Kurt Vonnegut

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44 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kurt Vonnegut
I thoroughly enjoyed this author, finding him funny and his topics interesting. Vonnegut writes in a satirical style, poking fun at his topics in a humorous manor. Vonnegut bluntly tells the truth often surprising his readers. The themes that Vonnegut writes about are stereotypical boy topics including war, sex, death, and anything he wants to criticize. That being said, I don’t think girls would not like his books, if they have a sense of humor and are willing to endure some of the descriptive scenes in his books. I read; Breakfast of champions, Mother Night, Slaughter-house-five, Cat’s cradle, Timequake, and Welcome to the Monkey House. I enjoyed all of them though they each had somewhat different topics. I confidently recommend Kurt Vonnegut for your author thesis knowing that you will able to find a solid thesis from his works.

Anonymous said...

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s novels are enjoyable to read, and have clear messages through all of them. They are also relatively short, but of course that means you’ll have to read more of them than a lengthier author. His topics tend to be rather dark and pessimistic, but he has a sarcastic sense of humor which allows his writing to be funny at the same time. His stories lean towards science-fiction, but he uses far-fetched, futuristic plot devices, such as time travel in Slaughterhouse-Five, to build ideas relevant to current society. I personally had very little trouble connecting themes of the seven books I read. The little difficulty I had was mostly due to God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, a book that is quite a bit different from his others, so even though it is a good book, it might be one to avoid. Vonnegut is an author that is fun to read if you like dark humor, and it is not terribly difficult to discover recurring themes in his books. Definitely recommended, if not as your author thesis writer, then for books to read in leisure time; they are excellent.

Anonymous said...

I found Kurt Vonnegut to be a wonderful writer, perfect for Author Thesis. Having read Breakfast of Champions, Cat's Cradle, Timequake, Sirens of Titan, Mother Night, Slaughterhouse- Five, and Player Piano, I found Vonnegut's writing to be full of themes. That I greatly enjoyed reading about, despite being a girl. Ranging from corrupt governments to suicide, from sexuality to isolation, Vonnegut's writing covers it all. Many of his books, especially Timequake, have rather wandering plot lines, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. Don't miss out on Sirens of Titan or Player Piano, they have excellent plots as well as being chock-full of useful quotes. Vonnegut's blunt style of writing contrasts with his often convoluted ideas, resulting in funny, poignant, and horrifying situations. Throughout his novels, Vonnegut's voice comes through, pleasant and companionable. Vonnegut provides interesting reads and plenty of material for the paper. I highly recommend Kurt Vonnegut for Author Thesis, or for reading outside of school.

Anonymous said...

After reading the other comments on Kurt Vonnegut, i have found that i agree with most of what other students have said. Kurt Vonnegut is kinda awesome. His books are interesting, funny, and filled with weird ideas that leave you wondering afterwards. Ej's point however that girls would not like his books, i completely disagree with. I think that Vonnegut's books are for everyone and that limiting his themes to such topics as war, sex, and death is very simple minded. Vonnegut's books contain a sea of themes of which the topics listed above are only a fraction of. overall i would strongly recommend Kurt Vonnegut for your author thesis.

Anonymous said...

I found Kurt Vonnegut's novels to be very enjoyable to read. There were many different messages weaved into the novels. The messages seemed complex and were sometimes hard to pick out, but with a little thought you can make a powerful argument. Although his books have similar ideas, they are each about different topics, so that the reading stays interesting. Vonnegut's books also encourage the reader to think deeply about a certain topic such as suicide, war, or guilt. I strongly recommend Vonnegut as an author as his writing is very powerful, interesting, and can yield a strong thesis.

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed having Kurt Vonnegut as my author. I found him very funny and his topics to be very intriguing and interesting. He rights in a very satirical fashion, which I was actually able to find as funny, unlike most of the books that are teachers say are funny but really are not. The three novels that I read where The Sirens of Titan, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Mother Night, finding The Sirens of Titan to be my favorite. I was easilly able to connect common themes throughout all three of these novels, making it easier to write the overall paper at the end. Overall Kurt Vonnegut was an enjoyable author to read and write about.

Anonymous said...

Kurt Vonnegut
The most important thing that you should know about Vonneguts writing is that he is primarily satirical. I hadn't fully realized this when I read The Sirens of Titan, Saughterhouse-Five, and Cat's Cradle, and because of this Vonnegut's meaning was actually the opposite of what I concluded in my notes. Also, if you choose Vonnegut as your author, you have to read Slaughterhouse-Five. About the content of his books, from what I read Vonnegut certainly seemed quirky but never obscene. At time his language can be vulgar but what I like most about his writing is his vivid imagination. Fantastical characters and settngs do not detract from the depth of his novels, though. They are by no means easy to understand and are never superficial.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed Kurt Vonnegut and some of his novels for a few reasons. His themes in his novels were easy to identify ad you could find links between some of his characters from different novels. Something that you don't want t find yourself doing is over analyzing some of the events in the novel. This is because some of the events are just what they appear to be and nothing more. If you are looking to get both a laugh and a deeper meaning out of your author thesis readings I would suggest Kurt Vonnegut.

Anonymous said...

Kurt Vonnegut is a strong choice for author thesis, and also one of the most popular choices. In his books Vonnegut criticizes society and humanity in many humorous and satirical ways. Often, at least in the books I read the protagonist is different from what the society views as the "normal" man. This allows the character to reflect on his past and recognize the ignorance of himself and other humans. Humour is added to the reading as the protaganist says everything on his mind, even the more colorful things. Personally I never really laughed a the book, but that was only because the jokes are not as funny when you have to analyze them and take notes on them. I read Slaughterhouse-Five, Mother Night, and Hocus Pocus, and almost everything I have said holds true for these books. Kurt Vonnegut is good choice for author thesis.

Anonymous said...

To me, Kurt Vonnegut's writing was powerful and unique. Vonnegut was able to cover all aspects of the human emotion ranging from sadness, to a comical sense in his writings. This is depicted to the highest degree in Vonnegut's short story novel, Welcome to The Monkey House. Throughout this novel, the reader tends to have a feeling of transcendence and understanding cast upon them in the circumstances that are similar to everyday life, and things that will most likely never happen in real life. One must also be prepared though for his extremist views on the world needing not war and government. Even though one may not realize this aspect at first in his writings, after thinking about it one comes to the realization as to how Vonnegut wants the reader to feel about the problems with government and war. Overall, I would have chosen to do Vonnegut over again. Even though his, Welcome to The Monkey House, was extremely difficult to takes notes on, and Cat's Cradle was extremely difficult to comprehend, it was a worthwhile experience to see different views on war and government.

Anonymous said...

Kurt Vonnegut proved to be a very captivating author. Being interested in psychology and a science fiction, I enjoyed all of Vonneguts novels. However, when reading his compilation of short stories, Welcome to the Monkey House, I found it was hard to provide strong examples relating to my thesis, as not all of the stories went into the depth that his more lengthy novels did.

Vonnegut has a very unique and creative writing style that is interesting, short, and easy to read.

Garrett (Brown) said...

My experiences reading Kurt Vonnegut were amazing. He is truly the greatest author I have ever read. If you are even considering him as an author, go for it. His themes and social criticisms and are as meaningful and clear as they are bizarre (filled with sexual references and clever short stories) and entertaining. In just a few of his books, you'll tackle war, the meaning of life, capitalism, love, integrity, and the kitchen sink. In terms of note taking during the process, I suggest you write down every single page number that holds a quotation that you deem meaningful; Vonnegut is very "quotable," and having hundreds of possible quotations at your disposal will prove invaluable for your final product. Also, I suggest carrying a notebook with you whenever you read, and write down ANY thoughts that come to your mind. There is nothing more frustrating than conceiving an ingenious idea only to lose it moments later. If you think it might useful, write it down. But seriously, do Vonnegut.

Anonymous said...

I am very glad that I chose Kurt Vonnegut as my author. His books are fascinating and hilarious. There was a lot of material that I could use to form a thesis. I especially liked Cat's Cradle and Galapagos. His ideas tend to be pessimistic but it was interesting to see what he has to say about humanity. Timequake and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater did not have much material investigatable for a long paper. That is the one trouble I had with using Vonnegut for author thesis - his opinions are so clear-cut that even after making my own unique argument it was hard to write 3500 words. But other than that, he was an awesome author to do for author thesis and if you choose another author (which you shouldn't haha), then you should just read his books in general because they are amazing!

Drew (Rose) said...

This year I chose to read Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. As you may have seen, many kids chose him as their author. I found his books relatively enjoyable to read but in the end, with many kids in the class writing about him, the essays that the students write may seem too similar and could even affect your grade. In my opinion, I would rather have chosen a more unique author where you are the only kid in the class writing about them. Then, your thesis would be different from the rest of your class and even stand out. All in all, if you really want to read comical and satirical novels, then Vonnegut would be your guy but if you want your essay to stand out, choose a different author.

Andres (Brown) said...

Read a book by Kurt Vonnegut, and you will never be the same- for better or for worse. It all depends on your ability to endure Vonnegut’s harsh underlying messages that lay underneath his modest, simple book covers. Vonnegut goes out of his way to offend people; his Nihilist beliefs prevent him from caring about others’ thoughts. For this reason, I absolutely adore him as an author. He is not afraid of expressing his genuine beliefs on religion, machinery, sexuality, war, drugs, and, of course, human nature. I find his beliefs on human nature the most intriguing, not because they are original, but because of the way they are presented in his novels and short stories. For example, in The Sirens of Titan, Vonnegut shows that humans are so oblivious to everything (in Vonnegut’s words: “Humans have their heads shoved so far up their butts...”) that a sacrificial attack from Mars is used to give them a wake-up call. If you’re a big science-fiction advocate, I guarantee that Kurt Vonnegut is your best choice.

K. Cec (rose) said...

I would not recommend using Kurt Vonnegut for author thesis. At first, I chose Vonnegut because I thought he would be easy since his books were so simple. However, after reading the books I discovered that connecting them all together was difficult. A lot of people use Vonnegut for their author so there is a chance that if your paper isn’t as good as someone else’s, your grade will be lower than if there was no one to compare your paper to. The most difficult thing about writing an essay for Vonnegut’s books is that the books are not connected and they can be really confusing because they switch between characters randomly. I did like reading the books though; they were funny because they were absolutely ridiculous.

Alistair (Rose) said...

Kurt Vonnegut is an awful author. I am so upset I chose him. His sentence structure is infantile and is incredibly demeaning to the reader's intelligence. He constantly goes on irrelevant tangents and forces comedy where there should be none. I chose him because he seemed to have the shortest and easiest novels, OH was I wrong! In one of his most famous novels, Slaughterhouse-Five, Vonnegut spends entire chapters just leading up to the writing of the novel. Although considering that Vonnegut is known for his satirical style of literature, it usually dances around the thin line of being childish and immature. If you are in a situation where you must do Vonnegut, prepare for you thesis as soon as you can. Making a thesis for his books can seem easy but end up much more difficult in the long run if you don't prepare accordingly. I hope you won't read Vonnegut after you read my little rant.

Marina (Rose) said...

I chose Kurt Vonnegut because I was very interested in his science fiction writings. Vonnegut is a popular author and his books sounded very interesting. Some of my friends recommended I do my author thesis on him because of his great books and the satire he uses in them. I read the books, Slaughterhouse-five, Cat’s Cradle and Timequake. Vonnegut’s novels at first were not an easy read. He uses a lot of symbolism which gets confusing at first but as you keep reading his novels, the symbolism comes easier to find. I would defiantly recommend Kurt Vonnegut for this project because there is some much to write about. There are a lot of common themes throughout his novels that can easily be discussed. His novels are also interesting to read and they don’t get boring. If you chose Vonnegut I defiantly would suggest keeping very good notes. I wrote in the book to help further my understanding of his novels. Vonnegut’s novels also are formatted differently than other books. His novels are not about one consecutive story but of traveling through time to moments to piece the novel together. I think Vonnegut is a great author for author thesis because you will always find a common theme.

C. (Rose) said...

I read Slaughterhouse Five, Breakfast of Champions, and Mother Night, all books by Kurt Vonnegut. It is an absolutely amazing read for those who enjoy state-of-the-art story telling, with some humour and satire to go along with it, poking fun at subjects such as the downfalls of humanity and many other things. So basically, if you are looking to read about the deeper meaning of things and if you want to actually laugh out loud reading, then Kurt Vonnegut is your guy. I usually am not a fan of reading, but Kurt Vonnegut was the first author that I actually had a great time reading. I would highly suggest it to most sophomores, but not all because many people fail to see the beauty of his writing style.

Ben (Bennet) said...

I thought Kurt Vonnegut used very strong vocabulary in his works of art. Vonnegut always throws his observations out into his books. Sometimes when I read his books, I would get lost, but when I read on I would understand what he meant. Sometimes he is enjoyable to read, I read the books Slaughter-House 5, Galapagos, and The Sirens of Titan. They all were good books to read and followed a connection of themes. Some themes he has in his books are war, freewill, and the destruction that humans cause on Earth. He uses a lot of black humor in his books. I did not like this because of the fact that it is pretty hard to understand what his humor really is. I would suggest this book to students who are interested in war and survival. Also, I would recommend this book for Author Thesis because it is easy to pick out a theme, and write an essay on it.

Richie (Bennett) said...

What a wacky guy this Vonnegut was. It was such a silly read and was very enjoyable for me to read such wacky works of writing. I certainly enjoyed the way he swears, and it rubs off on you, but if you don't like that sort of thing, just remember, there's a couple of naughty words. And its often super inappropriate for young eyes like our own. I mean, it really rubs off on you, just after reading the prologue I was like, "$%#@ it, I'll give this innapropriate author a chance." And it was totally worth it. I LOVE KURT VONNEGUT. LOVE EM.

Cole (Bennett) said...

Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut's books are enjoyable to read, and common themes stretch to many of his books. His pessimistic way of looking at people provides humor and lessons in his books. I read Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Breakfast of Champions. The books differ from each other in many ways, but all provide analysis of humans and their nature. If you are someone who enjoys science-fiction, then Kurt Vonnegut is a great option, his books ranging in topic from time travel to the creation of the atom bomb. I feel that whether boy or girl, these books are all enjoyable and do not lean toward one gender. Overall, Kurt Vonnegut is a great author to read for enjoyment, but he is a great choice for author thesis because of the numerous themes he provides in his books.

Johen (Bennett) said...

Kurt Vonnegut
I enjoyed all of Vonnegut's books that I read and he was a great choice for the author thesis. He speaks his mind and criticizes anything that he doesn't agree with. He criticizes these topics in a humorous and satirical tone. I read Cat's Cradle, Breakfast of Champions, and Slaughter House-Five. All of them interested me the whole way through and by the end it was clear that a thesis could be created. He wrote about a variety of themes including war, technology, sex, and the media. These topics seem to be directed at males, but on the other hand also attract women if they want to see a different type of novel.

Mike C. (Bennett) said...

I agree with all earlier comments from other students. Kurt Vonnegut is a great author to choose for American Author Thesis. His writing style is cynical, humorous and interesting. I read the books; Slaughterhouse Five, Breakfast of Champions and Cat’s Cradle. The books were quick reads and always engaging. Most importantly they all had many common characteristics and themes to connect the books together. Vonnegut’s never ending criticism of society and human behaviors, were attention grabbing and sometimes shockingly accurate, which opened my eyes to many issues in our society. While writing my paper I never found not having an idea to write about, a problem and at times I had to restrict my self from writing too much. Overall, I highly recommend choosing Kurt Vonnegut for your American Author Thesis.

Luisa (Bennett) said...

I enjoyed reading Kurt Vonnegut's novels for several reasons. I chose to read the books Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of the Champions, and Cat’s Cradle. First off, I enjoyed his books because his dark, satirical humor kept me interested. Vonnegut puts an interesting spin on his futuristic subject matter, conveying a very pessimistic attitude and outlook on life. Secondly, Vonnegut’s books are short, and easy to read. At first I had trouble decoding the themes of his books, because the plotlines are very scattered, and seem to lack meaning. However, after comparing all three books, I found that there were many common themes present, which was helpful during the construction of my thesis. Overall, I found that Kurt Vonnegut’s books were both interesting, and easy to analyze, which are two critical components to the Author Thesis project.

Ryan (Mrs. Anderson) said...

Kurt Vonnegut

My friends were the first ones to suggest selecting Vonnegut as my author for author thesis because his writing style is one that allows the reader to form a unique opinion about the themes Vonnegut tries to communicate to the reader. His novels are different from any book I have ever read because Vonnegut writes as if he always kidding and sarcastic and it’s a challenge to figure out if he is kidding or serious with some of his language choices and characterization. I would recommend writing about this author because of his originality and the depth behind his writing that is easily overlooked by the reader. There are many instances in which Vonnegut writes something that may seem obvious and repetitive, yet if looked at more closely there is a deeper meaning to his obvious statements and remarks throughout the novel.

Anonymous said...

Alannah (Brown)Kurt Vonnegut is a very interesting author. Because he criticizes so many different things, such as death, sex, free will, war and government I found myself overwhelmed with which area to go into depth. My advice to you would be to take notes on all of them and make a clear chart to keep your ideas in check. I made the mistake of choosing a thesis that I thought I could prove well and ended up changing it a week before the paper was due because I realized that one portion of my evidence was entirely satirical and not really applicable. Kurt Vonnegut is satirical and his view on society is very interesting. I enjoyed reading the majority of his books.

Michael (Brown) said...

I found Vonnegut's books to be enjoyable. I would recommend a somewhat satirical or sarcastic sense of humor for those looking to choose Vonnegut. His messages are clear and often. Vonnegut doesn't use a whole lot of symbolism or subtlety in his writing (although there are some exceptions). Read Welcome to the Monkey House if you like short stories. They are all good and helpful, so make sure to put the novel on your list. Also, choose this author if you like science fiction. I know one person who had Vonnegut and hated science fiction, and as a result, changed authors after reading one of his books. I liked science fiction and ended up liking Vonnegut. One more thing: Vonnegut's writing style is very unique. Just pick up one of his books and you'll see. I found it took his novels to a new level: you may disagree. Overall, Vonnegut is a great author, but there's no guarantee you'll like him: read a little of him before making your decision.

Traverss said...

Travers (Dubé)
I found Kurt Vonnegut to be very amusing to read. His stories have some dark humor while maintaining a strong theme. I found the essay to be rather easy to write after spending some time thinking about how each theme best connects.

Fiona (Cluff) said...

For author thesis, I read eight of his books and they were all fantastic. Before starting, see if you like the way he writes. Although there are exceptions, most of the books contain very little plot. There isn’t a strict progression of time and he will often tell you who is going to die and the way the book is going to end during the first few chapters. I found that reading Vonnegut is less about the actual story, and more about what he has to say about humanity and the themes the story brings up. He points out flaws of society while simultaneously making you laugh about it through satire. When doing the actual project, buying copies of the books and highlighting/annotating proved very helpful. I also suggest keeping a sticky note in front of each book and mark down key themes with corresponding page numbers. When writing the actual paper, it is convenient to have good quotes already marked and sorted.

Alyssa (Brown) said...

I found reading Kurt Vonnegut’s books to be highly enjoyable, engaging, and humorous. His writing style is unlike any I’ve read before, as he often strays from the plot to overall deliver main messages and ideas, unlike the linear plot style of most authors. These ideas, such as free will and humanity in general, left me thinking about them long after I had finished reading. They all connected as well, making writing the actual paper not too difficult. While Vonnegut’s books may seem like light, easy reads, with satire and crazy characters (both of which made his books hilarious and interesting), they present several deeper layers to think about. Overall, I would recommend Vonnegut to anyone thinking about it, as he will not only manage to make you laugh, but will also leave you considering new views on society and life.

Brian L (Brown) said...



Kurt Vonnegut
Odds are, you’ve probably heard about this author at some point or another, either as a satirical literary genius or a raving cynic (both of which I could easily support). His writing style, while certainly being accessible enough, is original in its lack of formality and incredibly prevalent author’s voice. Like many successful satirists, Kurt Vonnegut can always be trusted to take a stab at just about any topic, no matter how controversial or offensive. While many of his works have an overlying predominant theme, he often sprinkles smaller, but no less important, messages throughout his works. Now I’m not saying that Vonnegut is for everyone, because he honesty isn’t. Many people find his risqué language and imagery to be, well, offensive; and many more don’t appreciate the points he tries to express through his grotesque and often inappropriate language. Simply put, if you view the progression of mankind (war, technology, power to the government, religion, etc.) to be beneficial, you probably don’t want to choose this author. That being said, if you’re a cynical person, or even just a moderate person who doesn’t take a side either way, I’d say Kurt Vonnegut is above and beyond, worth a try.

Nick B (Brown) said...

Whenever I tell people that I did Kurt Vonnegut for Author Thesis they give me a disapproving look and say, “You took the easy way out, huh?” But while his works are concise and easy to read, the themes he discusses, like war, religion, and science, are complex and thought provoking. Having reread some of his works in the weeks following the project, I discovered that his texts are actually more nuanced and much deeper than I had originally thought; like barley cake. I found connecting his themes across six books to be difficult, as he covers such a wide range of topics, though perhaps this would have been easier had I read slower. Gathering quotes was by far the easiest part of this process; it’s as if Vonnegut knew that students would be trawling through his works, desperately searching for 25 meaningful tidbits and he wanted to help them out. If you want to get an easy B but struggle to get an A, think about existential questions in a new way, and be ridiculed by your classmates for picking an “easy” author, then Vonnegut is the one for you.

Anonymous said...

Kurt Vonnegut is a very fun and interesting author to read because his style is dramatically different than any I have ever seen. He writes in a slightly comical way making humor at the ways that people deal with their problems while sending very deep and sometimes subtle messages about the nature of people and civilization. He is also not afraid to touch on any topic out there, he freely talks about controversial topics weather they be about religion or social problems like sex and morality

Armon (Anderson) said...

Armon Jamali
Don’t be distracted by the humor in Kurt Vonnegut’s novels, because that is not his goal. You should pay attention to the development of the characters; they are the highlight. His plots are complex, and the theme is more difficult to extract from plots than from character. Suspend your disbelief; if you keep relating his to real life, you will limit the theme in the books. The books do relate to each other. I recommend reading Player Piano and Cat’s Cradle first, in that order. They are more concrete and less complex than, for example, Sirens of Titan. You are not smarter than Vonnegut, so don’t make assumptions about what he is saying before you look at the quotes. Don’t let your ego influence your “understanding” of the books; you will be able to analyze certain events in the plot out of context, but it won’t help in the end.

Mimi (Anderson) said...

I read Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle, Hocus Pocus, Timequake, Breakfast of Champions, and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. The biggest challenge I faced was not putting personal information about Vonnegut into my essay. He has many chapters in his books that he narrates himself and at moments he even inserts himself as a character. He tells us personal information that could really become a great argument, so it became very tempting when writing because we are not supposed to have any background information about the author. Timequake became especially difficult because it had tendencies to lean towards non-fiction, which made entire parts of the novel unusable. Make sure when you pick your books to look through them first to make sure that they work well for this project. They are all great books, but some, like Hocus Pocus and Timequake, just don’t work as well as others. Overall, I thought that the books together had the right balance of being enjoyable and challenging. I would definitely recommend Vonnegut because his books are definitely must-reads, they teach you valuable information, and give you a new outlook on the world that is very different than anything you thought you knew before.

Christian Kwok said...

The books I read by Vonnegut consisted of Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions, Mother Night, Player Piano, and The Sirens of Titan. People mention how Vonnegut’s writings are easy to decipher, but they discuss such deep topics, and in such depth, that it makes them a challenge to fully understand and wrap your head around. Not only are his novels extremely thought provoking, but also are humorous, and engaging. His writing style is nothing I’ve ever encountered before, as his novels often don’t follow any order, instead emphasizing his thoughts at the time. He rants about what he believes are the faults in society, and applies that into the societies and characters of his novels. Overall, I would recommend Kurt Vonnegut for author thesis, as his novels are overwhelmingly thought provoking and create a different insight on where you stand in society. It’s even a great choice even for leisure reading.

Shamus Miller said...

For American Author Thesis my author was Kurt Vonnegut. I read Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle, and Player Piano. I highly recommend Vonnegut as an author. His novels are very interesting and capture your attention. His books are filled with a variety of themes including war, love and technology. They are like nothing I have ever read before, they were funny but also serious and confusing but also easy to understand. His books seem simple but in fact they give you plenty of evidence to prove your argument. The theme I chose was technology, and all three books touched extensively on that topic. His works were a pleasure to read and it made Author Thesis much less daunting.

Anonymous said...

I chose Kurt Vonnegut as my Author for Author Thesis and I read Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions, Mother Night, Player Piano, and The Sirens of Titan. My favorite out of the five books was Breakfast of Champions. I can easily say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading all five of these books. Vonnegut's writing style is sporadic and completely different from what I usually read. His books are easy to read, but that doesn't mean they are simple. If you dig into what he is saying you can find more than enough evidence but be prepared to think. Vonnegut is thought stimulating and a good choice for anyone that is willing to take some time to comprehend what you just read.

Anonymous said...

Kurt Vonnegut is a very satirical and humorous writer. A lot of his writing is quite inappropriate at times, as he jokes about incest or talks about living in different dimensions. His novels are focused on war and pre/ post war times, which can be very interesting to read about. If you find war scenarios relatable and interesting, then I highly recommend Vonnegut as an author thesis first choice. I had a good time relating to his themes, as they were easy to analyze and find throughout the novels. The novel where you will find all of the important themes is “Cat’s Cradle”; a novel about the apocalypse. A tip before starting author thesis, is to promise yourself that you will be committed in reading all of the books you choose, as well as thoroughly analyze the underlying themes, not just the obvious ones.

Anonymous said...

The novels that I read for American Author Thesis by Kurt Vonnegut included Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions, and Cat’s Cradle. In my opinion Kurt Vonnegut is an outstanding author and is a great author to choose for Author Thesis. Vonnegut is the best author for anybody who enjoys books that can be hard to understand. Although his works may be difficult to read and comprehend as well as written in a different style than most other books they are still great books to read. Vonnegut's novels are filled with humor and are engaging. Vonnegut portrays a variety of themes throughout his novels including war, technology and knowledge. Overall, I would recommend Kurt Vonnegut to anybody deciding what author to read for Author Thesis.

Anonymous said...

Kurt Vonnegut was a very intriguing author to read and learn about. He is a satirist and writes with a very distinctive style. Vonnegut tends to make sex and drug jokes as a way to keep the reader entertained. One thing I enjoyed while reading some of his works was that before he begins narrating a personal story of his from the wartime, he always starts by notifying the reader that he is having a drink late at night and talking on the phone with a friend from war as the two look back on past events. I would suggest reading Slaughterhouse-Five and Mother Night. I enjoyed all of Vonnegut’s books which I read but I thought the narration in Mother Night was entertaining, and for Slaughterhouse-Five I was very engaged in the story Vonnegut wrote. I would definitely recommend Vonnegut’s works to anyone who enjoys reading books that have quite surface level themes, but ones with great meaning and explanation which in Vonnegut’s stories, allow you to think about while reading.

Aaron Bernstein said...


The novels by Vonnegut that I read were Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat's Cradle, and The Sirens of Titan. The most important thing to note is that you have to pay attention to what you're reading, you can't just skim the books and take a few notes here and there. That aside, you most likely won't want to put the books down, the topics are interesting and deep, but his writing style makes it easy to follow. But be aware that Vonnegut's novels aren't very cheery, so if you don't enjoy novels with an overall more serious tone, only a few moments of levity scattered throughout, then you should probably choose another author.

Lucas said...

I would consider Kurt Vonnegut as an option for Author Thesis. Do not choose him thinking that he would have the shortest novels. I think that the books had a somewhat comedic sense to them but not what I expected. His messages can sometimes be hard to find and then decipher, but once you have figured them out, it will be easy to write the Author Thesis. I lastly don't think that I will ever read another Kurt Vonnegut book again, (which is true for any Author we read in English class) but if I had to choose one Author from this year that I somewhat enjoyed, it would be Kurt.

American Author Thesis

Now that you have written your essay, we ask that you reflect on the reading portion of the experience and write 100-150 words about your author.

Think of what you write as advice for someone next year and beyond, someone who (like you were doing last fall) is thinking about choosing your author - and maybe even the same three books - to read for the assignment.