Edited by Tom McCartan
Peel: Six interviews with Vonnegut, in chronological order. The last interview is rather quick, at around three pages.
The interviews touch on his views of other writers, education, war, politics, religion, and his take on humanity.
The interviews were full of Vonnegut’s wit, and very amusing to read. Generally I find author interviews disappointing as their works tend to greatly outshine some random Q&A sessions. Happily, this was not the case here, and instead the interviews read more like little raw bits of Vonnegut. My favorite interview was a Playboy one also with Joseph Heller, in which their conversation covers many topics and drops many names. With a bit of time between the rereadings, I’d say the interviews are indeed rereadable. I found that the interviews deepened my appreciation for Vonnegut, and I’ll have to go read some now.
As lovely as the interviews were, they tended to be rather repetitive in content and questioning. Questioning on most of his work, besides Slaughterhouse Five, would have been nice.
Nibble: “I propose that every person out of work be required to submit a book report before he or she gets his or her welfare check.” -Vonnegut
If you enjoy Vonnegut, you’ll enjoy his interviews.
My Rating: 8 out of 10 beautiful, painless, apples
I received an electronic copy from the publisher, Melville House, via NetGalley.
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