I first discovered Kurt Vonnegut in high school by way of Slaughterhouse Five, not because it was assigned to me, but, I am 98% certain, because Jess Mariano was reading it on Gilmore Girls. (Say what you will about Stars Hollow’s leather-clad bad boy: he had exceptional taste in books.
Vonnegut soon became one of my favorite American authors thanks to his unapologetic commitment to satire and his constant ability to surprise and shock in equal measure. And while I love his forays into science fiction, my favorite works of his remain those rooted, at least a little bit, in reality.
Breakfast of Champions may be vying for first place in my book of Vonnegut’s works.
This novel explores myriad themes, from depression and anxiety to racism and redlining to love and sex and more. Vonnegut’s use of speculative techniques within the book is surprising and masterful. But as always with Vonnegut, what gives this work its lasting impactfulness is its essential pathos and humanity.