Thrice I've read this now, discounting the dozens of other times I've gone back to it, opened a random page and breathed a sigh of relief.
This is as much a philosophical text as it is about writing. I know that I will go back to it again and again.
This is my intro to Vonnegut's work and my, what an intro. If you're just brisking through, the story might seem all over the place, what with all the time-travel stuff. But underneath all that sci-fi, is a pretty stoic person's life(just got off, a couple of days ago, reading Obstacle is the Way, so I have my glasses tinted with stoicism) Vonnegut has brilliantly weaved in the Dresden bombings with the Tralfamadorians' outlook of time. That which is to happen will happen, has already happened, is happening. The dead are always living and the living are always dead. So it goes.
And another thing about this book, if you're the least bit creative, this will turn the gears in your head like a mofo and will beg you to create stuff, because if this guy can blend in WWII, Time travel, Aliens, Philosophy and a optometrist-veteran's life-story into just 175 pages of cohesive awesomeness, you can at least start.
Update 2024: the above review was written in 2017 when I was just a budding writer. Now in 2024 I'm a budding writer 7 years in the making. My depression aside, this book still slaps. All the above points made by the 25 year old me are still valid but I don't know about the stoicism thing. Billy as a main character feels to have a very flat arc. Sure he's supposed to be the everyman who goes on extraordinary adventures whom you can paste yourself onto but still I would've liked some semblance of a personality. Let's see. Only hope is I see this review in 7 more years and at the bare minimum, still am a budding writer. For the alternative, I fear, is much much worse. Happy reading
Gaiman's writings have always (always meaning since I discovered him i.e. earlier this year)fascinated me, the way he is able to create entire worlds and mythologies in a drop of the hat. Sandman was on my wishlist for so long, finally got around to reading the first volume and gotta say it is enticing as hell. The stories, especially the beginning of each issue (8 in total) seem disjointed at first, but some come together in great ways, others are left for the reader to figure out. Characters are spread out like grains of sand (yep!) helping and aiding our protagonist Dream aka Sandman aka other thousand names in his mission for revenge, with a lot of heavy handed biblical themes thrown in to the mix. Also classic DC stalwarts show up, so that's a plus point. I found Vol 1 to be thoroughly enjoyable, although the first issue may confuse some, but stick it out, it's gonna be great.
What a ride this book is! It's like someone wrote up episodes of Black Mirror in prose. I got around to eventually reading this after watching Arrival, and also the repeated recommendations on the Tim Ferriss Show. Each story is based on a central concept, building a world of myriad possibilities. These get your head churning like no other.
67 Books
See all
