Slaughterhouse Five

Contributed by Dawson, gr. 12, Jan. 2019

Slaughterhouse Five is an interesting story which is not constrained by a chronological timeline. I found this book to be completely different than anything I have ever read before. 

The plot revolves around a man named Billy Pilgrim who has the strange and uncontrollable gift of jumping through time throughout his life at random moments. From the Second World War in a prison camp to his wedding, and to alien worlds a zillion miles away from earth, Slaughterhouse Five is a whimsical adventure through time and space. 

I selected this book randomly, thinking that it would be a war story but was pleasantly surprised to find out it was more of a humorous satire. However, overall I was not very fond of the story due to the way the theme and plot are presented, but perhaps I wasn’t able to fully understand what the writer was trying to say. I think that an advanced level of comprehension and patience is required to read this novel.

 This book could be read both for entertainment, if humor appeals to you, or analytically for its perspective on war. I would recommend this book for advanced readers.