# 37: Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions
This has quickly become one of my favorites. The story focuses mainly on two characters, whom Vonnegut describes as “two lonesome, skinny, fairly old white men on a planet which was dying fast”—Kilgore Trout and Dwayne Hoover. A science fiction and a Pontiac dealer, respectively, both men appear to be alter egos of the author, who worked as a Saab dealer before becoming an acclaimed author. After providing extensive background information on both of the characters, Vonnegut sets them on a collision path as Trout makes his way to Midland City, the fictional city where Hoover resides, while Hoover’s mental state is rapidly deteriorating. Their meeting at the end of the novel can be best described as disastrous.
The novel takes upon itself to introduce certain aspects of life in the US and the planet to his readers, and frequently does so with the aid of illustrations—which are both hilarious and welcome, since very few “Adult” books come with illustrations. 
My favorite aspect of the novel, however, was the introduction of the author/narrator. Trout is said to be collecting information for his “Creator” but little does he know that the Creator would be appearing minutes before his own encounter with Hoover. The Creator explains his control over the characters and explains why he is doing things as he does them but confesses that the characters are not fully under his control. I loved this because I felt like it was the author’s way of showing that characters have a way of taking lives of their own and surprising the authors.
Vonnegut’s ability to take note of the mundane and make it fascinating makes this book a great read. 

# 37: Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions


This has quickly become one of my favorites. The story focuses mainly on two characters, whom Vonnegut describes as “two lonesome, skinny, fairly old white men on a planet which was dying fast”—Kilgore Trout and Dwayne Hoover. A science fiction and a Pontiac dealer, respectively, both men appear to be alter egos of the author, who worked as a Saab dealer before becoming an acclaimed author. After providing extensive background information on both of the characters, Vonnegut sets them on a collision path as Trout makes his way to Midland City, the fictional city where Hoover resides, while Hoover’s mental state is rapidly deteriorating. Their meeting at the end of the novel can be best described as disastrous.

The novel takes upon itself to introduce certain aspects of life in the US and the planet to his readers, and frequently does so with the aid of illustrations—which are both hilarious and welcome, since very few “Adult” books come with illustrations. 

My favorite aspect of the novel, however, was the introduction of the author/narrator. Trout is said to be collecting information for his “Creator” but little does he know that the Creator would be appearing minutes before his own encounter with Hoover. The Creator explains his control over the characters and explains why he is doing things as he does them but confesses that the characters are not fully under his control. I loved this because I felt like it was the author’s way of showing that characters have a way of taking lives of their own and surprising the authors.

Vonnegut’s ability to take note of the mundane and make it fascinating makes this book a great read.