Es handelt sich um eine kurze, aber dennoch anspruchsvolle Lektüre. Vonnegut, wie sein Protagonist Billy Pilgrim, erlebte während des Zweiten Weltkriegs das verheerende Bombardement von Dresden, das zehntausende Zivilisten das Leben kostete. Dieses Ereignis bildet den Kern des Romans. Etwas verwirrend ist die komplizierte Zeitstruktur des Buches: Billy Pilgrim wird "zeitversetzt", nachdem er von einem Tralfamadorianischen Raumschiff entführt wird. Dadurch springt er von einem Moment zum anderen durch die Zeit, von der Zeit vor der Zerstörung Dresdens über seine Kindheit, sein Leben nach dem Krieg bis hin zur Vietnamkriegszeit. Auf seiner Reise begegnet er einer Vielzahl skurriler und bemitleidenswerter Charaktere, darunter der tyrannische Weary, der wütende Sadist Lazzaro, der amerikanische Nazi Campbell und der Science-Fiction-Autor Kilgore Trout. Vonnegut entwirft mit "Schlachthof 5" ein beeindruckendes Bild auf menschliche Schicksale, die Absurdität des Krieges und das menschliche Zeitverständnisses.

So...WHAT WAS THE FREACKING POINT ABOUT THIS BOOK? Did anything get resolved..I don't think so! WHY ON EARTH DID HE TRAVEL THROUGH AND WHY WORLD WAR TWO! Why?! The only reason why this book gets two stars...well I read a book (Le Grand Cahier) and there a dog gets raped. By a GIRL! So I've read worse, but I still don't like slaughterhouse five...because I DON'T GET IT. AND WHEN TEY KILLED THE DOG...I WAS DONE WITH IT.

This is more art than enjoyment and like a lot of the big modern classics, I understand what it wants to achieve but it doesnt entirely resonate with me. I see why it stood the test of time, it has a lot to offer: it fascinated me and I was intruiged bei the stylistic choices, but the actual content wasn't offering me something I could wholeheartedly enjoy. While I can appreciate the non-linear style, the metaphors and the writing, what I want from books is to feel with the characters and see ideas, either stories or concepts, explored. I dont mind that much that the characters arent in the forfront in this novel, I think the use of them supported the overal themes quite well, but for all the appreciation I have for this, it still annoyed me that the human zoo, the time travel, the alien obduction... these ideas were so underutilized. Intentionally, yes, but these elements still were what I ultimately wanted from this book. It's a really interesting look into the mind of a disenchanted person, though. I like it on that level. I'm just more into Science Fiction than Literary Fiction