What book by Vonnegut should I start with?
I always recommend that folks start with Sirens of Titan. It’s got the widest scope of his world view in it, and it’s a great sampling of what Vonnegut is like as a writer. It’s by no means his funniest book, but I think it’s one of the more important ones – right up there with Slaughterhouse Five and Mother Night. It’s written in very short segments, and reads extremely fast. There are tons of great one line observations that you’ll instantly feel the need to quote all the time! The story bounces between Malachi Constant – the protagonist – and Rumfoord, the founder of the “Church of God the Utterly Indifferent,” a wealthy man who through a “series of accidents” becomes viewed sort of as a God on Earth and Mars. The story is magnificent, witty, quick, and, again, full of amazing observations and statements about society. My favorite line of all time by Vonnegut, and the one that I think justifies people reading this book regardless of their tastes in literature, is, “A purpose of huma
