Sunday, April 15, 2007

Vonnegut

There's been some debate since Kurt Vonnegut died, mainly in newspapers and on blogs I sympathise with, about Vonnegut's political stance. His book Slaughterhouse Five used fatality figures for Dresden that came from the holocaust denier and all-round whacko David Irving, and in his later years Vonnegut expressed sentiments that I don't agree with.

But so what?

If it's right that Kipling be considered as a writer by the sinister element in politics (the left), and Ezra Pound by anyone who dislikes Nazis, then it's right that I read Vonnegut's work without reference to his politics. Which I propose to carry on doing.

By the way, Mother Night was his best book. Different class.

No comments: