Book Review: Pity the Reader: On Writing With Style by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Suzanne McConnell

“A rich, generous book about writing and reading and Kurt Vonnegut as writer, teacher, and friend . . . Every page brings pleasure and insight.”—Gail Godwin, New York Times bestselling author
 
Here is an entirely new side of Kurt Vonnegut, Vonnegut as a teacher of writing. Of course he’s given us glimpses before, with aphorisms and short essays and articles and in his speeches. But never before has an entire book been devoted to Kurt Vonnegut the teacher. Here is pretty much everything Vonnegut ever said or wrote having to do with the writing art and craft, altogether a healing, a nourishing expedition. His former student, Suzanne McConnell, has outfitted us for the journey, and in these 37 chapters covers the waterfront of how one American writer brought himself to the pinnacle of the writing art, and we can all benefit as a result. 
 
Kurt Vonnegut was one of the few grandmasters of American literature, whose novels continue to influence new generations about the ways in which our imaginations can help us to live. Few aspects of his contribution have not been plumbed—fourteen novels, collections of his speeches, his essays, his letters, his plays—so this fresh view of him is a bonanza for writers and readers and Vonnegut fans everywhere.
 
“Part homage, part memoir, and a 100% guide to making art with words, Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style is a simply mesmerizing book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!”—Andre Dubus III, #1 New York Times bestselling author
 
“The blend of memory, fact, keen observation, spellbinding descriptiveness and zany characters that populated Vonnegut’s work is on full display here.”—James McBride, National Book Award-winning author

To start with, I just want to profess my undying love for  Vonnegut. If nothing else, I am thankful for my college professor for introducing me to a world beyond ( think of something). After reading Vonnegut for the first time, I fell in love with his tale of writing. Yes, I read Vonnegut for fun….laugh if you must, but you have to admit that he is a master storyteller.

I admit that I am not as acquainted with his son’s work. However, it WAS a book about Vonnegut and writing, and I love books that give me insight into my favorite authors. It’s like I can experience the whole vibe without figuring out a way to bring a beloved author back from death. 

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This book is not about the art of writing per se but rather a look into the innermost parts of Vonnegut’s mind. To be honest, I have always wondered how he got his ideas. I remember reading Slaughter-house 5, and I read it while I was in college, so that was 25 years ago, so my memory is not what it used to be, but I DO remember how I felt.  Even then, I thought Vonnegut was brilliant. It was only later that I learned he had been in Dresden when the USA bombed Dresden and that he was struck with the idea for Slaughter House Five. I like to think that it served as a cathartic exercise for him.

The author, a Vonnegut student at Iowa Writers Workshop, weaves a story that showed just how Vonnegut helped students to see the world differently during her time in Iowa. That is one of the best parts of Pity the Reader. While it is impossible for all of VONNEGUT’s admirers to take a class under him, this book is the next best thing. I would have loved to be his student to pick at his brain. Unfortunately, time and circumstances were not on my side, so…I can live viscously through his student.

However, if you are looking for a writing guide that will explain the plot and structure among those things, you will not find them here. This is more like a tribute to Vonnegut than anything else. Vonnegut 100 percent deserves all the respect he gets. It is hard to believe that Vonnegut will never again write another story, but his work will always be here to remember him. And based on Pity the Reader, I am not the only one that came to admire his genius deeply. While most people would turn on the sarcasm about me reading Vonnegut for fun, I have also met people who like me read all they can on Vonnegut’s works and about him. It makes me sad that we will never have more writing projects from Vonnegut himself, but we can always read his works.