Called “our finest black-humorist” by The Atlantic Monthly, Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Now his first and last works come together for the first time in print, in a collection aptly titled after his famous phrase, We Are What We Pretend To Be.
Written to be sold under the pseudonym of “Mark Harvey,” Basic Training was never published in Vonnegut’s lifetime. It appears to have been written in the late 1940s and is therefore Vonnegut’s first ever novella. It is a bitter, profoundly disenchanted story that satirizes the military, authoritarianism, gender relationships, parenthood and most of the assumed mid-century myths of the family. Haley Brandon, the adolescent protagonist, comes to the farm of his relative, the old crazy who insists upon being called The General, to learn to be a straight-shooting American. Haley’s only means of survival will lead him to unflagging defiance of the General’s deranged (but oh so American, oh so military) values. This story and its thirtyish author were no friends of the milieu to which the slick magazines’ advertisers were pitching their products.
When Vonnegut passed away in 2007, he left his last novel unfinished. Entitled If God Were Alive Today, this last work is a brutal satire on societal ignorance and carefree denial of the world’s major problems. Protagonist Gil Berman is a middle-aged college lecturer and self-declared stand-up comedian who enjoys cracking jokes in front of a college audience while societal dependence on fossil fuels has led to the apocalypse. Described by Vonnegut as, “the stand-up comedian on Doomsday,” Gil is a character formed from Vonnegut’s own rich experiences living in a reality Vonnegut himself considered inevitable.
Along with the two works of fiction, Vonnegut’s daughter, Nanette shares reminiscences about her father and commentary on these two works—both exclusive to this edition.
In this fiction collection, published in print for the first time, exist Vonnegut’s grand themes: trust no one, trust nothing; and the only constants are absurdity and resignation, which themselves cannot protect us from the void but might divert."synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) is one of the most beloved American writers of the twentieth century. Vonnegut’s audience increased steadily since his first five pieces in the 1950s and grew from there. His 1968 novelSlaughterhouse-Five has become a canonic war novel with Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 to form the truest and darkest of what came from World War II.
Vonnegut began his career as a science fiction writer, and his early novels--Player Piano andThe Sirens of Titan--were categorized as such even as they appealed to an audience far beyond the reach of the category. In the 1960s, Vonnegut became closely associated with the Baby Boomer generation, a writer on that side, so to speak.
Now that Vonnegut’s work has been studied as a large body of work, it has been more deeply understood and unified. There is a consistency to his satirical insight, humor and anger which makes his work so synergistic. It seems clear that the more of Vonnegut’s work you read, the more it resonates and the more you wish to read. Scholars believe that Vonnegut’s reputation (like Mark Twain’s) will grow steadily through the decades as his work continues to increase in relevance and new connections are formed, new insights made.
"Nature", 10/24/13
"Vonnegut's first and last pieces are pervaded by his trademark dark humour."
"Hudson Valley News", 10/16/13
"Written forty years apart, these two pieces share the typical Vonnegut voice. And if you love his work, you will want to add this book to your collection."
John Shelton Ivany Top 21, Issue #434
"Turn off the electronics and put aside your contemporary crises, for what stands before us is a truly transhistorical story teller that deserves at least one read. This book should be our first, and our last, concern."
"Nature," 10/24/13
"Vonnegut's first and last pieces are pervaded by his trademark dark humour."
"Hudson Valley News," 10/16/13
"Written forty years apart, these two pieces share the typical Vonnegut voice. And if you love his work, you will want to add this book to your collection."
John Shelton Ivany Top 21, Issue #434
"Turn off the electronics and put aside your contemporary crises, for what stands before us is a truly transhistorical story teller that deserves at least one read. This book should be our first, and our last, concern."
"Nature," 10/24/13
Vonnegut s first and last pieces are pervaded by his trademark dark humour.
"Hudson Valley News," 10/16/13
Written forty years apart, these two pieces share the typical Vonnegut voice. And if you love his work, you will want to add this book to your collection.
John Shelton Ivany Top 21, Issue #434
Turn off the electronics and put aside your contemporary crises, for what stands before us is a truly transhistorical story teller that deserves at least one read. This book should be our first, and our last, concern. "
Nature, 10/24/13
Vonnegut s first and last pieces are pervaded by his trademark dark humour.
Hudson Valley News, 10/16/13
Written forty years apart, these two pieces share the typical Vonnegut voice. And if you love his work, you will want to add this book to your collection.
John Shelton Ivany Top 21, Issue #434
Turn off the electronics and put aside your contemporary crises, for what stands before us is a truly transhistorical story teller that deserves at least one read. This book should be our first, and our last, concern. "
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Bookoutlet1, Easley, SC, U.S.A.
Condition: VeryGood. Ships Within 24 Hours M-F- Satisfaction Guaranteed! Has a publisher overstock mark. Item is in Good Condition. Clean Copy With Light Amount of Wear. Seller Inventory # 39BGFL001ETF
Quantity: 5 available
Seller: Seattle Goodwill, Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. May have some shelf-wear due to normal use. Your purchase funds free job training and education in the greater Seattle area. Thank you for supporting Goodwills nonprofit mission!. Seller Inventory # 0KVOG2006DLI_ns
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 7952369-6
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: Goodwill Books, Hillsboro, OR, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Good. Signs of wear and consistent use. Seller Inventory # 3IIT03004N24_ns
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Half Price Books Inc., Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_410820568
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: HPB Inc., Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_409979035
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GF Books, Inc., Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Book is in Used-Good condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain limited notes and highlighting. 0.4. Seller Inventory # 0306822784-2-4
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books Unplugged, Amherst, NY, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Buy with confidence! Book is in good condition with minor wear to the pages, binding, and minor marks within 0.4. Seller Inventory # bk0306822784xvz189zvxgdd
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Goodwill of Silicon Valley, SAN JOSE, CA, U.S.A.
Condition: acceptable. Supports Goodwill of Silicon Valley job training programs. The cover and pages are in Acceptable condition! Any other included accessories are also in Acceptable condition showing use. Use can included some highlighting and writing, page and cover creases as well as other types visible wear such as cover tears discoloration, staining, marks, scuffs, etc. All pages intact. Seller Inventory # GWSVV.0306822784.A
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Ergodebooks, Houston, TX, U.S.A.
Softcover. Condition: Good. Reprint. Called our finest black-humorist by The Atlantic Monthly, Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Now his first and last works come together for the first time in print, in a collection aptly titled after his famous phrase, We Are What We Pretend To Be.Written to be sold under the pseudonym of Mark Harvey, Basic Training was never published in Vonneguts lifetime. It appears to have been written in the late 1940s and is therefore Vonneguts first ever novella. It is a bitter, profoundly disenchanted story that satirizes the military, authoritarianism, gender relationships, parenthood and most of the assumed mid-century myths of the family. Haley Brandon, the adolescent protagonist, comes to the farm of his relative, the old crazy who insists upon being called The General, to learn to be a straight-shooting American. Haleys only means of survival will lead him to unflagging defiance of the Generals deranged (but oh so American, oh so military) values. This story and its thirtyish author were no friends of the milieu to which the slick magazines advertisers were pitching their products.When Vonnegut passed away in 2007, he left his last novel unfinished. Entitled If God Were Alive Today, this last work is a brutal satire on societal ignorance and carefree denial of the worlds major problems. Protagonist Gil Berman is a middle-aged college lecturer and self-declared stand-up comedian who enjoys cracking jokes in front of a college audience while societal dependence on fossil fuels has led to the apocalypse. Described by Vonnegut as, the stand-up comedian on Doomsday, Gil is a character formed from Vonneguts own rich experiences living in a reality Vonnegut himself considered inevitable.Along with the two works of fiction, Vonneguts daughter, Nanette shares reminiscences about her father and commentary on these two works-both exclusive to this edition. In this fiction collection, published in print for the first time, exist Vonneguts grand themes: trust no one, trust nothing; and the only constants are absurdity and resignation, which themselves cannot protect us from the void but might divert. Seller Inventory # SONG0306822784
Quantity: 1 available