Slaughterhouse 5

It's been years since I read it, back in my high school days. Fantastic book from what I recall, though I'm sure I didn't appreciate it to it's full potential; Being in the mindset of it as merely "school reading."

Just last week I was compiling a list of books I should read, and realized it's time I plow through more Vonnegut. Unfortunately, all I am versed in is Slaughterhouse 5 and Breakfast of Champions, * . Cat's Cradle seems like a good choice after reading reviews of his oeuvre.
 
Weird story about that. I'd never got around to reading any Vonnegut, but the week before Vonnegut died I checked out that among others and read the shit out of them.

Five is a terrific book.
 
I never got the feeling of 'forced school reading' because my English class was, more or less, built around my bizarre and unusual needs - school had no Honors class; I came along and was bored, so naturally I became a distraction; all of a sudden school is willing to give me an independent study for the benefit of everyone involved and the next year there's an Honors class. I preferred other stuff in the end but that's definitely a good book.

EDIT: I also like how, because of the novel's themes, one can read the chapters in any order and it still makes just as much sense. Bloody 'unstuck from time'...

Jeff
 
I recently found an interesting and humorous Vonnegut quote about the concept of genre in literature:

'I have been a soreheaded occupant of a file drawer labelled ''Science Fiction''... and I want out, particularly since many serious critics mistake the drawer for a urinal'