“All moments, past, present and future, always have existed, always will exist.”
What? Who knew that Slaughterhouse-Five was based on the Block Universe Theory?! I recently listened to a discussion between leading scientist about the block universe, which apparently is the most accepted interpretation of our Einsteinian (four-dimensional) world. Fascinating stuff. In Eistein’s world, present, past and future all exist and are equally real. Only the second law of thermodynamics (implicating the arrow of time) causes us to perceive the past different from the future.
Our protagonist Billy has even freed himself from the arrow of time. He has become “unstuck in time”. In one moment he is experiencing the horrors of the 1945 Dresden bombings, the next he is living a mundane life as an optician and shortly thereafter he finds himself on a distant planet, being observed by the Tralfamadorians like an animal in a zoo.
Unfortunately, Billy has no control over the chronology of his experience, he flickers across his lifespan like a bouncy ball in a closed room. No direction, no pattern. This makes for a disjointed and sometimes confusing narrative.
However, the narrative style is of course intentional. Vonnegut even explains it in the first chapter, which is about an author (Vonnegut himself) who tries to write down his jumbled thoughts about the Dresden bombings in 1945, which killed ten thousands of civilians. The story about Billy is the result.
“It is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds. And what do the birds say? All there is to say about a massacre, things like “Poo-tee-weet?”
“So it goes”. These words accompany every death occurring through the story. And there are a lot. I understand if some readers find this meaningless repetitiveness annoying and admittedly it also got to me towards the end. As with the narrative style, there is a point though. Isn’t that what war really is? Meaningless death after meaningless death? There are no reasons, no logic; this is just how things are and one may as well accept it. The novel takes this one step further: Isn’t that how life is? As you may know, the block universe interpretation is closely linked to questions about determinism and free will.
“If I hadn’t spent so much time studying Earthlings,” said the Tralfamadorian, “I wouldn’t have any idea what was meant by ‘free will.’ I’ve visited thirty-one inhabited planets in the universe, and I have studied reports on one hundred more. Only on Earth is there any talk of free will.”
I found it powerful that everything from the narrative style, the monotone language and the constant use of “so it goes“ all work together in expressing the author’s own experience with the Dresden bombings and reflections on war in general. Like with Orwell’s 1984, it would be wrong to call Slaughterhouse-Five enjoyable, but it certainly is impactful. A degree of absurd humour penetrates the story, but it isn’t funny. War isn’t funny.
Don’t let the science fiction elements put you off. The scenes with the Tralfamadorians aren’t dominating and it isn’t even entirely clear, whether these should be interpreted as real or whether they are a consequence of severe PTSD.
AIl in all, I will highly recommend Slaughterhouse-Five and I even have a strong feeling, it will benefit from being reread. Time will show.
The novel’s references to the block universe made me so curious, I had to google it. Seemingly, there are lots of interesting material out there, including an academic thesis, analysing Vonnegut’s use of science and an Australian play inspired by Slaughterhouse-Five, called The Block Universe. This certainly is an influential novel, in more sense than one.
Title: Slaughterhouse-Five [1969] Author: Kurt Vonnegut Format: Audiobook, narrated by James Franco Genre: Classics
Great review! I have never been tempted to read Vonnegut but as always, you have piqued my interest with your thoughtful discussion and I might have to get a copy.
Thanks so much! I don’t think, the writing style will be to everyone’s taste, but in terms of communicating the fractured and meaningless experience of war, it really does a cracking job.
Greetings. I wonder how popular KV is these days. He was wildly popular in the second half of the last century.
I think he is still being read quite a bit, also by younger readers. However, he may not be as popular as he was in the last century,
My husband and grown son love all his work. I have trouble with the author,
I wonder if his books are acquired taste? The more you read, the more you get used to his style? I can see though, why his writing wouldn’t work for everyone.
Interesting. I have never heard of the block universe.
It was only recently, I heard about it as well, but since then, I’ve tried to read more about the concept of time. It really is interesting, but hard to grasp.
‘So it goes,” seemed to me to mean something different each time it was said.
I was intrigued by Dresden after reading this book and spent time looking for photos of the city before it was destroyed. The block universe completely passed me by!
I also looked up Dresden afterwards, but I was primarily interested in facts about the actual bombings. It isn’t something you hear much about in school, when learning about WW2. Well, at least I didn’t learn about it in school… Haha, it was a complete coincidence, that I recently heard a discussion about the block universe. Otherwise, I would have missed it as well. It is super fascinating, though.
It sounds as if the coincidence of you learning of the existence of the block universe was meant to be!
Apparently so – since we are living in a deterministic universe! 😉
🙂
I read this in the 70s as one of the required reading books for High School (yes, it was very progressive). There are things I’ll never forget about it, but more than anything else, I think what I remember the most was not getting half of it!
Oh really, you read this in high school! I am glad to have read this later in life – I doubt, I would have got much out of it in school. There is a lot to unpack in the novel, but maybe a good teacher could have enhanced the understanding.
I could watch that bouncing ball for quite awhile. I have never read Vonnegut which is crazy but your review brings out several interesting points about it. This whole Block Theory which I didn’t realize. And you say not to be put off by the sci-fi elements so perhaps I will pick it up. The narrative style sounds like something to explore. thanks.
Haha, that bouncing ball is strangely mesmerising, isn’t it. I am glad to have tried out one of Vonnegut’s books. I’d heard so much about this author and found it a very interesting read. The references to the Block Universe was just the icing on the cake.
One problem with Vonnegut’s history is that the number of dead in Dresden was an early example of fake news — German propaganda said 250,000 dead, which was 10 times the real total. Though the real total was bad enough, the exaggeration had consequences, including this book. The intent of the exaggeration was to keep the Germans fighting at the end of the war. Very important historical issues.
That said, I’ve read it more than once and I think it’s a great book.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I didn’t know about the exaggeration of the numbers, that is of course highly problematic. Does Vonnegut mention any numbers in the novel? I honestly don’t remember. Obviously Vonnegut can’t be blamed for the original German propaganda (seeing that the novel was published in 1969).
The writing style in this one was one that I didn’t expect at all and it’s definitely a tough sale but, thinking back, the core message is clear and quite powerful! Great review, Stargazer! 😀
Thanks Lashaan, I agree the core message was very strong and clear and the writing style contributed to that. It was perhaps what you would call interesting, rather than enjoyable.
I used to read a lot of Vonnegut at some point; Slaughterhouse-Five was for me the absolute best. I think it aptly shows not only the PTSD per se, but also the fragmentation of self which is the result of the incomprehensibility of war.
Ok, so I started with his best, that is fine with me. 🙂 Yes, it was very cleverly done showing the effect war has on people. The more I think about it, the more impressed I am with the novel.
Glad to hear that!!
🙂
Wonderful review! I’ve heard so much about Kurt Vonnegut but I’ve yet to read his books. Slaughterhouse-Five sounds absolutely brilliant, I don’t know much about the block universe either so this might be a lovely way to get into that, haha!
Thanks for the review!
Thanks so much! It really was an interesting story and the block universe references were just the icing on the cake. I seem to remember you are interested in more scientific topics as well? Don’t know if that include physics, but if so, the block universe is quite an interesting topic (and as with a lot of physics, not particularly intuitive).
My pleasure! Oh that sounds perfect! Yeah, I am and it does – Physics is my favourite subject 🫣 also the one I struggle with the most😂
Thank you for the recommendation! I’m excited to check this out!
It’s my favourite subject as well!
Yay!!🥳🙌
This is a very interesting review. I must have read this when I was pretty young, early twenties (and long, long ago). I am sure I would see it differently now. And I never knew anything about the Block Universe Theory.
Thanks so much. I believe it’s a story you can reread and still discover new things. I am glad, I didn’t read it in school or even in my early twenties. Not sure what I would have made of it back then.
This is a book I’d never been tempted to read ( the sci-fi …). However, after your thoughtful review, I should move it higher up the TBR pile – well, put it on said pile I mean. I have a feeling though that I’ll still find excuses not to bring it to the top.
I guess, it is a strange book, but as I wrote in my review, it’s amazing how everything – the writing style, the language, the repetition and even the aliens – comes together to form this confused fractured picture of war and the effect on humans.
You made it sound worth the effort.
At least it was for me. 🙂
I haven’t got round to writing my review yet, and thought it was about time I read yours! I hadn’t heard of the block universe theory, that’s interesting. I did think this book was brilliant and profound, as well as confusing, often depressing and sometimes very funny. I think it’s one I’ll go back to – definitely deserves its classic status!
Yes, I definitely think it’s one of these books, which will gain by being reread. When reading for the second time, I am sure it’s a lot less confusing, hence it is easier to focus on the details. Glad you enjoyed it, I will look out for your review!