Kurt Vonnegut has come out of his retirement to release a short collection of essays, speeches and illustrations in his new book, 'A Man without a Country.' In it, Vonnegut eagerly connects himself directly to his readers with strong, satiric commentary on modern American life for the average citizen.
A great deal of Vonnegut's focus is political and addresses the effect of George W. Bush's presidency. Vonnegut despairs the abuse of power and destruction he believes the Bush administration has spread throughout the world. 'In case you haven't noticed,' he writes, 'we are now as feared and hated all over the world as the Nazis once were.'
Vonnegut's dark criticisms are, as usual, lightened by his quirky, unforgiving humor. 'I am now eighty-two,' he writes. 'Thanks a lot you dirty rats. The last thing I ever wanted was to be alive when the three most powerful people on the whole planet would be named Bush, Dick, and Colon.'
Vonnegut also vehemently attacks the United States' dependency on oil, which he cites as Bush's reason for invading Iraq, and the detrimental effect humans have had on the environment. 'Evolution can go to hell as far as I'm concerned,' he writes. 'What a mistake we are. We have mortally wounded this sweet life-supporting planet'the only one in the whole Milky Way'with a cent of transportation whoopee.'
For Vonnegut, hope and redemption for humanity in today's world have been gutted out by 'psychopathic personalities' (i.e., 'smart, personable people who have no consciences'). He claims, 'I know of very few people who are dreaming of a world for their grandchildren.' Those who sympathize with Vonnegut's left-leaning views will nod in agreement and be highly entertained by his unapologetic satire.
Though Vonnegut can find plenty wrong with humanity as a whole, he still trumpets the potential of the individual. He searches for sanity in society through his readers, and he shares what unique individuals like Mark Twain, Abraham Lincoln, the members of his family and some of his popular fictional creations like Kilgore Trout have taught him. Even when Vonnegut strays from his serious tone to offer ridiculous pieces of advice such as, 'Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college,' Vonnegut is still undeniably sincere and wise about what he offers his readers.
Ultimately, he encourages the reader to simply embrace the power of a good heart and personality. 'Save our lives and your lives, too. Be honorable.' 'A Man Without a Country' is a short, honest read that Vonnegut fans may not have expected, but it allows him the chance to move his message outside his dedicated fan base and get personal with every reader immersed in today's American society.
