day America. We know it
is such, as he speaks of his pure bred German American roots. He shows through
scintillating explanations and elucidations that there are serious problems
in this world, and particularly in this country. He does not hide his contempt
for the blatant middle class assault and corporate free for all that has
been going on during the current administration.
With a smooth and slightly dryer than normal tone, Vonnegut gives us chapters
of wisdom regarding the general environment around us. In most of them, he
indicates the failure of men to be good stewards and guardians of the Earth
as our main resource. He is concerned about the kind of world we have created
and where his grandchildren will end up. How could we even imagine projecting
out 50 years in the information age? The world we have created is likely
to reflect the way we have treated it and that treatment has been pretty
shabbily handled.
Long time Vonnegut readers can see the shift from one who thought perhaps
there was a way of saving ourselves to one who is less naïve about human
ways and means. His approach is more considered. His experience is so much
greater. He indicates that he has given up on the human race. He can not
teach them what they need to know, because they do not care to listen.
The book is recommended for all Vonnegut readers, especially long term ones.
Also, all readers interested in a long watcher or life's comments on the
state of the world he is to leave somewhere not so long down the road. Excellent
commentary! ~Jon
RE:
A
Man Without a
Country
Thanks, Kurt, thanks very much! Everybody talks, but when Kurt speaks, people
might actually listen. I do take exception to Publisher's Weekly Review,
which was probably written by somebody one fourth Kurt's age. It's just political
crap, so don't pay attention. What our Kurt tells us is what he always tells
us: the truth. It is painful, it is traumatic, it is often funny, but it
is always simply what is. And what our Kurt tells us in this book is that
we are in denial addicts of a drug known as "fossil fuel" and that our planet,
due to human stupidity and greed, is going to hell in a handbasket. We know
this. But, as he says, we are in denial. Kurt Vonnegut is 82 years old and
very, very smart. I'd say that listening to him is a better bet than listening
to a government peopled by idiots who care far less about the earth and its
inhabitants as a whole than about their personal political power. I think
we're all tired of this. Far as I'm concerned, Kurt Vonnegut is the Mark
Twain of the previous and current century. He is a fearless advocate of that
which is humane and ecological, however hard it might be. And he's a Luddite.
Well, whoopy de do! So am I. I still use real paints instead of computer
imaging. Just guess what lasts longer.You know, there is something to be
said about the opinions of somebody who is old enough to have seen the dramatic
changes that have occured during the last century, and smart enough to put
them into some kind of order. Kurt does this. I love this man, immensely.
Were I to actually meet him, I think I would just give him a big hug and
thank him for being himself over and over. We are so very lucky to have a
Kurt Vonnegut in our midst, right now, to impart some
wisdom.~Christine
RE:
A
Man Without a
Country
Kurt Vonnegut has his detractors, some of whom can be found reviewing this
book, but thankfully he also has numerous fans -- and you can put me at the
forefront of his supporters any day. In this work (which will most likely
be the now eighty-four year old author's last) Vonnegut looks back at the
life he has lived, the people he has met, those who have influenced him,
the world he has inhabited, and reflects on where the human race seems to
be headed. Surely there will be people who disagree with Vonnegut's politics,
but what he is preaching (if anything) is the importance of kindness -- and,
really, who could possibly find fault with that? He challenges his readers
to stand up to the political machines, the corrupt corporations, et al and
to hold on to their integrity in a world that no longer rewards honesty and
hard work. Vonnegut certainly has no love for President Bush and the current
administration -- which naturally provokes a knee-jerk defensive position
from the conservatively inclined reader, but if you take the politics out
of the equation you are left with what Vonnegut recommends to a man on page
107: "There's only one rule that I know of: Go****mn it, Joe, you've got
to be kind!" Again, who could argue with that? Wouldn't the world be a better
place -- and wouldn't life be a lot easier to live -- if we just made the
modicum of effort that it takes to be nice to each other? Perhaps, being
apolitical myself, it's easy for me to put aside my differences with Vonnegut
and focus on what he is trying to say. There are also those who complain
that Vonnegut is overly simplistic. Well, if I've learned anything it's that
oftentimes the most obvious things are the hardest to see -- and if everyone
already knew what Vonnegut is saying the world wouldn't need much fixing
in the first place. Turkish author Orhan Pamuk just won the 2006 Nobel Prize
in Literature, and I'm sure that he deserves it, but it just stupefies me
that Vonnegut has never been honored with that prize during his long career.
With a canon that includes "Mother Night" (my favorite Vonnegut book),
"Slaughterhouse Five", "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater", "Breakfast of Champions"
and so much more he just seems like a great choice. And at eighty-four Vonnegut
has lost none of his mental prowess and signature wit. If this elegiac work
proves to be Vonnegut's last it would be a fitting, melancholy note to end
his career on. I just can't help but selfishly hold onto the hope that he
will be around a while longer to entertain us with his unique blend of comedy,
tragedy, and poignant themes. God -- or whatever is out there -- bless you,
Mr. Vonnegut.~Gregory
What is there to say? Vonnegut
is the funniest and most pointedly accurate novelist working today. The last
half-century has been better for his contributions.
This book is spot on all the way through. Read it. Laugh, Cry, realize that
he's right, and then cry some more.~CV
This is a short book of recollections,
memories, and ruminations on the past, present, and future, presented with
understated charm and intelligence. Mr. V is surely one of America's finest
men of letters, and it is a time to rejoice when he sets down to write how
he came to be, how he sees America now, and how he despairs for our future.
Funny and insightful, this little book is a delight. ~Todd
RE:
A
Man Without a Country
I was going to take a look at this to see if I wanted to read it. I've always
admired Vonnegut's work, especially Slaughter-House-Five (1966). I looked
up an hour later and realized I had read it!
Vonnegut has gotten a little curmudgeony in his old age, and cynical. But
who can blame him? He grew up in the depression and then witnessed the
fire-bombing of Dresden as a POW. He saw the footage about the Holocaust.
He lived through Vietnam and the Cold War, and especially through the decline
of America that has become exponential since George W. took office. In other
words, as a world class writer in his 83rd year, he makes a fine spokesman
for our times.
Let me quote a bit from this very readable, delightful, and (as usual with
Vonnegut) wryly amusing little tome:
"By saying that our leaders are power-drunk chimpanzees, am I in danger of
wrecking the morale of our soldiers fighting and dying in the Middle East?
Their morale, like so many lifeless bodies, is already shot to pieces. They
are being treated, as I never was, like toys a rich kid got for Christmas."
(p. 72)
That "rich kid" would be (a) Bush (b) Cheney ©) Rumsfeld (d) all of
the above.
"War is now a form of TV entertainment." (p. 88)
"Shrapnel was invented by an Englishman of the same name. Don't you wish
you could have something named after you?" (p. 88)
"I was once asked if I had any ideas for a really scary reality TV show.
I have one reality show that would really make your hair stand on end:
'C-Students from Yale.'" (p. 99)
"Only nut cases want to be president. This was true even in high school.
Only clearly disturbed people ran for class president." (p. 102)
"Our daily news sources, newspapers and TV, are now so craven, so unvigilant
on behalf of the American people, so uninformative, that only in books do
we learn what's really going on." (p. 103)
Part of the book consists of artwork by Vonnegut, a self-sketch, some plot
graphs (for novels or stories), and some pithy sayings from him hand-lettered
and autographed. Vonnegut comes from an artistic family, so he feels licensed,
I suppose. The text contains some blue titles and stars throughout that are
agreeable. There is just enough of this so as not to distract from what Vonnegut
does best, that is write ironically amusing prose that is light and weighty
at the same time. In an "Author's Note" he asks if the artwork is any good,
and then wonders how one might tell a good picture from a bad one. Good question.
He recalls asking a painter named Syd Solomon, who "gave me the most satisfactory
answer I ever expect to hear. He said, 'Look at a million pictures, and you
can never be mistaken.'" (p. 145)
I haven't read a million books, but I've read a few thousand, and I can tell
you that this book, which looks to be Vonnegut's last, is a great read from
a wise old man who never forgets the reader.~Dennis
RE:
A
Man Without a Country
You have no idea how happy I am that he broke his promise to never write
another book. Nor are you aware of how long it sat on my bookshelf, unread,
as some sort of twisted testament to my willpower. I finally leaped on it
like a starving hound dog on a T-bone and devoured it in record time. Next
month, I'll do it again, perhaps more slowly. Later on I'll read it yet again.
And then again. Hardcover, baby!
This is very much a "single-sitting" read. Kurt doesn't need a whole lot
of words to express a whole lot of ideas. But you might need a few hours
or days or years to digest them all. So I guess it's not like a T-bone after
all. It's much better. "Stranded on a desert island with only five books
to read for eternity" material.
Kurt Vonnegut's writing is in a place that nobody reading this newsletter
will ever reach. All he has to do is be himself, and write what is good enough
by his standards, and we'll simply be in awe. I love this man.
~Michael
RE:
A
Man Without a Country
After a long and prolific career publishing some of the most ironic and quirky
novels of all time, Vonnegut announced his retirement from writing fiction
with the publication of his last novel, TIMEQUAKE. Nevertheless, he has continued
to submit essays to In These Times Magazine, on a variety of subjects ranging
from criticism of the George W. Bush administration to simple observational
pieces on topics like a trip to the post office. In 2005, many of these essays
were collected into this book, A MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY, in which he attempts
to put his life and work into perspective. Vonnegut himself referred to the
book's glowing reception as `a nice glass of champagne at the end of a life.'
Beneath the cover, you will find a variety of anecdotes drawn from his long
life and true-to-form Vonnegut commentary on subjects ranging from the inherent
failures of both Communism and Capitalism to the first rule on semicolons:
Do not use them, he says. `They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing
absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college.' Just to
give you an idea of how cantankerously amusing this author can be, allow
me to share one of my favorite quotes from the book: 'Evolution can go to
hell as far as I am concerned. What a mistake we are. We have mortally wounded
this sweet life-supporting planet - the only one in the whole Milky Way -
with a century of transportation whoopee. Our government is conducting a
war against drugs, is it? Let them go after petroleum. Talk about a destructive
high! You put some of this stuff in your car and you can go a hundred miles
an hour, run over the neighbor's dog, and tear the atmosphere to smithereens.
Hey, as long as we are stuck with Homo sapiens, why mess around? Let's wreck
the whole joint. Anybody got an atomic bomb? Who doesn't have an atomic bomb
nowadays?' All in all, I would have to agree with Vonnegut. This book is
a lot like a nice glass of champagne. In fact, at times, the comedy and criticism
are so vehement that he may very well have been in the cups while writing
it.~J.W.K.
RE:
A
Man Without a Country
I am pretty sure the man knows he is going to die very soon. This was like
one long goodbye.~Beth
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"A
Man Without a
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