Slaughterhouse 5

Kurt Vonnegut's masterpiece, one of the very best anti-war novels ever written, a book both beloved and banned - now rejacketed with brilliant, witty new look for the Vonnegut backlistRead Kurt Vonnegut's powerful masterpiece, which is as timely now as when it was first published.'An extraordinary success. A book to read and reread. He is a true artist' New York Times Book ReviewBilly Pilgrim - hapless barber's assistant, successful optometrist, alien abductee, senile widower and soldier - has become unstuck in time. Hiding in the basement of a slaughterhouse in Dresden, with the city and its inhabitants burning above him, he finds himself a survivor of one of the most deadly and destructive battles of the Second World War. But when, exactly? How did he get here? And how does he get out?Travel through time and space on the shoulders of Vonnegut himself. This is a book about war. Listen to what he has to say- it is of the utmost urgency.'The great, urgent, passionate American writer of our century, who offers us a model of the kind of compassionate thinking that might yet save us from ourselves.' George Saunders

“Marvellous...the writing is pungent, the antics uproarious, the humour suitably black, the wit sharp as a hypodermic”

Daily Telegraph
Mr Vonnegut knows a great deal about what is probably the largest massacre in modern history - the fire-bombing of Dresden in 1945. Slaughterhouse Five is a reaction to the event by one of our most gifted and incisive novelists. A work of keen literary artistry -- Joseph Heller, author of 'Catch-22'
The individuality of Vonnegut's style is a curious yet perfect match for the pain of the emotional content. A humane, human book that always remains a work of art rather than biography, no matter how apparent the author's presence -- Kate Atkinson
Unique...one of the writers who map our landscapes for us, who give names to the places we know best -- Doris Lessing
Funny, satirical, compelling, outrageous, fanciful, mordant, fecund and at the bottom-line, simply stoned-out-of-its-mind Los Angeles Times
There are writers who create a lot of readers, and there are writers who create a lot of writers, and Vonnegut was both -- Jonathan Safran Foer
Devastating and supremely human Guardian
Agonising, funny. His eloquent concern transforms something as pedestrian as a war movie seen back to front into a vision which, in its weird way, is as effecting as any short passage ever written against war Time magazine
Very tough and very funny...sad and delightful...very Vonnegut New York Times
A most courageous account of the human condition; at the same time a satire so funny it makes one laugh aloud Evening Standard

Kurt Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis in 1922 and studied biochemistry at Cornell University. An army intelligence scout during the Second World War, he was captured by the Germans and witnessed the destruction of Dresden by Allied bombers, an experience which inspired his classic novel Slaughterhouse-Five. After the war he worked as a police reporter, an advertising copywriter and a public relations man for General Electric. His first novel Player Piano (1952) achieved underground success. Cat's Cradle (1963) was hailed by Graham Greene as 'one of the best novels of the year by one of the ablest living authors'. His eighth book, Slaughterhouse-Five was published in 1969 and was a literary and commercial success, and was made into a film in 1972. Vonnegut is the author of thirteen other novels, three collections of stories and five non-fiction books. Kurt Vonnegut died in 2007.

Prisoner of war, optometrist, time-traveller - these are the life roles of Billy Pilgrim, hero of this miraculously moving, bitter and funny story of innocence faced with apocalypse. Slaughterhouse 5is one of the world's great anti-war books. Centring on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden in the Second World War, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know.

The novel from the author of A SCENT OF LAVENDER and ONE SUMMER AT DEER'S LEAP follows the secrets and passions of the Sutton family as Britain tries to find its way following the end of World War 2. The war is over, but the battle for happiness has just begun … After six long years the Second World War is finally finished. Rationing may remain, but hopes and dreams are in good supply. At Rowangarth, deep in the Yorkshire countryside, there is more good news for the Sutton family and wedding preparations are underway. Lyndis Carmichael has finally won the heart of Drew Sutton, the man she has secretly cherished for years. Still, Lyndis has doubts. Haunted by the memory of Drew's fiancée Kitty killed during the Blitz she wonders if she can ever take her place in Drew's heart, and if she truly belongs in the close-knit Sutton clan. And other ghosts still linger. Keth Purvis, back from France after a high-risk mission, is compelled to return overseas to search for the young girl who saved his life, Drew's mother has yet to reveal the shocking truth of his father's identity, and Tatiana wonders if she will ever meet her long-lost half-sister. With the country struggling to get back on its feet, can the Sutton family make peace with its past?

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