Kurt Vonnegut Jr. died in 2007 and left behind a literary legacy of 14 novels, eight short story collections and various other works.
Now that Vonnegut is deceased, his publishers are beginning to release previously unseen works of fiction and non-fiction starting with “Armageddon in Retrospect” and “Look at the Birdie” which will be released this month.
There’s usually a bit of apprehension that is associated with posthumous releases of previously unpublished work.
After all, either the author or someone else did not deem these stories as good enough to be published during the author’s lifetime, and it is only after his death that posterity finds them valuable.
However, the contents of “Armageddon in Retrospect” are on par with the rest of Vonnegut’s writing.
In the collection there are 11 short stories, a speech written by Vonnegut before his death that was never presented, a letter written by Vonnegut to his family after his time as a prisoner of war in Dresden, Germany, and a touching introduction by the author’s son, Mark Vonnegut.
The majority of the stories focus on World War II and warfare, a reflection of what was occupying Vonnegut’s mind during his beginning as a writer after the war.
There are science fiction elements in some of the stories, one set in medieval England and at least one story that is entirely peaceful, but the overall theme of the collection is violence and warfare and their effect on common people.
As excellent as these stories are, they may be perplexing to the uninitiated. Those who have no knowledge of Kurt Vonnegut or his work may not be able to fully appreciate these stories.
It helps if the reader knows about Vonnegut’s history as a soldier in World War II, his experiences as a POW in Nazi Germany and his witnessing the U.S. bombing of Dresden, Germany.
It also helps to know of Vonnegut’s humanist views, his strange and occasionally contradictory religious beliefs and his use of science fiction elements throughout his literary work.
Each story is preceded by a small drawing of Vonnegut’s, usually painted text, giving another glimpse into Vonnegut’s creative mindset.
The speech in the beginning of the book is particularly appropriate for this collection. It is funny and irreverent but touches on important themes of Vonnegut’s work and reflects a great deal about what he thought of the world as it was at the time of his death in 2007.
If someone gets his or her hands on this book for no more than five minutes and that person is only able to read one selection from the entire book, then I suggest reading the letter Vonnegut wrote after his time as a POW during World War II.
It is one of the most raw and enlightening things ever written by Vonnegut, simply by merit of what he endured as an soldier.
Not all of the stories in here are equal. While all are interesting, the book’s namesake “Armageddon in Retrospect” and “The Commandant’s Desk” are easily the best here while the rest are intriguing examples of Vonnegut’s development as a writer and his preoccupation with World War II.
For Vonnegut fans, this book is a must-buy. For everyone else, “Armageddon in Retrospect” may not be the best introduction to Vonnegut but is still a poignant and important work for anyone who is interested in learning more about his work.
4 out of 5 stars