Card Drawn:
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| “Do you realize that all great literature is all about what a bummer it is to be a human being? Isn’t it such a relief to have somebody say that?” - K.V. |
I must say, this one really threw me for a loop and not in a good way. Kurt Vonnegut has such a distinct voice with his sardonic wit, playful humor and biting satire but in this story, we get none of that. Instead, Vonnegut presents us with a dry and dull tour guide of a seaside town called Barnstable County located on Cape Cod. That's about it, nothing else of real importance happens. "Where I Live" appears first in his excellent collection of short-stories Welcome to the Monkey House and stands out as the weakest and most uncharacteristic work by this talented author that I have encountered thus far.
The story ostensibly starts off with an encyclopedia salesman traveling to Cape Cod to sell some updated Britannica's to the county library's board of directors. Perhaps not the most interesting premise out there but if anyone can make this work it is Kurt Vonnegut who has proven countless times that he is a clever story-teller with a knack for the unexpected. Right? Nope. I am still not sure what Vonnegut was trying to achieve with this story. At first I thought that he might be attempting to write a satiric encyclopedia entry on Cape Cod but even that seems like a stretch to me. This is a completely forgettable story overshadowed by so many other fantastic stories in this collection.
Huh. Yeah, that doesn't sound like Vonnegut at all. Well, better luck next week.
ReplyDeleteVery un-Vonnegutesque. As disappointing as this story turned out to be, I have faith that he will quickly redeem himself after I get through some of his other works!
DeleteI've read this collection and thoroughly enjoyed it but don't remember this story. Perhaps there's a reason for that!
ReplyDeleteIt's completely unmemorable! haha
DeleteWhat are some of your favorites from the collection??
Harrison Bergeron is the one I always remember. But I also enjoyed his stories about the storm window salesman, "The Hyannis Port Story" and "Go Back to Your Precious Wife and Son". They are probably not his best but I enjoyed the comedy. His collection The Bagumbo Snuff Box is worth reading, too.
DeleteHarrison bergeron is classic Vonnegut and one of my favorites. I posted a review of it during the last DMI challenge if you want to check it out.
DeleteI am still making my way through "welcome to the monkey house" and look forward to reading those recommendations. I have also been catching up on all your wonderful reviews, including those from his Bagumbo Snuff box collection. Thanks!