SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE, by Kurt Vonnegut

Join us for an online conversation about Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut's satirical, semi-autobiographical, science fiction-infused antiwar novel, originally published in 1969. Despite worldwide recognition as a modern classic, the book remains controversial, still holding a top spot on the American Library Association’s list of “Most Frequently Challenged Books.”

Slaughterhouse-Five follows the life and experiences of an American soldier named Billy Pilgrim. His story starts during World War II, when he is captured, transported to Germany, and held prisoner in an empty slaughterhouse—Schlachthof-fünf—from which the novel takes its title. Experiencing time in a non-linear fashion after being abducted by aliens who perceive all time at once, Billy recounts his memories of surviving the Dresden firebombing, outliving his wife, walking away from a plane crash, and his children growing into adulthood.

Book length: 288 pages

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