KURT VONNEGUT first exploded into the nation’s consciousness in 1969 with the publication of Slaughterhouse-Five.
The novel’s distinctive and ethical voice resonated with young
Americans, and his appeal to countercultural movements of the 1960s and
1970s made him a reluctant literary celebrity. Absurdist novels such as Cat’s Cradle and Breakfast of Champions offered
new ways of thinking about the self, the nation, and the world, and
Vonnegut’s avuncular wisdom and anti-war sentiment appealed to the
skeptical idealism of late-century America. Even as his celebrity waned,
he continued to write poignant, experimental novels of the American
experience, and his influence and appeal remained potent.
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