Slaughterhouse 5 (8)

Author

Kurt Vonnegut

Genre

Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, War Fiction, Satire

Synopsis

Billy Pilgrim becomes "unstuck in time," experiencing his life's moments in random order—from his childhood in Ilium, New York, to his harrowing experience as a POW during the firebombing of Dresden in World War II, to his alleged abduction by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. Through dark humor and fragmented storytelling, Vonnegut crafts a devastating anti-war masterpiece that explores trauma, free will, and the human capacity to find meaning in chaos. The novel's haunting refrain "So it goes" accompanies each death, creating a meditation on mortality and the absurdity of war.