Listen:

There are only a few things I can’t change. The past. The present. And the future. Everything else is fair game. Including Slaughterhouse Five—I can do my best to change that all I want.

Slaughterhouse Five was my introduction to the crazy, stupid, distracting mess that is postmodernism. If you’re not familiar with postmodernism, just imagine all the things in your life that make sense and turn them into a directionless sort of ennui. But only in your mind. They still physically exist. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy SH5. It’s a hell of a book—even despite the issues There have been some criticism leveled against the book in regards to Vonnegut's representation of female characters. A criticism that I do think is valid. The only female characters of any note are his his wife Valencia [quote]; his daughter Barbara [quote]; his space lover Montana Wildhack, [quote]; and Princess the German Shepherd. Mary, the wife of his old war buddy pops up as well. The main sticking point is that, for the most part, none of these women are especially strong characters. In fact, I'd say that Montana comes off the best out of all of them. But even her character exists only in relation to Billy.
The counter argument is that this is Billy's story. That the world does exist solely for him in that it's a world that largely only exists in his own head. Does that mean that the characterization of women in the book is due to Billy's perception more than Vonnegut's? I don't think I have an answer for that. I do believe that Vonnegut was a good person and one that cared for his fellow humans. I'd also say that it is extremely difficult to find a good character of either gender—it is truly a book populated by pitiful examples of humans. that have developed over time.

It was reading SH5 that started what would become my Vonnegut Phase™ The Vonnegut Phase™ almost always starts with Slaughterhouse Five. It moves, in all likelihood, to Cat’s Cradle or Breakfast of Champions or maybe even Mother Night. One might happen on some short story collections or Player Piano, if one is especially brave. For those few intrepid souls, his non-fiction oft beckons. that the vast majority of white, middle class late teen / early twenty somethings go through. It’s a book, that despite itself, I have returned to time and time again.

And I’m doing my best to ruin it.

See, SH5 is written in short bursts, like telegrams, and follows no set structure in regards to narrative thread or chronology. It’s orchestrated that way. And I’ve gone and linked it all together—by time period, by plot points, by excising the fact from the fiction from the fantasy. So, here you go Kurt. It’s my unknown project on your famous Dresden Book. I’m sorry it’s so logical, but what are you supposed to say about a book about the futility of saying something about a massacre? Poo-tee-weet? Nah. That just don’t fly anymore.

I’ve divided the book into six distinct sections. They are color coded for easy identification.

Right now the links aren't functional—I'm working as fast as a warp-speed Tralfamadorian ship to get all the sections updated.