Slaughterhouse-Five

By: Kurt Vonnegut

Narrated by: James Franco

Slaughterhouse-Five is the now famous parable of Billy Pilgrim, a World War II veteran and POW who has, in the later stage of his life, become "unstuck in time" and who experiences at will (or unwillingly) all known events of his chronology out of order and sometimes simultaneously.

Traumatized by the bombing of Dresden at the time he had been imprisoned, Pilgrim drifts through all events and history, sometimes deeply implicated, sometimes a witness. He is surrounded by Vonnegut's usual large cast of continuing characters (notably here the hack science fiction writer Kilgore Trout and the alien Tralfamadorians, who oversee his life and remind him constantly that there is no causation, no order, no motive to existence). The "unstuck" nature of Pilgrim's experience may constitute an early novelistic use of what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder; then again, Pilgrim's aliens may be as "real" as Dresden is real to him.

Struggling to find some purpose, order, or meaning to his existence and humanity's, Pilgrim meets the beauteous and mysterious Montana Wildhack (certainly the author's best character name), has a child with her, and drifts on some supernal plane, finally, in which Kilgore Trout, the Tralfamadorians, Montana Wildhack, and the ruins of Dresden do not merge but rather disperse through all planes of existence.

Slaughterhouse-Five was hugely successful, brought Vonnegut an enormous audience, was a finalist for the National Book Award and a best seller, and remains four decades later as timeless and shattering a war fiction as Catch-22, with which it stands as the two signal novels of their riotous and furious decade.

©1969 Kurt Vonnegut (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"James Franco is an inspired choice as narrator for this anti-war classic. While still young, he still manages to sound world-weary.... Franco has fun with the offbeat characters and Vonnegut's quirky text but keeps the overall tone thoughtful.... Franco's reading gives the 1960s classic a freshness that will appeal to both new listeners and Vonnegut's many fans." ( AudioFile)

Important Post-War Novel

If you could sum up Slaughterhouse-Five in three words, what would they be?

psychedelic, surreal, chaotic

What did you like best about this story?

Billy's time travel back and forth and beyond and how Vonnegut made the transitions. The refrain "and so it goes" every time someone died was hilarious.

Which scene was your favorite?

This is hard to say, because I love them all. The firebombing of Dresden and its aftermath stood out.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

And So It Goes.

Any additional comments?

The novel is fresh, modern, non-linear. Vonnegut pushed the form. It requires focus to listen to. Enjoy the ride. Do not try to make sense of it. Enjoy. "And so it goes."

Surprising in many ways.

I had heard a lot about this book and pretty much bought it on a dare with myself thinking "what could go wrong". As much as I like James Franco as an actor, I really wasn't sure of what to expect.

If you feel the same about it, and hesitant about the purchase of this book, take the risk. Franco's voice and narration are a bit unsettling at first but so is the book. As unlikely as it may sound ,it's a great pairing.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Yes, it will be a bumpy one.

I see why this is a classic

I really enjoyed how original this book was in style and substance (even 54 yrs after the book was published). I like the dark / dry humor and the unique take on time and reality. I thought the writing style was more accessible than in Catch 22 (which this reminded me of and I also enjoyed).

Love the book, hate the reader

This is one of my favorite books, and was very hesitant to spend a credit on it since James Franco was reading it. I have to say, if my only reading of this book was through James Franco, I would think the book was awful. It is just his reading of it that made it hard to finish.

I am very frustrated there's no other option but this version, because I feel like it was a wasted credit even though it's a great book.

I don't recommend this version at all, you will enjoy it much more if you read it yourself. He is too monotone, a slow reader (I played it at 1.5x to balance that), and he made me question parts I found so funny in this book when I read it myself just due to his delivery.

So it Should Go

First, I need to remark on how James Franco fits into this book so well. I’m a bigger fan for his having narrated this book. Because, this is an awesome book. The characters are bare, the story is dark and yet told with cushion, and casual acceptance. This is what a short novel should achieve, and this will rank among my favorites. If you’re curious about this book, get it!

Vonnegut. The best.

James Franco, the only way to make this book better. I listen to this story at least onc night a week start to finish.

good story, almost spoiled by narration

good examination of war, death, time, aging, and relationships from someone who's been through all of it. tries to bring a kind of almost Buddhistic acceptance to ease phenomena that we normally can't face head on. narrator does not seem to take job seriously and very clearly doesn't know German, nor is a translation provided. this is significant for this book.

Nice surprise!

this story was the most unique world war II narrative that I have ever heard. adds a whole new dimension to the horror of war!

Wonderfully thoughtful.

The non linear story is engaging. My favorite line was the author saying "I loved Lot's wife for looking back. It was so human. "

James Franco is excellent in how he captures the mod of the book. Very Tralfamadorian.

Worth your time and money.

War is still hell

I read this and saw the movie as a college student. Now 40 years later it offers wisdom beyond just being anti-war. Vonnegut shows us the folly that continually springs from our blindness and ignorance.

Perfect narration from James Franco. I thought Vonnegut was often silly but with this reading I see he was trying to make sense out of an absurd world.