The Vonnegut Encyclopedia: An Authorized Compendium - Tapa dura

.,."The Vonnegut Encyclopedia is an outstanding reference tool....It is indeed unfortunate that Vonnegut is not given the credit he deserves in the academy since he is undoubtedly one of America's finest social critics. This volume should serve to reinforce this fact."-H-Net Book Review

"The Vonnegut Encyclopedia" is a descriptive catalogue of the characters, themes, phrasing and imagery found in Kurt Vonnegut's novels, short stories, plays and essays. Starting with the false utopia governed by the ruling technocracy of "Player Piano" (1952) and on through Vonnegut's third collection of autobiographical and topical essays in "Fates Worse Than Death" (1991), the "Encyclopedia" aims to enable the reader to recall the significance of any character (no matter how minor) and to trace the recurrence of characters and images across numerous texts. Additionally, Vonnegut's key images and inventive language are referenced to his first editions - the basis of his reprints - traceable down to the page and line number. Vonnegut's four decades of writing yield a world of characters and social commentary at once disarming, disturbing, and authentic. Since one of the chief allures for Vonnegut afficionados is the reappearance of significant characters, settings, and concepts, readers should appreciate the detailed treatment each receives in its various narrative incarnations. When viewed from this perspective, Vonnegut's work reveals a world as colourfully peopled and politically aware as Dickens' or Twain's. It formally places him in the family of great American writers noted for their characters and developed social sensibilities. His major fictions are synopsised, and his images and constructs are explained and illustrated through the concordance. Few modern writers have created such a large body of work whose narrative settings consistently address the human condition in the midst of great political, scientific and historical forces. Vonnegut's philosphical vision is tracked through the "Encyclopedia"'s attention to the building blocks of each text.