Why should you read Kurt Vonnegut? - Mia Nacamulli

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  • Опубликовано: 28 ноя 2018
  • Download a free audiobook version of "Slaughterhouse Five" and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: adbl.co/2DPI5Ys
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    Kurt Vonnegut found the tidy, satisfying arcs of many stories at odds with reality, and he set out to explore the ambiguity between good and bad fortune in his own novels. He tried to make sense of human behavior by studying the shapes of stories - ditching straightforward chronologies and clear-cut fortunes. Mia Nacamulli dives into the sometimes dark, yet hopeful works of Vonnegut.
    Lesson by Mia Nacamulli, directed by TED-Ed.
    Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Devin Harris, Tony Trapuzzano, Jason Weinstein, Kris Siverhus, Alexander Walls, Annamaria Szilagyi, Morgan Williams, Abhijit Kiran Valluri, Mandeep Singh, سلطان الخليفي, Marylise CHAUFFETON, Marvin Vizuett, Jayant Sahewal, Quinn Shen, Elizabeth Cruz, Elnathan Joshua Bangayan, Mullaiarasu Sundaramurthy, Jose Henrique Leopoldo e Silva, Dan Paterniti, Jerome Froelich, Tyler Yoshizumi, Martin Stephen, Justin Carpani, Khalifa Alhulail, Tejas Dc, Benjamin & Shannon Pinder, Srikote Naewchampa, Ex Foedus, Exal Enrique Cisneros Tuch, Ana Maria, Vignan Velivela, Ibel Wong, Ahmad Hyari, eden sher, Travis Wehrman, Louisa Lee, Hoang Viet, Nathan A. Wright, Аркадий Скайуокер, Ashley Maldonado, Clarence E. Harper Jr., Bojana Golubovic, Karthik Cherala, haventfiguredout, Violeta Cervantes, Elaine Fitzpatrick, Lyn-z Schulte, cnorahs, Henrique Sorín' Cassús and Tim Robinson.

Комментарии • 1 тыс.

  • @TEDEd
    @TEDEd  5 лет назад +363

    If we've managed to pique your interest you can download an audiobook version of Slaughterhouse Five for free here: adbl.co/2DPI5Ys And thanks! Every free trial started through this link helps support our nonprofit mission.

    • @victora73
      @victora73 5 лет назад +2

      Congratulations for 8 millions subscribers

    • @shoaibakhtar4389
      @shoaibakhtar4389 5 лет назад +1

      How you get all this information?

    • @user-dm5qi4nb6l
      @user-dm5qi4nb6l 5 лет назад +3

      it's a good thing that I have Ted--ed around to be loved

    • @amirah_sri
      @amirah_sri 5 лет назад +5

      Who else is here who don't understand anything ?????

    • @brandanfitzgerald5331
      @brandanfitzgerald5331 5 лет назад +5

      TED-Ed Audible says it’s $14, not free...

  • @sarahgraves8349
    @sarahgraves8349 4 года назад +954

    "Here we are, trapped in the amber of the moment. There is no why."

    • @Blackstreak8
      @Blackstreak8 3 года назад +1

      Any affiliation to the Smashing Pumpkins: "Here Is No Why"

    • @tonyf166
      @tonyf166 3 года назад +2

      I draw from the absurd three consequences which are my revolt, my freedom, and my passion.

    • @christopherwellman2364
      @christopherwellman2364 2 года назад +1

      @@Blackstreak8 Probably.

  • @aaronfaucett6442
    @aaronfaucett6442 2 года назад +776

    Now that I'm older I realize that he's writing in a way that reflects how an old man remembers his life. The story jumps around randomly like the memories and nostalgia that one experiences as you get older

    • @51Dss
      @51Dss 2 года назад +4

      He was born in 1936 - Slaughterhouse 5 was first published in 1969 - Vonnegut was still a young 30 something when he wrote Slaughterhouse 5.

    • @johnashley-smith4987
      @johnashley-smith4987 2 года назад +18

      I am pretty sure he was not born in 1936, as that would have precluded his service in WW2, in the 106th Division.

    • @reidwhitton6248
      @reidwhitton6248 Год назад +15

      Vonnegut born 1922.

    • @willhatchet3594
      @willhatchet3594 Год назад +1

      Amazing brother

    • @muhammedaasil969
      @muhammedaasil969 Год назад +8

      @@51Dss Damn bro you didnt research did you?

  • @heyyfirefly
    @heyyfirefly 5 лет назад +1941

    One of my father's favourite authors was Kurt Vonnegut. When I grow up he would give me his books to read, and soon enough we loved the stories together and quoted them all the time to each other. For my university graduation he got me "If This Isn't Nice, What Is? Advice for the Young" - a collection of Vonnegut's commencement speeches. I absolutely loved it.
    Sadly I lost my father two years ago, and I am still not even close to come peace with the fact. But when I saw this video I was so happy, thank you very much for making it!
    I hope a lot of people will come to know this absolutely fantastic author because of it.

    • @hrishikeshparab1236
      @hrishikeshparab1236 5 лет назад +31

      +heyyfirefly I am sorry about your father,I'd love to imagine he's up there somewhere hanging out with Vonnegut.I haven't read Vonnegut yet but now I want to read him.Thanks for sharing your story and i pray that you find your peace....

    • @antonperez6966
      @antonperez6966 5 лет назад +18

      So it goes.

    • @heyyfirefly
      @heyyfirefly 5 лет назад +16

      ​@@hrishikeshparab1236 Thank you very much for the nice words, it really made me smile and also that is such a good picture to imagine! I hope you will love the books ! :)

    • @benmaynard3059
      @benmaynard3059 4 года назад +8

      that is a beautiful story that brings a tear to my eyes . i hope that i can have as beautiful of a connection with my daughter .

    • @Spiral.Dynamics
      @Spiral.Dynamics 4 года назад +13

      Thank you for sharing such a sweet and personal story. I lost my deadbeat dad 2 years ago too, and it was his dying (long and painful) that made me realize I had to accept him just as he is. Acceptance of death and learning unconditional love was what my dad gave me.
      ✌️❤️

  • @lucillem7706
    @lucillem7706 5 лет назад +3399

    I read Slaughterhouse Five a few months ago, when I was still living in Dresden, and loved its originality. I tried to explain it to people several times but it's very difficult to summarise. And so it goes.

  • @OlOleander
    @OlOleander 5 лет назад +858

    I truly love how faithful this video's art style was to the minimalist, angular line sketches Vonnegut intersperses in some of his books.

    • @colesandick446
      @colesandick446 4 года назад +4

      I thought the same thing too!

    • @luke8179
      @luke8179 4 года назад +3

      agreed! i love his art style, honestly it’s like he predicted the modern style of minimalist tattoos

    • @tstormont
      @tstormont 3 года назад +6

      And they correctly made KV left handed.

    • @worldstudies7863
      @worldstudies7863 2 года назад

      I lost it at the flag in the Granfalloon part!

  • @ferrettaxi
    @ferrettaxi 5 лет назад +765

    I first read slaughterhouse five when I was in the hospital after attempting suicide at age 14. It really made me rethink my whole life. Now 5 years later I have the “everything was beautiful and nothing hurt” illustration tattooed on my thigh. 💛

  • @sleepless_eremite
    @sleepless_eremite 5 лет назад +320

    “If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.”

    • @nicholasmaniccia1005
      @nicholasmaniccia1005 5 лет назад +4

      I love that, out of tall the stories he told about his family, his uncle saying that on a calm day is a lesson that always stuck with me.

  • @koshmar230
    @koshmar230 5 лет назад +274

    I think "Sirens of Titan" is one of the most underappreciated books in history. An infinite humanity in this book always bring tear to my eyes and makes me feel like I touched something universal.

    • @yochabelfatima5260
      @yochabelfatima5260 3 года назад +10

      God, I literally just read it for the first time. Can't believe no one's talking abt it. I recommend this book to anyone who can read

    • @teriallison8610
      @teriallison8610 3 года назад +5

      @@yochabelfatima5260 i just read it too! i enjoyed it very much

    • @steriopticon2687
      @steriopticon2687 3 года назад +5

      The first time I read it in the late '60s, I was depressed for a week. Can't wait to read it again.

    • @justrusty8399
      @justrusty8399 2 года назад

      Based

    • @bird_obsession
      @bird_obsession Год назад +1

      The Sirens of Titan is literally my favorite book haha

  • @orenrosenman5242
    @orenrosenman5242 4 года назад +353

    Loved the "if that isn't nice, what is?"at the end, a reference to one of my favorite Vonnegut quotes.
    "My Uncle Alex, who is up in Heaven now, one of the things he found objectionable about human beings was that they so rarely noticed it when times were sweet. We could be drinking lemonade in the shade of an apple tree in the summertime, and Uncle Alex would interrupt the conversation to say, "If this isn't nice, what is?"
    So I hope that you will do the same for the rest of your lives.
    When things are going sweetly and peacefully, please pause a moment, and then say out loud, "If this isn't nice, what is?"
    -Kurt Vonnegut

    • @knewnickie
      @knewnickie 2 года назад +3

      Also one of my all time favorites

    • @justinh6651
      @justinh6651 2 года назад +4

      That is a beautiful story and quote. It touches me to the core.

  • @airplane4061
    @airplane4061 3 года назад +17

    prompt burst into tears at the purpose of life is to "love whoever is around to be loved".

  • @tasnimnaz7109
    @tasnimnaz7109 5 лет назад +702

    I am an English major, utterly fascinated and grateful to be reading my subject everyday. Literary videos like these are more meaningful and inspiring to me than you can ever guess. Thanks Ted ed

    • @tasnimnaz7109
      @tasnimnaz7109 5 лет назад +5

      @Celtic Revival / Adfywiad Celtaidd I am Bengali myself, and yes, I am well aware that other cultures have beautiful literature as well.❤️ I love exploring foreign writers and taking a peek into their culture

    • @aidenfrost10
      @aidenfrost10 5 лет назад +1

      @@tasnimnaz7109 Agreed, Ted-Ed is a blessing for us all in ways...
      Hopefully our country could possibly come to a sense of moral, social and civil awareness and the importance of it's integrity in the future, I imagine we won't be seeing this in our time but perhaps after we're long gone at least a significant no. of Bangladeshis would finally understand the basics of what it means to live as fellow countrymen, to work selflessly and not seek any sort of meaning or selfish satisfaction behind the deeds (taking a page or two from good ol' Kurt Vonnegut), which could possibly ultimately contribute to a nation TRULY making a leap in the right direction.

    • @pricklypear7516
      @pricklypear7516 5 лет назад

      every day, meaning each day. everyday means ordinary. I run for exercise every day. My everyday exercise program includes running.

    • @ConfuseingGameing
      @ConfuseingGameing 5 лет назад

      As an English Major, I am in utter need of a job and a direction in life

    • @pricklypear7516
      @pricklypear7516 5 лет назад +5

      @@ConfuseingGameing Teaching, reporting, proofreading, advertising, free-lance writing, ghost-writing. Many lawyers start out with an English degree before entering law school. If you have or can learn another language, translating is an option. There is a whole field emerging in forensic language (does the "suicide note" really follow the use-of-language used by the deceased before his death?) I'm not being snarky here, but why are you majoring in something for which you apparently have no passion and can see no future?

  • @user-uh9jy7ss4m
    @user-uh9jy7ss4m 5 лет назад +1896

    They should have taught this in English classes. My teacher just taught us how to answer in essays.

    • @vivek7154
      @vivek7154 5 лет назад +7

      cham there's a lot of swearing in slaughterhouse five.

    • @user-uh9jy7ss4m
      @user-uh9jy7ss4m 5 лет назад +5

      @@vivek7154 they could have taught it in uni. Haha

    • @user-uh9jy7ss4m
      @user-uh9jy7ss4m 5 лет назад +21

      @Mr. E They probably thought that a bunch of Shakespeare's gonna do us good, but these kinds of stories also helps us acknowledge different perspectives (ps I love Shakespeare).

    • @IndyIndyIndy123
      @IndyIndyIndy123 5 лет назад +21

      I read this in my junior english class in highschool

    • @willfudge8131
      @willfudge8131 5 лет назад +4

      Andres Guttierrez me too it’s a fantastic book to read especially nowadays when a lot of the messages seem especially relevant

  • @cestlavegan5793
    @cestlavegan5793 5 лет назад +111

    "Cat's Cradle" blew my young mind away in my early twenties. I'd love to read more Vonnegut.

    • @noahhopkins4797
      @noahhopkins4797 4 года назад +6

      I will send you a copy of God Bless you, Mr Rosewater.

    • @kayaeki
      @kayaeki 3 года назад

      I'm 20, is it relatable or smth?

    • @cestlavegan5793
      @cestlavegan5793 3 года назад +6

      Kenyce I don’t think age is necessarily relevant to the novel. I just remember feeling like it was one of the most imaginative works of literature I had read at that point in my life.

    • @cestlavegan5793
      @cestlavegan5793 3 года назад +1

      Noah Hopkins I’d love that! 😁

    • @goodun2974
      @goodun2974 3 года назад +9

      My first was "Player Piano". Written in 1952; highly prophetic then, and more relevant than ever now, in 2020. Cat's Cradle is another long-time favorite that particularly resonates with me; and Galapagos as well. When Kurt died, Jon Stewart said, "our world became a little less interesting today".

  • @rasgeleisim
    @rasgeleisim 5 лет назад +724

    What I'm surprised about this video that I totally understood what he said.
    Even though he used complicated words I didn't miss anything cause he talked very soft and slow and understandable.
    This is good. A wonderful diction. A clean voice settings.

    • @aaronabraham2814
      @aaronabraham2814 5 лет назад +3

      Uh I don't want to spite you but what is that Condibulum thingy?

    • @rasgeleisim
      @rasgeleisim 5 лет назад +4

      @@aaronabraham2814 Why would you? If there is something you don't know or don't understand, you have every right to ask it everywhere, everyone and everytime.
      So don't feel like spiting something.
      But I'm sorry I didn't understand you. I watched the video again and couldn't find the word of "condibulum". Find things similar it but the exact word. Could you tell me the time the voice tells it.

    • @aaronabraham2814
      @aaronabraham2814 5 лет назад

      @@rasgeleisim I'm sorry I messed up the letters It's This 3:04

    • @rasgeleisim
      @rasgeleisim 5 лет назад +3

      Okay. Sorry for not knowing that term. Since it's a scientific term and I'm just someone who only knows a little English.
      Even though I had some guesses based on what they showed us I checked and found this explanation.
      "A point in space where, upon a person entering it, that person's existence in space-time ceases to be linear, becoming discrete. This means that a person that has entered a chronosynclastic infundibulum exists at multiple points and lines in space-time. For example, such a person could exist at all points in time in one place and also appear at another point for five minutes. "
      I don't know if you ever watched fringe but there were a cult who can do that and it was explained like that;
      Think the time and space flow like waterfalling and there is a point you can watch it from outside and see the beginning and ending in the sametime.
      I hope I made the right explanation.

    • @aaronabraham2814
      @aaronabraham2814 5 лет назад

      @@rasgeleisim Hmm I did search that and still didn't understand hence I asked . Anyway thanks for trying.
      Btw What's Fringe?

  • @drew25music
    @drew25music Год назад +16

    Vonnegut's work is hilarious, deep, heartbreaking, hopeful, pragmatic, beautiful, poignant, deep, goofy, and poetic all in the same book. Kurt was a beautiful human being, and I'm thankful I was alive at the same time as him!

  • @marinislmk1893
    @marinislmk1893 5 лет назад +189

    Is it just me or is this the most interesting channel in RUclips

  • @BobMcCoy
    @BobMcCoy 5 лет назад +589

    *These animations are **_Vonne-good!_*

  • @89macgyver
    @89macgyver 5 лет назад +142

    I read some Vonnegut in my free time during high school but I always found his books boring and confusing. It's 10 years later now and this video gave me a view of his story-telling philosophy that I never knew about (that shape thing was fascinating to me!). I now have a renewed interest in trying his books again. Thank you for these videos!

  • @notthatyouasked6656
    @notthatyouasked6656 5 лет назад +361

    Slaughterhouse Five, the only book that has *two* really great first sentences:
    "All this happened, more or less"
    and later
    "Listen:
    Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time."

    • @danielhudon9456
      @danielhudon9456 4 года назад +17

      You forgot: Everything you ever need to know about life is in the book “The Brothers Karamazov”, and it’s not enough anymore.

    • @mia-bo-bia
      @mia-bo-bia 4 года назад +4

      Kurt is king of curt beginnings

    • @badgalnini909
      @badgalnini909 3 года назад +5

      'Poo-tee-weet?'

  • @funnyavi
    @funnyavi 5 лет назад +276

    I have read his entire bibliography and I still am willing to fight that he is the greatest American Author. I think you can see even more of his philosophy by reading Mother Night and God Bless You Mr. Rosewater. They are also excellent looks into this thoughts.

    • @MrStupididy
      @MrStupididy 5 лет назад +4

      funnyavi god bless you is one of my favorite books. Its very endearing and thought provoking.

    • @ludicrousslim
      @ludicrousslim 5 лет назад +11

      Agreed. If there's a Heaven, and I doubt there is, you'll find Mark Twain with a cigar and Kurt Vonnegut with his cigarettes discussing the beauty and foolishness of humans and also personal hair styling techniques.

    • @squirlmy
      @squirlmy 5 лет назад +7

      I'd say maybe greatest American literary philosopher? rather than author. His prose is stark and simple, sometimes comically so. There are no beautiful descriptive passages (at least none I can remember). He was not a master of the English language, but the thoughts that he managed to put down on paper! and great compassion; he had a huge heart.

    • @cannabiscupjudge
      @cannabiscupjudge 5 лет назад +9

      I was hooked on Vonnegut when I read "Welcome to the Monkey House". I became convinced of his genius when I read "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater". I believe I've read everything he wrote, and can comfortably assert that he's never failed to delight and enlighten. I don't think it's possible to fairly name a single greatest American Author, but Kurt Vonnegut, as far as I'm concerned and without a doubt, is a member of the set of "Great American Authors", or even, "Greatest American Authors". But. And I'm sorry to say this. If I could only select one American Novel to be alone with on a desert isle, it probably wouldn't be a Vonnegut. I'm not sure what it would be, please don't make me choose, because, oh my god, wouldn't that be an awful choice to have to make?

    • @punkroxgirl
      @punkroxgirl 5 лет назад

      Cuvtixo D I agree 💯%

  • @poweroffriendship2.0
    @poweroffriendship2.0 5 лет назад +800

    *_The Tralfamadorians wants to know your location_*

    • @ayayron9452
      @ayayron9452 5 лет назад +2

      What

    • @guidoferri8683
      @guidoferri8683 5 лет назад +32

      But they already know it

    • @migmadmarine
      @migmadmarine 5 лет назад +2

      if that happened to me, the aliens would have picked sarah huckabee for me to mate with🤔

    • @leojiangtheterrible7142
      @leojiangtheterrible7142 5 лет назад +2

      I hope PTSD was like that...

    • @brandonkelley6500
      @brandonkelley6500 5 лет назад +3

      Is that why Google maps keeps giving me Google play services errors until I give them permission to the camera?

  • @rachelthompson9324
    @rachelthompson9324 3 года назад +15

    My anthology of short stories is called Stalking Kilgore Trout. Reading Vonnegut is what made be a writer.

  • @bsahota2021
    @bsahota2021 5 лет назад +4

    I LOVE all the random Vonnegut references! Great Job TED-Ed!!

  • @BlizzardX1K
    @BlizzardX1K 5 лет назад +9

    Oh my God! Best episode yet! Holy cow, on point!

  • @garrettwidner8199
    @garrettwidner8199 3 года назад +45

    I loved Kurt's stories when I was a bit younger, and it's easy to recommend him for his simple prose, unconventional style, and absurd and interesting stories and humor. He was by far my favorite author during my late teens/early 20s. As I grew older I realized that message-wise his books left me with a real feeling of despair. There's a sense that he's trying to make a comedy out of the immense tragedies of life, but in the end even he doesn't really believe it, and he's mad and deeply distraught about that. His absurdism and fancifulness is, you know, fun, but it's also a mask over deep cynicism and anger. I have no ability to judge whether that's justified or not, but I wanted people to know what they're getting into. I found his books incredibly funny, interesting, and easy to read. But, you know... caution. You know what Les Miserables is going to be like going in, Kurt, not always so much.

    • @utoob23
      @utoob23 Год назад +1

      Excellent critique. Now that I'm older I can read his pessimism with a great of salt and enjoy the prose and simple life messages

  • @MichaelKilmanAuthor
    @MichaelKilmanAuthor 2 года назад +5

    One of my all time favorite authors. He challenges to truly reflect on the human condition, even if some of his views are somewhat pessimistic (though as the video points out optimistic too). This was a wonderful short analysis of his work. Thank you. I may try to find a way to squeeze this into my courses I teach.

  • @samvidrajwar6424
    @samvidrajwar6424 5 лет назад +6

    Literature explained through animation is hauntingly beautiful.
    Keep up the good work, Ted ed :-)

  • @TheConour
    @TheConour 5 лет назад +3

    This is really insightful as it pulls together aspects of Vonnegut's work as a whole. Particularly our relationship with time and with fellow humans. No wonder his reputation has been growing.

  • @MilesWilliams88
    @MilesWilliams88 2 года назад +18

    I finished Slaughterhouse Five a few months ago. What an absolutely brilliant book! The scene where Billy is seeing the war film in reverse will stick with me forever. I will definitely be reading more Vonnegut in the future.

    • @AL_THOMAS_777
      @AL_THOMAS_777 Год назад +1

      He had first hand experiences from The Dresden Inferno (sic) which was a cruel and maningless revenge only killing innocent civilians. And exactly this first hand experience - thats where great literatur derives from (you can call it authentic writing!!)

  • @pige0n392
    @pige0n392 3 года назад +11

    The first time I read Slaughterhouse Five, I was 11. I found it one of the most amazing, moving novels I have ever read. I loved how we jumped through time, although I never really was certain whether or not the zoo was real. I also loved that callback at the end, the protagonist being shown the same picture that was once shown to him by a fellow soldier.

  • @lactobacilluschasei1111
    @lactobacilluschasei1111 5 лет назад

    I WAS HOPING FOR THIS! THANK YOU TED-ED 😭💖

  • @magicbrownie1357
    @magicbrownie1357 2 года назад +5

    I can't think of a reason NOT to read Vonnegut. I've read every novel he's published. My favorite author. Funny, insightful, witty, brilliant. Hard to ask for much more.

  • @extremekiwi1311
    @extremekiwi1311 4 года назад +12

    I absolutely recommend "Mother Night" by Kurt Vonnegut. I read it for my English 300 class about 2 years ago, and it was an amazing book that expanded my outlook on living, through the obscurity of being human through the good and the bad.

  • @tommycloud1828
    @tommycloud1828 3 года назад

    This is one of my favorite videos on youtube. I just find it to be well written as well as well narrated, and the illustrations are so on point it's astonishing.
    P.S: If you're ever in Cody, Wyoming, just ask for Wild Bob

  • @johnashley-smith4987
    @johnashley-smith4987 2 года назад +8

    Thanks for this video. I never read Kurt Vonnegut until I hit my mid thirties. I was struck by a quote in one of his autobiographies about needing to be in the " right stage of life" to understand certain books. That's something I have to agree on. Had I read Vonnegut any younger, it would not have resonated with me, not yet having enough life experience. I remember schoolmates whining about having to read " The Siren's Of Titan" and how they hated it.It is now one of my favorite novels. I got introduced to Kurt with " Breakfast Of Champions", and have turned on a few freinds to Kurt's genius with this book! I loved Slaughterhouse 5, and it should be required reading...
    Thank you again.

  • @benhoskins1262
    @benhoskins1262 2 года назад +6

    A former employer of mine owns a small private fishing lodge in KY. There's a framed sketch of Kurt's hanging on the wall thanking them for all the great times he had just "getting away" there. Its just a simple sketch of a crane feeding on the creek. Always been a fan of his, but to know that he and I share a love for such a little known place, feels pretty good.

  • @stevenhs8821
    @stevenhs8821 5 лет назад +15

    In high school, in the 1970s, Vonnegut was one of my favorites. And among my friends also. Herman Hesse also. Times sure have changed.

  • @ssgtmole8610
    @ssgtmole8610 2 года назад +5

    I got to hear him give a talk at a university once. I wish I could remember more of it. I got a sense that he was a pleasant and thoughtful person. The thing that I remember though was his castigation of his daughter's ex-husband and how mad he was about the way she was treated by her ex.

  • @donelmore2540
    @donelmore2540 2 года назад +5

    Years ago I read all that Mr. Vonnegut had written. Your video makes me want to re read them. Thanks!

  • @alleyg6716
    @alleyg6716 5 лет назад +32

    Slaughterhouse Five is my favorite book ever. Love to see this type of stuff.

  • @quantumeinstein3472
    @quantumeinstein3472 5 лет назад +77

    Ted Ed Animation are truly an inspiration and knowledgeable.

    • @graypaint
      @graypaint 5 лет назад

      @@Castaccio ​ @Castaccio Nut the kind of tea TED-Ed viewers WANT to drink (most of us)

  • @iamachinesepetwholies5476
    @iamachinesepetwholies5476 5 лет назад

    I'm glad I discovered this RUclips channel, as an 11th grade student here in Philippines, I'm learning a significant and valuable knowledge that I definitely know one day would be of use to me

  • @msmith53
    @msmith53 2 года назад

    Excellent conclusion...YES, I had a teacher who inspired my life and career and have alway been guided by his enthusiasm for his students and their lives! Thank you Ken Hallman!

  • @untizioacaso6095
    @untizioacaso6095 5 лет назад +12

    Thanks for covering such an underrated author

    • @TimothyReeves
      @TimothyReeves 2 года назад +1

      Not so much underrated as underread. People who read Vonnegut rate him highly I think.

  • @brebee4291
    @brebee4291 5 лет назад +5

    For my final in English Composition 2, we were given a list of books to choose one from and write an argumentative piece on. I came across Cat's Cradle through this and instantly fell in love with it the moment I read the vague summary for it online. After I finished it, I found it not very difficult to get myself into researching because the book is so fascinating. I really recommend his books he's a good author :0!!

  • @emmawan535
    @emmawan535 5 лет назад +1

    Pls make more “why u should read...” series 😍These videos are simply inspiring and aesthetically appealing

  • @amanatee27
    @amanatee27 5 лет назад

    Thank you for featuring Vonnegut, his works are brilliant [:

  • @adityatiwari2957
    @adityatiwari2957 5 лет назад +54

    I thought Ted Chiang's Story of your life later adapted into Arrival was original. But this genius is doing all along. Thanks for introducing us to Kurt. I'm looking forward to his works

    • @prachisingh7187
      @prachisingh7187 5 лет назад +2

      Hey ikr i thought of Story of your life while reading Slaughterhouse Five as well!

    • @KilgoreTrout-vo7uy
      @KilgoreTrout-vo7uy 5 лет назад

      Read more, kid.

    • @adityatiwari2957
      @adityatiwari2957 5 лет назад +4

      @@KilgoreTrout-vo7uy Life is short, You can't read all of them.

    • @TuanNguyen-ko9wz
      @TuanNguyen-ko9wz 5 лет назад

      And Slaughterhouse-Five is in turn inspired by The Fateful Adventures of Good Soldier Svejk.

    • @rachelthompson9324
      @rachelthompson9324 5 лет назад +1

      You'll love Vonnegut if you enjoy thinking. He is why I became a writer. My short story collection, Stalking Kilgore Trout, is dedicated to Kurt's memory. details about my books at rcthom.com

  • @KC-to9xl
    @KC-to9xl 5 лет назад +6

    My favorite author in highschool, and still my forever favorite author :3

  • @lojupitermoon
    @lojupitermoon 4 года назад

    This actually really really made me want to read this novel. You just might have introduced me to my new favorite author

  • @imgaybut1346
    @imgaybut1346 4 года назад +1

    This video inspired me to look into Kurt Vonnegut‘s other work. Thank you.

  • @lj0339
    @lj0339 5 лет назад +10

    *”We are all here to just fart around”*
    True. Very true.

  • @spacealienjesus709
    @spacealienjesus709 5 лет назад +7

    Mother Night and Breakfast of Champions are my two favorites.
    Great video...

    • @punkroxgirl
      @punkroxgirl 5 лет назад +1

      Space Alien Jesus Those are my two favorites too 🙂

  • @dylanwilcox3112
    @dylanwilcox3112 5 лет назад

    Awesome work, TedEd! Keep this series up! I loved Slaughter-House 5

  • @artisawant8
    @artisawant8 5 лет назад +1

    thank you for that free audiobook!

  • @jasoncromwell4206
    @jasoncromwell4206 5 лет назад +3

    "Yeah well I go two words for you Vonnegut?" If you know that reference you can do a Triple Melon. That movie inspired my love for his work.

  • @anitadhawan9746
    @anitadhawan9746 3 года назад

    Thanks so much for this impeccable piece of work. 🙏🏽

  • @mmmk1616
    @mmmk1616 5 лет назад +1

    What a great video! Thanks TED-Ed!

  • @kb-bp5iy
    @kb-bp5iy 5 лет назад +17

    I love slaughterhouse 5 but its so difficult to convince other people to read it.you did a great job!😊😊😊

  • @elifkalkan2769
    @elifkalkan2769 5 лет назад +78

    i had just finished the "cat's cradle" and saw the video, what a lovely coincidence!

    • @RajuyCh-ug9ok
      @RajuyCh-ug9ok 5 лет назад +1

      Cats cradle
      What is it about buddy?

    • @avigokuu
      @avigokuu 5 лет назад +1

      @@RajuyCh-ug9ok bout to ask the same question when i saw this xD.

    • @avigokuu
      @avigokuu 5 лет назад

      Same the book name come up like a trillion times, whats it about. can you tell me a nonspoilery review >?

    • @RajuyCh-ug9ok
      @RajuyCh-ug9ok 5 лет назад +1

      @@avigokuu
      Ohh god you heard a trillion times and too lazy to google about it .....
      Just like me 😁😁

    • @elifkalkan2769
      @elifkalkan2769 5 лет назад +3

      @@RajuyCh-ug9ok it is hard to explain, guess you watched the video. it mentions in 3:26, basically about a writer who wants to write a book about life of the inventer of the atom bomb and bokononism

  • @ABDStillLegit
    @ABDStillLegit 4 года назад +1

    This is a wonderful channel. As an avid reader who once only sought out contemporary work, this channel has opened my horizons to work I might've missed otherwise; works of Kurt Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, to name a few. I even bought War and Peace just the other day because the video piqued my interest---still not sure if that'll pan out, but who knows, right?Thank you!

  • @stumpytheclown
    @stumpytheclown 5 лет назад +1

    i did a project about slaughterhouse five for my AP English 2 class this year. that was my first introduction into Kurt. lets just say, i don't regret it reading it one bit. hopefully i'll have time to read more of his stuff.

  • @markharmon8994
    @markharmon8994 5 лет назад +5

    He is my favorite author. His method of writing is completely unparalleled by any. Everyone needs to experience his work, it has actually changed my lookout on life

  • @waltergodsoe5526
    @waltergodsoe5526 3 года назад +3

    Kurt visited our college on Cape Cod, in the late sixties, he was entertaining and the wisdom was apparent.

  • @jig7saw
    @jig7saw 5 лет назад +2

    Kilgor Trout!!! I have wondered many times what it would be like to have a tail! Thanks for posting Mia!!

  • @donaldbarnhardt9906
    @donaldbarnhardt9906 3 года назад

    sure miss vonnegut and trout, thank you for giving a new generation audiobooks of his important work

  • @Bix12
    @Bix12 4 года назад +10

    I discovered KV at the age of 13. I am now 64.
    He had a profound effect on the way I look at the world.
    His death was truly Vonnegutian. So it goes.

  • @lordindulgence
    @lordindulgence 5 лет назад +4

    I absolutely adore Slaughterhouse-Five! Our English teacher assigned it to us to read, annotate and analyse, but something about it has really made a significant impact on me and has turned it from a simple assignment to a book I'm genuinely enjoying to read on free time.
    I can't express why, but I'm beyond glad this video was recommended!

  • @HeelieDensortt
    @HeelieDensortt 5 лет назад

    my eyes are watering. i love his work so much

  • @faunaflage
    @faunaflage 5 лет назад

    Great video, and props for animating it in Vonnegut's own drawing style! You just need one asterisk: * , for good measure.

  • @tonychapa3457
    @tonychapa3457 5 лет назад +16

    I'm especially fond of Bluebeard, read it every few years.

    • @dashx1103
      @dashx1103 3 года назад +1

      Bluebeard is my second-favorite Vonnegut book. Sirens of Titan has always been #1 for me. I feel like Bluebeard doesn't get enough credit.

  • @onshiplessoceans1675
    @onshiplessoceans1675 3 года назад +3

    I have to just add--as one who appreciates this video and the work it does--that it's not "Bokonism." It's "Bokononism." Because it matters, even if it doesn't matter.

  • @bird_obsession
    @bird_obsession Год назад +1

    The Sirens of Titan is currently my favorite book of all time. I've also read and enjoyed Slaughterhouse Five. This guy was an incredible author.

  • @nirmallotay8101
    @nirmallotay8101 4 года назад

    Thank you for an exceedingly excellent explanation

  • @jasonguinn2435
    @jasonguinn2435 5 лет назад +4

    I love Kurt Vonnegut! This was awesome

  • @madhumita6451
    @madhumita6451 5 лет назад +6

    Ted-Ed is impressive as usual😄😄 you guys always do such a great job..hands down for that animation...

  • @dantana5774
    @dantana5774 2 года назад

    thanks for the memories, however foggy, of my 70s. and making this clearer- Vonnegut was required reading back then, and assumed it was today, but gave my college-student daughter my collection, and she's now a fan

  • @jimhardiman3836
    @jimhardiman3836 Год назад +1

    Timequake is not a conventional novel based on plot lines and action, but rather a dissertation on humanism and the reflections of a thoughtful man nearing the end of his stay on planet earth. And for that, I adore it.

  • @Gaius2k
    @Gaius2k 5 лет назад +57

    Please do: Why should you read George Orwell?

    • @jpwjr1199
      @jpwjr1199 5 лет назад +7

      Yes! Or even more apt for today's zeitgeist: Why should you read Aldous Huxley?!?!

  • @marblemilk1065
    @marblemilk1065 3 года назад +14

    I'm reading Cat's Cradle. I think that Its plot also applies to current events like politics and the media.

  • @sakibuddin7662
    @sakibuddin7662 4 года назад

    thanks so much for this thoughtful discusion

  • @MrLanzio
    @MrLanzio 4 года назад

    I think it is amazing that carefully planned and explored story shape can lead to creativity as wild as aliens and time travel! Reading and writing really is a process!

  • @hollyfugate9506
    @hollyfugate9506 5 лет назад +5

    I loved Slaughterhouse Five so much it hurt. Maybe I'll try the other titles mentioned here!

    • @finnkdy
      @finnkdy 2 года назад

      Galapagos.

  • @RAyLV17
    @RAyLV17 5 лет назад +5

    so it goes

  • @marcc.3513
    @marcc.3513 5 лет назад

    Thanks for such an awesome video summary. I'm eager to read it over break.

  • @roshan7961
    @roshan7961 5 лет назад

    This channel is really inspiring us to pursue

  • @SwagDawg
    @SwagDawg 5 лет назад +14

    2:10 cat's cradle... I see what you did there

  • @gregsmasochisticcommentfac2244
    @gregsmasochisticcommentfac2244 4 года назад +5

    I've read & re-read & re-re-read his books. They break my heart. They hurt me on every page. They fill me with laughter, reminding me no matter how crummy the circumstance, there's a higher calling: Goddamn It Be Kind.
    #KurtVonnegut

  • @charlottem.1477
    @charlottem.1477 3 года назад

    Always been my fave author! So happy to see this video

  • @dhaqabk4022
    @dhaqabk4022 5 лет назад

    Wow, I read this book about two months ago. The beginning was a bit confusing, the middle intriguing and the end weirdly satisfying and it is the best book I ever read

  • @lxxy05
    @lxxy05 5 лет назад +17

    i read his “ harrison bergeron “ in English class!

    • @mmhopen2743
      @mmhopen2743 5 лет назад

      Me too.

    • @suryahr307
      @suryahr307 5 лет назад

      Which one of these two would you prefer to me

    • @macweenie
      @macweenie 4 года назад

      Same here. I loved the story but forgot who wrote it until I found it again in “welcome to the monkey house”. Even after reading so many of his novels I never put it together until decades later.

  • @BallotBoxer
    @BallotBoxer 5 лет назад +24

    It is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds.
    And what do the birds say? All there is to say about a massacre, things like "Poo-tee-weet?"
    - excerpt from _Slaughterhouse-Five_

  • @nancyhernandez2271
    @nancyhernandez2271 4 года назад

    Because he’s the absolute hands-down best. I love his books with my whole heart

  • @nolabarie2827
    @nolabarie2827 5 лет назад +1

    Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favorite authors. His books are simply wonderful

  • @MrGraywolf09
    @MrGraywolf09 5 лет назад +3

    It's funny for me to watch this episode... I used to be an avid reader, until around 3 and a half years ago when I started reading Vonnegut's Timequake. I picked up the book without knowing anything about it nor the author, and although the premise sounded promissing, the story never quite got anywhere. I was getting more and more bored, but insisted in keeping reading, thinking it would become interesting and everything would connect, but that was never happening. Alas, near 4/5 of the book I gave in to the anger and tossed it away, never to open it again. My insistance in reading against my will spoiled books for me though. I thought it was just a fase as I turned to other hobbies, but after many tries later, I still can't get back to the habit of reading.
    Weird how a single (small) book can do that to you.

    • @Ennah08
      @Ennah08 5 лет назад +1

      Timequake is a terrible one! I read it because I love some of his other novels, but it was a challenge ... Maybe Vonnegut isn't for you, but don't give up on novels! :)

    • @squirlmy
      @squirlmy 5 лет назад

      before the internet this could not have happened to you. I believe I might have tried Timequake in the late 80s. No internet to take me away from book reading altogether.

  • @danceteras2884
    @danceteras2884 5 лет назад +7

    Please do a video about Thomas Pyncheon. Please.

    • @possum9403
      @possum9403 5 лет назад

      Dan Ceteras ayyyyy Eraserhead

  • @someonethatexists46
    @someonethatexists46 3 года назад

    The animation style is awesome.

  • @groovyhannah8517
    @groovyhannah8517 2 года назад

    This is a great video, I really want to read his books now!

  • @arnabbiswasalsodeep
    @arnabbiswasalsodeep 5 лет назад +3

    Dang it. Someone wrote a story type i wanted to as well. But well, doesn't mean I can't write it now