Kurt Vonnegut Quotes

A collection of quotes by Kurt Vonnegut.

Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and influential novels. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Vonnegut joined the U.S. Army during World War II and was captured as a prisoner of war during the Battle of the Bulge. His experiences as a POW heavily influenced his later literary work.

After the war, Vonnegut studied anthropology at the University of Chicago and began his career as a writer. His breakthrough novel, "Slaughterhouse-Five" (1969), brought him widespread acclaim and is considered a classic of American literature. The novel drew upon Vonnegut's personal experiences during the bombing of Dresden, offering a poignant and darkly humorous reflection on the absurdity of war and its destructive consequences.

Vonnegut's novels often featured a blend of science fiction, black humor, and social criticism. Some of his other notable works include "Cat's Cradle" (1963), "Breakfast of Champions" (1973), and "Mother Night" (1961). With his unique blend of wit, compassion, and cynicism, Vonnegut explored profound themes like the human condition, the dangers of technology, and the follies of society.

Throughout his career, Vonnegut received numerous accolades for his literary contributions and became a respected voice in American literature. His writing style, characterized by concise prose and biting social commentary, continues to inspire and resonate with readers worldwide. Vonnegut's impact on contemporary literature is undeniable, making him one of America's most celebrated and influential authors.

American planes full of holes and wounded men and corpses took off backwards from an airfield in England. Over France a few German fighter planes flew at them backwards sucked bullets and shell fragments from some of the planes and crewmen. They did the same for wrecked American bombers on the ground and those planes flew up backwards to join the formation. The formation flew backwards over a German city that was in flames. The bombers opened their bomb bay doors exerted a miraculous magnetism which shrunk the fires gathered them into cylindrical steel containers and lifted the containers into the bellies of the planes. The containers were stored neatly in racks. The Germans below had miraculous devices of their own which were long steel tubes. They used them to suck more fragments from the crewmen and planes. But there were still a few wounded Americans though and some of the bombers were in bad repair. Over France though German fighters came up again made everything and everybody as good as new. When the bombers got back to their base the steel cylinders were taken from the racks and shipped back to the United States of America where factories were operating night and day dismantling the cylinders separating the dangerous contents into minerals. Touchingly it was mainly women who did this work. The minerals were then shipped to specialists in remote areas. It was their business to put them into the ground to hide them cleverly so they would never hurt anybody ever again.

Kurt Vonnegut