Kurt Vonnegut Popular Books
Kurt Vonnegut Biography & Facts
Kurt Vonnegut (né Kurt Vonnegut Jr.; ; November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published 14 novels, 3 short-story collections, 5 plays, and 5 nonfiction works; further collections have been published after his death. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Vonnegut attended Cornell University but withdrew in January 1943 and enlisted in the US Army. As part of his training, he studied mechanical engineering at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) and the University of Tennessee. He was then deployed to Europe to fight in World War II and was captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. He was interned in Dresden, where he survived the Allied bombing of the city in a meat locker of the slaughterhouse where he was imprisoned. After the war, he married Jane Marie Cox, with whom he had three children. He adopted his nephews after his sister died of cancer and her husband was killed in a train accident. He and his wife both attended the University of Chicago, while he worked as a night reporter for the City News Bureau. Vonnegut published his first novel, Player Piano, in 1952. The novel was reviewed positively but was not commercially successful at the time. In the nearly 20 years that followed, he published several novels that were well regarded, two of which (The Sirens of Titan [1959] and Cat's Cradle [1963]) were nominated for the Hugo Award for best SF or fantasy novel of the year. He published a short-story collection titled Welcome to the Monkey House in 1968. His breakthrough was his commercially and critically successful sixth novel, Slaughterhouse-Five (1969). The book's anti-war sentiment resonated with its readers amidst the ongoing Vietnam War, and its reviews were generally positive. After its release, Slaughterhouse-Five went to the top of The New York Times Best Seller list, thrusting Vonnegut into fame. He was invited to give speeches, lectures, and commencement addresses around the country, and received many awards and honors. Later in his career, Vonnegut published several autobiographical essays and short-story collections, such as Fates Worse Than Death (1991) and A Man Without a Country (2005). After his death, he was hailed as one of the most important contemporary writers and a dark humor commentator on American society. His son Mark published a compilation of his unpublished works, titled Armageddon in Retrospect, in 2008. In 2017, Seven Stories Press published Complete Stories, a collection of Vonnegut's short fiction, including five previously unpublished stories. Complete Stories was collected and introduced by Vonnegut friends and scholars Jerome Klinkowitz and Dan Wakefield. Numerous scholarly works have examined Vonnegut's writing and humor. Biography Family and early life Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was born in Indianapolis on November 11, 1922, the youngest of three children of Kurt Vonnegut Sr. and his wife Edith (née Lieber). His older siblings were Bernard (born 1914) and Alice (born 1917). He had descended from German immigrants who settled in the United States in the mid-19th century; his paternal great-grandfather, Clemens Vonnegut, settled in Indianapolis and founded the Vonnegut Hardware Company. His father and grandfather Bernard were architects; the architecture firm under Kurt Sr. designed such buildings as Das Deutsche Haus (now called "The Athenæum"), the Indiana headquarters of the Bell Telephone Company, and the Fletcher Trust Building. Vonnegut's mother was born into Indianapolis high society, as her family, the Liebers, were among the wealthiest in the city with their fortune deriving from ownership of a successful brewery.Both of Vonnegut's parents were fluent German speakers, but the ill feeling toward Germany during and after World War I caused them to abandon German culture in order to show their American patriotism. Thus, they did not teach Vonnegut to speak German or introduce him to German literature and traditions, leaving him feeling "ignorant and rootless". Vonnegut later credited Ida Young, his family's African-American cook and housekeeper during the first decade of his life, for raising him and giving him values; he said that she "gave [him] decent moral instruction and was exceedingly nice to [him]", and "was as great an influence on [him] as anybody". He described her as "humane and wise" and added that "the compassionate, forgiving aspects of [his] beliefs" came from her.The financial security and social prosperity that the Vonneguts had once enjoyed were destroyed in a matter of years. The Liebers' brewery was closed in 1921 after the advent of prohibition. When the Great Depression hit, few people could afford to build, causing clients at Kurt Sr.'s architectural firm to become scarce. Vonnegut's brother and sister had finished their primary and secondary educations in private schools, but Vonnegut was placed in a public school called Public School No. 43 (now the James Whitcomb Riley School). He was bothered by the Great Depression, and both his parents were affected deeply by their economic misfortune. His father withdrew from normal life and became what Vonnegut called a "dreamy artist". His mother became depressed, withdrawn, bitter, and abusive. She labored to regain the family's wealth and status, and Vonnegut said that she expressed hatred for her husband that was "as corrosive as hydrochloric acid". She unsuccessfully tried to sell short stories she had written to Collier's, The Saturday Evening Post, and other magazines. High school and Cornell Vonnegut enrolled at Shortridge High School in Indianapolis in 1936. While there, he played clarinet in the school band and became a co-editor (along with Madelyn Pugh) for the Tuesday edition of the school newspaper, The Shortridge Echo. Vonnegut said that his tenure with the Echo allowed him to write for a large audience—his fellow students—rather than for a teacher, an experience, he said, was "fun and easy". "It just turned out that I could write better than a lot of other people", Vonnegut observed. "Each person has something he can do easily and can't imagine why everybody else has so much trouble doing it."After graduating from Shortridge in 1940, Vonnegut enrolled at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He wanted to study the humanities or become an architect like his father, but his father and brother Bernard, an atmospheric scientist, urged him to study a "useful" discipline. As a result, Vonnegut majored in biochemistry, but he had little proficiency in the area and was indifferent towards his studies. As his father had been a member at MIT, Vonnegut was entitled to join the Delta Upsilon fraternity, and did. He overcame stiff competition for a place at the university's independent newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, first serving as a staff writer, then as an editor. By the end of his first ye.... Discover the Kurt Vonnegut popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Kurt Vonnegut books.
Best Seller Kurt Vonnegut Books of August 2022
Law of Attraction
Jordan HollisAugust 29, 2018GetHow to Finally Overcome the Hurdles of Manifesting Proven, effective and enjoyable ways to help you manifest faster… Right now, think of something that makes you successful. If you have so...
Wedding Violet
Beverley OakleyMay 31, 2019GetAbandoned at the altar, Max, Lord Belvedere believes he's evaded family obligation in favour of a life of adventuring in Africa. But his ailing Aunt Euphemia has other ideas. When Max finds ...
Moby Dick
Herman MelvilleOctober 17, 1851GetAn Apple Books Classic edition. Herman Melville’s classic begins with one of the most famous opening lines in world literature: “Call me Ishmael.” Moby Dick was a commercial failure wh...
Maneuver
Chelle BlissJuly 31, 2018GetThis isn’t how fairy tales typically begin, but it’s where mine starts… No money, no phone, and abandoned on the streets of Chicago. With my baby in my arms, I wander into a bar in a s...
Right Time
Lexy TimmsFebruary 11, 2022GetDon't rush on anything. If the time is right, it will happen. Rae I've always known I was meant to get out of the dead-end side of town where I was born. Trevor is my plan. He's from t...
Abigail's Shop
Rachael HerronOctober 22, 2021Get“I didn’t just imply that you weren’t welcome. I’m making sure you know that’s the case.” Don’t miss the incredible first standalone in this unputdownable series th...
The Recruiting Trip
Lexy TimmsNovember 19, 2014GetAspiring college athlete Aileen Nessa is finding the recruiting process beyond daunting. Being ranked #10 in the world for the 100m hurdles at the age of eighteen is not a fluke, even though...
Savage Prince
Meghan MarchApril 24, 2018GetWho knew things could get even darker and dirtier in New Orleans? New York Times bestselling author Meghan March introduces the Savage Prince of the city, the man you...
Take a Chance on Me
Kathryn R. BielMay 21, 2020GetShe's finally getting her life back together. His is falling apart. It's the perfect time to take a chance. Nobody likes packing up their things and moving to a small town in the middle of n...
A Lot Like Home
Kathryn CantrellMay 21, 2018GetDestiny isn't a thing in her world. Smooth-talking strangers need not apply... Superstition Springs native Havana Nixon is convinced letting a big developer into their tiny Texas oasis is th...
Kissing my Co-worker
J. SterlingDecember 16, 2021GetI've had a crush on my co-worker Declan since the day I started working at Rockline Studios. Trust me, if you could see this man, you'd have a crush on him too. It's been two yea...
Girl, Alone (An Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 1)
Blake PierceDecember 16, 2020GetFBI Agent Ella Dark has studied serial killers from the time she could read, devastated by the murder of her own sister. With her photographic memory, she has obtained an encyclopedic knowle...
Today I Am Mad
Michael GordonSeptember 7, 2020GetKids feel emotions in big ways! Here's a great story for helping kids manage their feelings. * Help children learn to identify and regulate their ...
Little Women
Louisa May AlcottSeptember 29, 1868GetAn Apple Books Classic edition. Meet the Marches! Louisa May Alcott’s classic introduces us to four unforgettable sisters: beautiful Meg, tomboyish Jo, delicate Beth, and Amy, the indulged...
Hook
Chelle BlissJanuary 15, 2019GetFalling in love is supposed to be the easy part. But nothing prepared me for losing my wife. I promised her that I’d love again. Find someone to mend my broken heart. And that seems imposs...
Apple Watch User Guide
Apple Inc.September 16, 2021GetHere’s everything you need to know about Apple Watch and the Apple Watch app on iPhone, straight from Apple. This definitive guide helps you get started using Apple Watch with watchOS 8 an...
Stop Procrastinating & Overthinking: Learn The Mind Hacks To Cure Your Procrastination Habit And Improve Your Perseverance To Overcome Laziness. Eliminate Negative Thoughts And Stop Worrying
Sebastian GoodwinMarch 25, 2021Get"I TRIED EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT IT'S STILL A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE…" Everybody knows that procrastination is the biggest waste of time – I am talking about those moments when you imagine wha...
An Acquired Taste
Kelly CainJune 8, 2021GetMay the best chef win... After four years at the country’s top culinary school and several years as head chef in her mother’s restaurant, Rowan Townsend has built a notable reputation. H...
Lola Is Missing
Alison JamesFebruary 7, 2018Get‘I was hooked from page one and couldn’t put it down until I’d reached the end. The twists and turns just keep coming … will have you gasping in surprise.’ Goodreads Reviewer...
Romancing His Rival
Poppy St JamesAugust 16, 2021GetTwo enemies. One wedding. The plan was simple . . . until they started to fall for each other. Noah and Olivia are total opposites. She’s buttoned up and proper, focused en...
Some Call It Love
Sarah PeisAugust 20, 2018Get"The best feel-good romcom you need right now." Goodreads reviewer A mistaken arrest, an unpaid debt, and a trip to Vegas. Living in a small town where everyone knows your business isn't eas...
Become A Better Version of Yourself
Ben LeightonFebruary 22, 2015GetThis ebook contains golden nuggets on how to motivate, inspire and improve your current situation. It encompasses the holistic view of self improvement from mental& emotional wellbeing, ...
Seduced by a Dragon (Fallen Immortals 5)
Alisa WoodsFebruary 23, 2018GetLeonidas is a Dragon Prince of the House of Smoke… and he is cursed. Falling in love was never in the cards for Leonidas. An angry witch made sure of that—if he loses his heart, he loses...
Liberty Begins
Leigh JamesFebruary 13, 2015GetAdventure. Fate. From Rags to Riches… My name is Liberty and I'm a good girl. I come from nothing. I have no one but myself. Sometimes I do things I don't want to -- I do them beca...
In Light of the Summit
Jamie McGillenDecember 31, 2020GetThe much-anticipated sequel to In Sight of the Mountain! After Anna Gallagher's first climb on Mt. Rainier, she faces a new challenge—enduring the ridicule and threats that come with break...
Unlocking Your Self-Confidence
James TurnbullNovember 15, 2021GetUnlock the secrets to developing self-confidence and unleash your true potential! James Turnbull's new book is primarily written as a short pocket-book guide for people with busy lives to ta...
The School of Starting Over
Lisa SwiftMarch 11, 2020Get‘this was a delight to read …I just can’t recommend it enough. The best romance book I’ve read this year .’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Books and Bookends Nell’s going back to school… but ...
The Art of War
Sun TzuOctober 4, 2010GetAn Apple Books Classic edition. It’s believed that Sun Tzu wrote this Chinese military primer during the 5th century BC-hundreds of years before the Bible. The book’s 13 chapters explore...
Let's Taco Bout It
Matthew RyanOctober 1, 2014GetMr Taco is feeling sad, it’s not easy being a little taco when everything around you is so BIG! Luckily, Patrick has a few ideas to help his friend... ———— NOT YOUR REGULAR S...
A Match for the Marine
Jess MastorakosMarch 31, 2021GetMatchmaker Rule #1: Never fall in love with the client. After working my way to the top, I'm in the running to become the CEO of Southern California's premier matchmaking service. All I have...
Smitten with Ravioli
Ellen JacobsonMay 22, 2020GetI'm not sure what I'm more scared of—cats that drool or falling for that annoying history professor in my Italian cooking course. Sure, Preston Whitaker has amazing blue eyes, but he's an ...
Outsmart Your Brain
Steven SchusterJune 8, 2020GetWhat motivates us into doing or avoiding things? Why do our predictions not reflect reality? Traditional economics claims humans are rational actors. But is this true? Think about the ...
Secrets and Scandals
Piper GlendaleMay 5, 2022GetEmily Delaney, a reporter for one of Hollywood’s hottest gossip magazines, has her world turned upside down when her former journalism mentor dies, and she is called back to the hometown s...
Manifesting Abundance: How to Manifest Your Desires Using the Law of Attraction
Beau NortonSeptember 26, 2015GetDid you know that up to 95% of the people that attempt to use the law of attraction to manifest their desires see no noticeable results? The truth is that most people fail to use the law of ...
My Always One
Aleatha RomigJuly 27, 2021GetMY ALWAYS ONE: Friends to lovers stand alone When we were young, Samantha Anderson was the girl down the street. For as long as I remember, she’s been my partner in crime, in adventu...
Scraps of Paper
Kathryn Meyer GriffithSeptember 13, 2014GetAbigail Sutton's beloved husband walks out one night, doesn't return, and two years later is found dead, a victim of a long ago crime. It's made her sympathetic to the missing and their fami...
Maverick
Brenda RothertAugust 24, 2021GetThe Vegas heat just kicked up a notch with the arrival of ice hockey’s newest expansion team – the Sin City Saints. Maverick Hagen’s fall from grace was more like a crash landing. His ...
Croc's Return
Eve LanglaisDecember 3, 2015GetWelcome to Bitten Point, where the swamp doesn't just keep its secrets, it sometimes eats them. Take one deadly bite and, bam, a man's life is changed forever, or so Caleb discovers when a l...
Bred By The Boss #1: Alyssa
Arwen RichJuly 3, 2018GetAlyssa is untouched by any man – until her hot, demanding boss Mr. Ramirez comes into her life. Her fantasy comes true when he has his way with her, rough and unprotected. But as a result,...
Small Town Big Rumors
Willow WintersFebruary 8, 2022GetHe tasted like tequila and the fake name I gave him was Rose. Four years ago, I decided to get over one man, by getting under another. A single night and nothing more. I found my handsome st...
Secrets of Willow House
Susanne O'LearyMarch 25, 2019Get‘ What a wonderful read this was! ... The definition of feel-good – reading it felt like sunshine… The first ‘feel good’ novel I’ve read this year that actually made me feel good...
Mr. Trouble
Nana MaloneAugust 1, 2018GetYeah, I'm trouble...so what? Women like it. That and my big...bank account. Not to mention my, ah, silver tongue. I'm the prince of my world, right up until the king gets upset. My f...
Pride and Prejudice
Jane AustenJanuary 28, 1813GetAn Apple Books Classic edition. Jane Austen’s beloved classic opens with this witty and very memorable line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a...
So Wrong It's Right
Julie JohnsonNovember 2, 2018GetShelby Hunt has the perfect life, married to the perfect man. At least, that’s what anyone would think, looking at her. They couldn’t possibly know about the past five years of lonely ni...
Let's Talk About Hard Things
Anna SaleMay 4, 2021GetFrom the host of the popular WNYC podcast Death, Sex, & Money , Let’s Talk About Hard Things is “like a good conversation with a friend” ( The New Yorker ) where “no topic is off...
The Girl Outside: A Shocking and Gripping Psychological Thriller
James CaineJune 22, 2022GetHer daughter has a dark secret. One that will turn their perfect small town upside down. Now she's missing. Mandy Knox can't shake the gut wrenching feeling that something sinister hap...
The Stationmaster's Cottage
Phillipa Nefri ClarkFebruary 14, 2017GetChristie Ryan is happy in her life... or so she tells herself. Despite a tragic childhood, she has built a satisfying career and loves her city apartment. But deep down she yearns for a simp...
The Killing Game (An Alexa Chase Suspense Thriller—Book 1)
Kate BoldOctober 15, 2021GetAlexa Chase, 34, a brilliant profiler in the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, was too good at her job. Haunted by all the serial killers she caught, she left a stunning career behind to joi...
Best Seller Kurt Vonnegut Audio Books of August 2022
- Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art (Unabridged)James Nestor$12.99
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- The Hotel NantucketElin Hilderbrand$16.99
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- It's Not Summer Without YouJenny Han$16.99
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- Finding MeViola Davis$19.99
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- Untamed (Unabridged)Glennon Doyle$16.99
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- The Mountain is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-MasteryBrianna Wiest$9.99
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- Daisy Jones & The Six: A Novel (Unabridged)Taylor Jenkins Reid$12.99
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- One of Us Is DeadJeneva Rose$3.99
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- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Unabridged)Taylor Jenkins Reid$16.99
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- A Family AffairRobyn Carr$9.99
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- The Secret (Unabridged)Rhonda Byrne$12.99
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- Harry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixJ.K. Rowling$39.99
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- The Silent PatientAlex Michaelides$19.99
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- It Happened One SummerTessa Bailey$14.99
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- The Power of One More: The Ultimate Guide to Happiness and SuccessEd Mylett$16.99
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- The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness (Unabridged)Morgan Housel$13.99
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- The Laws of Human Nature (Unabridged)Robert Greene$16.99
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- Where the Crawdads Sing (Unabridged)Delia Owens$14.99
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- We'll Always Have SummerJenny Han$16.99
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- The Girl UpstairsGeorgina Lees$2.99
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- Heart Bones (Unabridged)Colleen Hoover$14.99
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- The AlchemistPaulo Coelho$14.99
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- The Devil's Hand (Unabridged)Jack Carr$14.99
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- The Fellowship of the RingJ.R.R. Tolkien$19.99
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- Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsJ.K. Rowling$8.99
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- Rising Tiger (Unabridged)Brad Thor$14.99
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- How To Win Friends And Influence People (Unabridged)Dale Carnegie$14.99
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- Upgrade: A Novel (Unabridged)Blake Crouch$14.99
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- The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph (Unabridged)Ryan Holiday$12.99
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- The Power Of Positive Thinking (Unabridged)Dr. Norman Vincent Peale$19.99
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