My Lofty Break Goals Plus Free Advice

       I have finished book #1 of this gargantuan Christmas holiday break. Yes, Slaughterhouse-Five is done and I’ve got five weeks to go. Don’t fret though, I’ve come prepared with a list of books to occupy my time: Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War (Karl Marlantes), Sophie’s Choice (William Styron), Everything is Illuminated (Jonathan Safran Foer), The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Rebecca Skloot), and Cold Mountain (Charles Frazier). That amounts to a whopping two thousand five hundred twenty-five (2525) pages with the shortest book being the one I’ve already read. My highly qualified words of wisdom/opinion about each book will be provided here.       

      Slaughterhouse-Five: This book came up a few times in the last few weeks of fall term with only good things being said about it. As a reader of war books, this one seemed essential. For some reason, I had equated Vonnegut with Faulkner (I know, I know, it makes no sense) and had run from his books out of fear. However, as you probably know, Slaughterhouse-Five is readable and quick with short, disjointed sentences, which I like. As far as its content: yes, the story of Billy Pilgrim is a unique one with its reach into science fiction, but it was underwhelming. I didn’t care for him as I cared for Tim O’Brien in The Things They Carried. Its jumpiness, while clearly calculated by Vonnegut, confused me and had me asking for that war story, not the story of Tralfamadore and Kilgore Trout. Say what you will about how those act as metaphors or whatever, this wasn’t my favorite war story.
      I will end with some advice: avoid the La Quinta motel in Charleston, SC at all costs. That is all.