Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was a 20th-century … Read Full Bio ↴Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was a 20th-century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle (1963), Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), and Breakfast of Champions (1973) blend satire, gallows humor, and science fiction. As a citizen he was a lifelong supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union and a critical leftist intellectual. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.

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01Slaughterhouse 5, Pt. 18:32

PT8M32S

Kurt Vonnegut

02Slaughterhouse 5, Pt. 2 and 310:34

03Slaughterhouse 5, Pt. 46:13

04Slaughterhouse 5, Pt. 5, 6 and 76:54

05Slaughterhouse 5, Pt. 8 and 911:41

06Slaughterhouse 5, Pt. 107:49

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Slaughterhouse 5 Pt. 1
Kurt Vonnegut Lyrics

No lyrics text found for this track.

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Sage Goering

9y↑31

This is an ode to all of the people
put into harm's way,
to the people that bravely keep
this world from disarray.

This is an ode to the hidden ones,
warring on Hell's raft,
raging on through bullet rain,
fighting the devil's laugh.

This goes out to all those souls,
holding back their fears
keeping others safe and sound
by keeping darkness from coming near.

This is an ode to all the people,
the old, and the terribly young,
just know that we will always hear
the songs that you have sung.

All comments from YouTube:

Bolívar Escobar

10y↑202

I love the part in which Billy cries for the first time, after seeing the horses with their wounded mouths. I think that this is a very accurate description of sadness, of being unable to notice the evil we cause to others.

CrashCourse

10y↑80

In which John Green teaches you about Kurt Vonnegut's most famous novel, Slaughterhouse-Five. Aliens, Time Travel, and Dresden -Slaughterhouse-Five Part I: Crash Course Literature 212

mika

9y↑5

Hey John, maybe someday you can do Cat's Cradle? I dunno. I liked it.

Bruno Robinson

8y↑2

+CrashCourse +John Green thank you John Green for making English, a subjected I hated, into something interesting and informative

Fernando Franco Félix

I didn't thought of the time travel nor the aliens as hallucinations

Mr. Beat

10y↑251

One of my favorite books. I'm glad you covered this. A must read for any human.

Nolan Fontaine

5y↑33

Just finished reading this book while on standby at my construction job in Utah. I'm 19, and Vonnegut has now become my favorite author. Thank you Crash Course for becoming an instrumental part in my young adult life and for reminding me of the freedoms associated with education.

bria

8y↑113

I read this book for the first time last week (I know I'm quite late to the party) and I read it all in pretty much one sitting. After finishing it I didn't really think much about it and it left me kind of feeling nothing too overwhelming one way or the other about the novel. However, in this past week I've found myself thinking more and more about it and realizing just how brilliant it was as well as how important of a story it was to be told. This is definitely a novel I think everyone should read at least once and it makes me a little disappointed that it was never a part of my required reading in High School.

Michael Reilly

Trout Pilgrim Campbell Hoover Constant

Elliot Rosewater unstuck in TIME

Correypeta

5y↑1

Because of you, I’ll go read it.

Evan Finnigan

10y↑11

Slaughterhouse Five is my favourite book. It is an incredible piece of literature.

ReadHeadPat

10y↑9

I cannot express how happy I am that you guys at Crash Course decided to cover Slaughterhouse-Five, it is one of my all time favorite books. I am doing a research paper on it, (comparing some themes it has with Catcher in the Rye). One of my favorite passages from the novel is "I have lit my way in a prison at night with candles from the fat of human beings who were butchered by the brothers and fathers of those schoolgirls who were boiled." this quote just highlights so many different levels of cruelty and destruction from both countries of the war and I just love the way Vonnegut addresses the nonsensical nature of war and time and all of those horribly fascinating things.

LostOmin

10y↑19

One of my absolute favorite books, every time I read it I seem to get a different message in the end.

Jack

10y↑9

I love this series. I get so much science in my normal course work that its nice to take a break and hear you discuss literature.

anabel

6y↑3

That was extremely insightful. I always appreciate delving into the minds of writers, because it's just so fascinating the way their brains must function when writing. The part in the video where you mention how Vonnegut uses metaphors and analogies to block out the reality of Dresden's devastation was powerful and evoked goosebumps from me. I read his book over the summer, but the thought of that part of his writing never occurred to me. It really just goes to show how much thought is put into the language, structure, form, and just everything within a novel.

Kendall Tracey

7y↑2

Congrats on 5+ million subscribers, Crash Course Team! So proud and happy for you guys.

Caper. here

5y↑30

When I was seven, I went to my great grandmothers funeral. I vividly remember having an overwhelming urge to laugh. Then I had a recurring dream about her for months. I was ashamed of her funeral until I learned about hysteria.

Austin Williams

44w↑1

Kurt Vonnegut is unrivaled in his writing style, so unique

Crystal P

5y↑2

I just started reading this one, and I just wanted to thank Crash Course Literature for making me want to read it! I’ve already read the first chapter, and I think I’m already beginning to enjoy Kurt Vonnegut’s writing style. (Especially since the last book I just finished reading was the ridiculously long War and Peace, which probably deserves an episode or two of its own.)

lyadmilo

10y↑405

You cannot say for certain that, within the world of the novel, the Tralfamadorians don't exist. Both scenarios - PTSD flashbacks, and real alien intervention, are given equal plausibility within the novel. Saying it is all fantasy, for sure, lessens the impact of the novel's examination on alternate histories and the power of narrative.

Ivan Navarro

10y↑92

I quite like the idea that, within the world of the novel, the Tralfamodorians are real, because no one believes Pilgrim and he can never find the right words to make them believe much like how Vonnegut cannot find the words to describe the bombing

Robert S.

10y↑56

Yeah I was pretty surprised that John came out with such a strong reading of Pilgrim as insane when the ambiguity is so important to the novel. Maybe that was just for the introduction and next episode we'll get a more balanced reading.

Najarian Leskowitz

+Ivan Navarro, why are you putting the Kurt off your read shelf?

CATHOHOLICISM

6y↑12

It's all pilgrims imagination. The adult bookstore perfectly describes everything that had built that world for him.

Rey Iven 7

99 I add 1=100

5 More Replies...

Dominic Mako

10y↑1

I was waiting this entire video series to get to this book. Kurt poured so much of himself into most of his works, and his writing style is so conversational, that it's very easy to make a personal connection with the narrator/author. In Breakfast of Champions he even put the author literally into the storyline. Slaughterhouse Five is the kind of work that benefits from multiple readings, like a youtube video with little easter egg references that you only notice the second time through.

Birdfreak2010

10y↑4

As with other Vonnegut novels, Slaughterhouse-Five was a book that gave me more of a feeling than a precise memory of the plot. In fact, I read it 2 years ago and only remembered the description of women picking through the Dresden rubble. This was a great reminder of what Vonnegut was saying with this novel, but I also think it is cool that his writing can make the plot seem irrelevant, but still pull you in and make you think about the things he wanted you to think about.

Noelle M

8y↑14

Hey! You do a lot of great novels, but I noticed you still have a lot more to do. Unless you've abandoned this series, I'd suggest you do more Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Dickens, and others. :)

weirdral

10y↑1

I read this book in my AP English class in high school, and I enjoyed it so much I have gone and read a lot of the other Kurt Vonnegut books and I loved how much crossover there is in his books. The Tralfamadorians are amazing creatures, and I just really, really, really, liked this book.

AmericanSingles

10y↑6

So it goes. One of my favorite books of all time, thank you for doing this!

Stephen Dahlke

10y↑1

This really makes me want to see a CC-Lit video on some of PKD's works. Valis is the most obvious one to relate to the discussions in this video, but really, I think any of them would be a great 10-minute dive.

Nicholas Ralph Baum

10y↑1

This was one of the first books I read when I was a kid back in the '70s. I still remember it. Vonnegut, Phillip Roth and Hunter Thompson influence my writing style in my novels.

terralynn9

10y

I'm really loving Crash Course Literature, even though I haven't read many of the books. This is definitely one I'll add to my 'to read' list.

WikiRiffs

10y

Great insight into a book I have yet to read, but really should. Also: the Thought Bubble this week was amazing and kinda beautiful!

Elizabeth

4y↑1

i loved this book because at the beginning the alien plot sounds obviously crazy but as it goes on you really think it happened and i think that speaks on subjective really well

TobyKid Major

10y↑7

The phrase "so it goes" can be found in John Green's introduction to This Star Won't Go Out. Also, pertaining to the truth of fiction especially in "war stories" The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien goes nicely with Slaughterhouse Five.

Ahkvenir

10y

John Green probably said "So it goes" as a reference.

EnderNasworthy

10y↑1

Whoa, so someone else already saw the similarities in those two books. Nice.

Robert S.

10y

Joe Seph iirc he explicitly continually references the novel in Katherines. I think it's probably up there with DFW in terms of influential-on-John-Green-things

PninianPnin Knowles

10y

Scott Ferrell The Things They Carried is a work of fiction. Amazing, though it be.

Max MF

10y

Seeing the intros on previous eps of Crashcourse Literature I realized Slaughterhouse-Five was a book my buddy once read aloud, but I didn't get its name. Picked it up at the library a couple days ago and finished it in time for this episode, what a great show :)

Marianne's Studio

10y↑9

I really want to read this book now. Thanks Crash Course!

War: Hammered

10y

Great summation and analysis. Vonnegut is my favourite author and you do him justice. I look forward to part 2. And so it goes.

djmitrano

10y↑32

i am really liking crash course literature, keep it up John

pokemoncards

10y↑1

You could do an entire crash course series on Kurt Vonnegut and it still wouldn't be enough. His books are incredible.

Also you should do an episode on Catch-22.

Michelle Espinosa

10y↑1

This was my favorite book from AP Langauge and I'm so glad you're going over this!

Chloe B.

10y↑1

As always thank you for doing this amazing book. And even though I will probably never meet you, John Green you are my Kurt Vonnegut. Except for the incredibly terrible life of course

Qimiao Gong

4y↑6

Literature is really a combination of everything. History, psychology, the past, the future...
it's quite interesting to see how everything played out.

stolenhours

10y

awesome video, ive been waiting for this one since this series (200 lit) started, I read slaughter house 5 for the first time this January and loved it!

Mac'n CheeseTV

Now with crash corse, I not only learn something but I actually keep stuff I learned at school in my brain over summer. Thank you!

nfinn42

10y↑7

One of my favorite novels, and authors, of all time. Learning that John got a chance to meet Kurt, which I never did, is just another reason thrown on the towering pile of reasons to be jealous of John Green. Vonnegut was one of my greatest heroes.

Graeme Harry

7y↑1

One of my favourite authors discussing another one of my favourites. Love it!

Chris Staton

10y

I was very worried about Crash Course's work on this book, seeing as how it is my favorite. I am glad how it came out. Vonnegut is my favorite author and I believe this video did the book justice, I look forward to the next video.

Vlasic

10y↑1

I had no idea that you were the author behind "The Fault in our stars" i loved your book, you are absolutely fantastic. I can't wait tho see the film and i love what you do! Thankyou for living you life for others!!!!!!!

Birdy Car

10y

One of my favorite authors taking about one of my other favorite authors. This is perfect I love slaughter house 5 but I feel like cats cradle is he's under rated life changing novel

Laura

8y↑347

"Well, I can smoke or I can leave" is the writer I hope to one day be wow

NickSheridanVids

10y↑1

Great book, great author, great Crash Course. I wish I had more to add :)

Sage Goering

9y↑31

Trillia Annisa

7y↑4

Thanks John Green for introducing me to Kurt Vonnegut. It really changed my life

Sam Doucette

I listen to crash course all the time, crash course is interesting while giving the viewer entertainment , thanks guys!!!

Auksė Abromaitytė

I just finished reading "slaughterhouse-five", and I also read "Cat's cradle" and Kurt Vonnegut is a wonderful writer, John Green, I envy you, that you have met him. p.s I am about to read "Breakfast of Champions". And I do recomend for everybody else, to read at least one of these books, and perhaps like me, to read more than one. :)

TheAvatarWan

10y

I love you, John Green. I subscribed to CrashCourse a few weeks ago and already love the content. I've also read your book, The Fault In Our Stars recently. Fell in love with it. :) Thank you (x1,000)

Jonathan Sirockman

10y↑1

Thank you! I was forced to read this book when I was really young as a punishment instead of being grounded. I was in 7th grade and It was the first time I realized a novel could be interesting in a way that made me want to keep reading.
a suggestion for further episodes.

anything by Philip K. Dick

mrwachandgame

10y↑1

I'm ironically writing a paper for my American study's class about this book. I say it's ironic because I had no idea it was a book. I was given the topic and told to wright what I know, which was nothing so it became a creative writing peace. So thank you again Mr. Green, for helping me with my study's.

Pranavanathan Yoganathan

10y

So I just finished reading Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eyes" and I think it would make an excellent addition to the crash course lit series. Thanks for another great episode

ReadHeadPat

10y

Not sure about "The Bluest Eyes" but they are covering "Beloved" by Toni Morrison soon.

Ben Kiem

10y↑1

the thoughtbubble animation in this one is particularly fantastic

NJ Bice

10y

I've found it very interesting to look at Slaughterhouse-Five in connection to The Things They Carried-- especially as it connects to truth in war stories. I recommend it to anyone interested in that topic.

hubridnox

10y

Glad I was assigned this book in high school. Vonnegut is a great writer for young people to attempt wrapping their heads around.

Christine Frank

10y

I read this for the first time a few months ago. It was not what I had been expecting and I would be hard pressed to answer whether I liked it or not. I also read Cat's Cradle around that time and thought the books had similar themes, but I preferred Cat's Cradle.

UberMan5000

10y↑6

Miss'r Green! Miss'r Green! Have you considered an episode about Catch-22? It's another humorous anti-war novel that definitely merits compelling analysis, especially because it predates much of the 60s counterculture that has embraced Slaughterhouse-Five. Much could be learned from it!

Colin Lee

10y

I was waiting for this one for a while. Great video and amazing book.

HAOTIAN YANG

10y↑8

Mr.Green. I hope you can talk about the book "1984" in crash course literature, that book is just so amazing...

M. Djervig

10y

So glad u did a video for this book. One of my all-time favorites. Worth mentioning that there might be a new film coming out, based on this story. The old one from the 70's is worth checking out as well.

Malnoch

7y↑2

If you ever decide to get Slaughterhouse Five on audiobook, get the one narrated by James Franco. His voice adds greatly to the experience.

Brian Hutzell

If you were to ask me to name my five favorite authors, the list would probably change from day to day depending on my mood, which books I’d been lately reading, the weather, and what I had for breakfast. There are two authors who would always top my list however: Charles Dickens and Kurt Vonnegut.

Bass Fight

8y↑1

Loved this book when I read it, very excited to finally understand it!

Tricia Hutchins

4y↑1

I was an inveterate Vonnegut fan as a young adult, and read everything of his that I could get my hands on. Some of his work seems to be speculative fiction, science fiction, or even a bizarre sort of magical realism. But I have always looked upon Slaughterhouse 5 as allegory. ( -ish.) -Though maybe it's just an uncategorizable bit of anti-war semi-autobiographical escapist fantasy. Hard to say.

Ron Hopping

10y

Its crazy how you can read a book and think one thing about it and then someone else reads the same book and gets something totally different from it. When i read slaughterhouse five i actually thought that billy pilgrim was a time traveler and that he had been taken by tralfamadorians. I love every bit of fiction and believed Pilgrim when he said he had seen the things he said. Now i want to reread the book from the perspective John presented. super cool stuff, this.

becca moses

9y↑1

I really like slaughterhouse five, but there's this weird disconnect, at least for me. I am incredibly easily distracted, although usually not when reading, with this book it was very difficult to feel and at the same time impossible not to. There are so many reminders -- the first and last chapters, the authorial tangets, the somewhat bizarre non-linear storyline-- that this didn't really happen, that these people weren't real, that accepting the "so it goes" felt natural. You can't feel anything when a character dies because they'll probably come back, so their story isn't over. At the same time, however, there are also plenty of reminders that this was at least similar to what real people experienced, and you realize just how screwed up life can be.

C

10y↑2

ahh this is like my favorite book, well done John and the Crashcourse team

George Smith

These reviews are great! Love Vonnegut. Can you do Huxley's 'Island' In series 5? Please!

Steph Moir

10y↑1

I loved this book when I was younger, but I never studied it at school so kind of felt like I wasn't really understanding what was going on. I still like it though, I'll have to re-read it now I'm a bit older.

Benjamin Goosey

10y

Thanks cc such a great show . Gotta get a copy of this book now .

Groovy Mutation

10y

I read the book a couple of days ago and I was like, better find some good explanation online.. Maybe even ask John to tell something about it.. Didn't know there were new literature crashcourse. YAY :3

Rodrigo Hernandez

10y↑2

John you do know how to make things interesting.

OccasionalGoldfish

10y

My favourite war novel is still Catch-22. I know that book jumps around un-chronologically, so is it similar to how Slaughter House does it?

Kaitie

10y↑1

Gee, John, thanks for giving such a thoughtful analysis on Slaughterhouse 5 LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER I FINISH WRITING A PAPER ON IN CLASS!. JK so it goes thanks anyway best wishes. :~)

GainsboroughGirl

10y↑1

So glad you are finally talking about this book. Also, good job Thought Bubble/Café, nice Metal Gear Solid reference.

UnleClowntouch

10y

Really interested in Vonnegut, recently I very obsessively read a lot of William S Burroughs and someone suggested that I would like him. Anyone have any other ideas? I want the avant-garde feel that Naked Lunch etc. have

Unknown Vi

10y↑2

My favorite person talking about my favorite book! I love Kurt Vonnegut too, John. Though, I was a little disappointed that you never mentioned the atomic structure of the novel, and how the events of Dresden are the nucleus of Billy Pilgrim's life, and all the other events orbit around it, like an atom. It is called Vonnegut's atomic novel, after all! Anyways, I can't wait for part two!

Dave's Cave

10y

I have not read this piece as of yet, but it does sound like a good read.

cheddar123

10y

I've always wanted to read this book, Catch-22 and The Crying of Lot 49. Could you do a Crash Course video on postmodern literature in the future?

Wyn Alabashian

10y↑1

I always thought of everything that happened as real, having read other works of Vonnegut, a good example which is probably even more insane is The Sirens of Titan, Although to be perfectly honest this explanation makes significantly more sense and is more interesting, although I like thinking of Vonnegut's work as all very literal and just fucking weird in the best possible way.

naihanchin Kempo

10y

Curt V, what he said at around 8:40, shows us how guilty he felt, about Making money on peoples surfing . His sarcastic humor, Masked his guilt of it, his apprehension, of re remembering the horrors. I'm sure he saw and felt in that war

Daniel Schick

10y

I discovered this novel after my first deployment to Iraq in 06-07, it had a profound impact on my views about the war.

Everyname wastaken69

8y↑2

What a great video. I read this book weeks ago and it has been bothering me ever since. Just kind of rattling around in my head and making me anxious. I keep thinking it was supposed to be funny, but every time I think of it I want to cry. This video was really enjoyable and well thought out. Awesome work, man.

Tai Kreusch

10y

You gotta hand it to Thought Bubble (and everyone at Crash Course) for the richness of references they put into each video.

Capt Eric Bergeron

Really liked this video and the editing is awesome.

Amanda Howard

10y

I've always really wanted to write a paper about Slaughterhouse Five and Jean Baudrillard's theory of simulations and simulacra. They just marry so well to each other because it is that very process of distancing from reality that allows for the simulation to be created. Don't think I'll ever have an avenue for that paper though.

LochNessa

10y

If only you did this earlier :P I did Slaughterhouse-5 for my high school final paper! It's one of my favourite books.

misciel

10y

I've just picked up the lit course... Can you tell me if there is any particular significance to the books featured on the set? Are they some of John's faves, or were they just remainders used to fill the shelves, or are they so disliked that they cause little remorse when their spines are used to cover the secret compartment??? Just curious!

Drew Leisner

10y↑1

I read the novel as everything that happened to Billy actually happened. He really did become unstuck in time and get kidnapped by aliens.

Ronald Syme

More or less.

easyteh4getperson

10y

I've watched a few of the crash course lit videos and i've been wondering: are you ever gunna cover Love in the Time of Cholera or is that just for show (cuz I also noticed a Korean book lol)? It'd be great if you did cuz i read that and wondered what John Green has to say about it.

Wyn Alabashian

10y

Also surprised you didn't bring up the short segment about the horse, that was the part that struck me as the most powerful and detailed about the aftermath of the bombing and kind of goes against the idea of vague descriptions

Clare

10y

I read this last year! It's such a great book!

katie gardner

10y

It would be nice if he did some of Wilde the relationship between life and art with him is just as interesting as with slaughterhouse 5

Harri Does Stuff

10y

Read this not too long ago and, while I knew I had no doubt missed a bit since I suck at critical reading, I did not realise just how much went over my head. While I agree 'So it goes' is meant to make is uncomfortable I never felt like laughing. I found it deeply depressing to view death as just a run of the mill thing that happens, even though of course it is just a run of the mill thing that happens. Even thinking about it now makes me deeply sad.

Doug Churchman

10y↑2

I wish I hadn't seen this until next week. Now I'll spend a whole week wondering why "So It Goes" still hits me way too deep.

Philipp Klockenbusch

10y↑2

Very cool episode :)
I live in Dresden and never heard about the book... maybe i should give it a read

Jemmy Joe A-Go-Go

10y

Funny- it never occurred to me Billy Pilgrim had a mental breakdown. I always took his story of being captured by aliens as straight forward. To each their own.

Coldasdhonkymotherfucker

This is truly one of my favorite books also if you like action Adventure books Congo by Michael Crichton it's amazing it's got gorillas and it's in the jungle also he wrote Jurassic Park too but you probably know how that one ends so read Congo specially if you just watched skull island and you're like jacked about gorillas

Eric Fellner

8y↑8

I'm super excited, Slaughterhouse 5 is one of my favorite books.

tee time

10y↑4

JOHN, I've been waiting for you to do Slaughterhouse 5 cos its just so weird but still beautiful. Thanks

Griffin Durning

8y↑13

Dear John Green,

I can relate my art style to certain passages in this novel, if not my writing style (I'm not the most talented writer). I like to evoke emotions that others would generally prefer not to have aroused such as discomfort or confusion using surrealist and absurd artwork and, well, my comedy too. I've been doing this for years with my paintings and drawings, but I never really understood why I did it. That was until you so perfectly described the scene with the guards and it really opened my eyes to why I do what I do. Thank you so much making a subject I used to despise into something I enjoy doing for fun.

Best Wishes,
Griffin Durning

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