Publisher's Synopsis
"Understanding Kurt Vonnegut" is a critical analysis of Vonnegut's novels. After dealing with his early work in science fiction in the 1950s - "Player Piano" and "The Sirens of Titan" - this study pays special attention to Vonnegut's "major phase" in the 1960s, which consists of four extremely diverse but fully realized novels: "Mother's Night"; "Cat's Cradle"; "God Bless You, Mr Rosewater" and "Slaughterhouse-Five"; the critical backlash that resulted after Vonnegut published "Breakfast of Champions" and "Slapstick" in the 1970s, two admittedly weak novels. In the 1980s, Vonnegut turned away from his characteristic mode of science fiction to what the study calls "social/political realism". "Jailbird", "Deadeye Dick", "Galapagos" and "Bluebeard" are compelling works that prove Vonnegut is still a vital force in contemporary American literature.
