Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (November 11, 1922–April 11, 2007

[j d worthington]

Well, this is a blow!

Novelist Kurt Vonnegut dies at age 84 - Yahoo! News

The story came in 14 minutes ago, apparently, via AP, and is titled "Novelist Kurt Vonnegut dies at age 84", by Christian Salazar.

NEW YORK - Kurt Vonnegut, the satirical novelist who captured the absurdity of war and questioned the advances of science in darkly humorous works such as "Slaughterhouse-Five" and "Cat's Cradle," died Wednesday. He was 84.

Vonnegut, who often marveled that he had lived so long despite his lifelong smoking habit, had suffered brain injuries after a fall at his Manhattan home weeks ago, said his wife, photographer Jill Krementz.

The author of at least 19 novels, many of them best-sellers, as well as dozens of short stories, essays and plays, Vonnegut relished the role of a social critic. He lectured regularly, exhorting audiences to think for themselves and delighting in barbed commentary against the institutions he felt were dehumanizing people.

The article itself is quite long (as such things on writers tend to go).

The world is a much poorer place now without his talent ... and we don't have that goddamned many of 'em left....

 

[Thadlerian]

Aww, Vonnegut was one of the really good ones...

Sirens of Titan, Timequake, Jailbird... oh well, keep reading.

 

[chrispenycate]

This seems to be where we observe the loss of authors.

I only hope we make a statue of him, lying in his cat's cradle, thumbing his nose at you-know-who.

 

[Nikitta]

I just read about it in the newspaper and came right over here.

It's always sad when the good ones die.

Now I remember reading Cat's Cradle on the train and getting so caugh by surprise because of the weird humour (my kind of humour) that I literally laughed out so loud that it caused people to turn around to look at me funny.

I also think that it caused me to miss a couple of train stations and having to take the train back, just because it engulfed me so much.

 

[Allegra]

Oh no oh no oh no..... How could it be true! I'm devastated. Such a great man - great mind, great heart, lots of guts... Men like him should never die! J.D., you are absolutely right, the world is a much poorer place now. I read most of his novels and every time I read his words, as I said before, I just have to love the old man, love his wisdom, his kindness, his generosity and his humour. I was expecting him to live over 100 and waiting for his next book. Not long ago he was joking about suing Marlboro for not killing him yet..... It's a very, very sad day....

 

[Sibeling]

Terrible news Cat's Cradle is one of my favourite books ever, and I really liked many of his other books. The readers will miss him..

 

[Allegra]

Yes, Chris.

 

[j d worthington]

This seems to be where we observe the loss of authors.

I only hope we make a statue of him, lying in his cat's cradle, thumbing his nose at you-know-who.

That's a lovely image, Chris... and so very, very apt for Vonnegut....

 

[Allegra]

He'd love that...

 

[Harpo]

So it goes

 

[Ragnar]

Shame. He was a one-off.

 

[Allegra]

So it goes

So it goes.


An Article: Playing chess with Kurt Vonnegut - cookie756.html

'Kurt Vonnegut was a good man, a kind man, a mensch. Our world is a shallower, drearier place, without him. But anyone who has enjoyed any of his work, or been lucky enough to bask in his twinkle, can still rejoice, because we will always have him, in all his idiosyncratic twisted-chess perversity. The world is less without him, but it will always be more because of him.'

And this article Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007: Mark Twain for the nuclear age shares my sentiment: Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007: Mark Twain for the nuclear age @ Blogcritics.org


Many viewers tributes on BBC site moved me to tears:
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Writer Kurt Vonnegut dies at 84

 

[UltraCulture]

Very sad news.

I had a book voucher sitting in my wallet since Christmas and i just couldn't find the right book to spend it on, then last week i saw a purple book with a studded belt on the cover(funny what catches your eye), that book was The Sirens of Titan. This will be my first foray into Kurt Vonnegut's books, but i look forward to reading it in his memory.

RIP Kurt

 

[mosaix]

Sad news indeed, one of the greats.

 

[mosaix]

Many viewers tributes on BBC site moved me to tears:

Me too Allegra, me too.

One of the unexpected benefits of the internet is that gives people the chance to express such sentiments and pay such tributes at times like this.

 

[Pyan]

Another of the true greats gone. A sad day for science fiction.

 

[Circus Cranium]

This is devastating. Not only one of the most brilliant writers, but thinkers as well. I've been reading his essays lately. He had a way of putting things in perspective like no one else.

 

[Talysia]

Such a great loss to the literary world.

 

[Finnien]

And the literary light in the world dims, just a bit. I'm going to have to re-read a few of his books in tribute, I guess. It's really a shame, but at least he lived this long... we're not lacking for material from him, at least!

 

[aarti]

Oh, wow- I've only ever read one of his books, I think. But he was a powerhouse, and will be missed.