I don’t know if it was the subject of war, which I have to be in the mood for, or just the fact the cover was green (I’m not generally a fan of green - it’s a dirty yellow (my fave)) but Armageddon in Retrospect took some motivation to start. All this despite the fact that Vonnegut is one of my favourite authors and I should never have doubted that this fact would mean I was in good hands. Yes these are stories of war, loss, misery and hopelessness but Vonnegut somehow, relentlessly hits the mark, illuminating all that’s wrong with the world in his lackadaisical, irreverent, quirky way so as to uncover the light - make you feel that it might be ok, that there are others who are keeping up the good fight. I always think a sign of a great short story collection is being able to remember the stories afterwards and this (I read it quite a while ago and got pushed down the review pile due to a lack of picture) comes up trumps. Be it the passive aggressive resistance of a carpenter, soldiers creating journals with shared culinary delights, a mind-boggling new war weapon of the 21st century or the account of Dresden after the horrific bombing - the stories stay with you. 5/5 One caveat (and to borrow a quote from a fellow Goodreads reviewer) ‘Never trust my rating on a Vonnegut. I love this man.’ ( )

Unlike some of the other posthumous publications, this one doesn't feel like a pile of scraps cobbled together for a buck. United by the theme of war, and featuring some of Vonnegut's most human and least jokey (while still having plenty of that), these stories make a good companion piece to Mother Night. ( )

I'm sure it's a fine collection of Vonnegut writings, but it didn't grab me. It's more a matter of the collection of stories not being the type I get into, more than any criticism of the book itself. ( )

writings and essays/speeches (fictional and otherwise) from Kurt Vonnegut - reflecting on his experiences in WW2, being imprisoned as a POW in Dresden at the time of its bombing, post-war thoughts, etc.

I had tried to read this (in print) before but had trouble getting into it--now I am trying it again as an audiobook (boisterously narrated by [a:Rip Torn|724529|Rip Torn|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]); I think having finished [b:Slaughterhouse-Five, or the Children's Crusade|51323334|Slaughterhouse-Five, or the Children's Crusade|Ryan North|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581854848l/51323334._SX50_.jpg|76012734], or at least the graphic novel version of it, has provided me with enough background to attempt it again. This was actually a pretty good collection. ( )

He's a writer who combines writing beautifully with actually having something to say. This is a great farewell. ( )