Friday, May 31, 2013

A Man Without A Country by Kurt Vonnegut

I read this on the fly while traveling recently because I really enjoy KV's essays as opposed to his rather strange fiction. A Man Without a Country is a collection of short non-fiction written towards the end of his life when he, sadly, went beyond curmudgeonly to dispirited resignation regarding the state of the country he once loved. It is, however, filled with some great quotes about finding happiness and hope in some unlikely places - libraries, for starters, and the everyday encounters we have with friends and loved ones.

"I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is." 

5 comments:

Heidi’sbooks said...

I haven't read any KV. I know I need to change that. Which one would you recommend that I start first?

Connie said...

I love the quote you posted here.

Trish said...

Heidi - I'm not fond of his fiction as I find it a little too . . . weird? But apparently Slaughter House Five is the one to read of all of them. I haven't picked it up yet as it's buried somewhere in my TBR shelf. What I do enjoy, though, is his non-fiction and essays like this book. As for recommendations, you might be better off asking a KV aficionado at a bookstore or library.

Daisy - it's good, isn't it? So simple and straightforward and true.

Unknown said...

Heidi- my absolute favorite Vonnegut is "Bluebeard"-- try that one :) Happy reading!

Trish said...

Thanks, Natalya, for weighing in. I'll look out for that one as well.