Tue Jan 31, 2012
I picked up this short book as a Kindle Daily Deal for a buck, so thought I’d give it a read.
Breakfast of Champions features Vonnegut’s alter-ego Kilgore Trout as he journeys to an arts festival. He is destined to meet a disillusioned car salesman. At the fateful meeting, Kilgore triggers a psychotic episode in which the salesman thinks everybody in the world is a robot, except for him.
This simple plot is a vehicle for Vonnegut’s typically biting satire, and for those who haven’t read Vonnegut yet, is an excellent primer for a trip into his twisted mind. Peppered with childish drawings, Vonnegut tries his best to make the reader uncomfortable while stoking the absurd with his wry humour.
My only criticism is that this novel is not nearly as fleshed out as the excellent Cat’s Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five. Overall, I preferred the experience of diving deeper into Vonnegut’s world in these two novels. This short read, however, is a tantalizing treat that leaves you wanting more.