Quote
"The nicest veterans in Schenectady, I thought, the kindest and funniest ones, the ones who hated war the most, were the ones who’d really fought. (p. 11)"
Slaughterhouse-FiveBilly licked his lips, thought a while, inquired at last: "Why me?" — Slaughterhouse-Five
"Billy licked his lips, thought a while, inquired at last: "Why me?" "That is a very Earthling question to ask, Mr. Pilgrim. Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simply is. Have you ever seen bugs trapped in amber?" "Yes." Billy, in fact, had a paperweight in his office which was a blob of polished amber with three ladybugs embedded in it. "Well, here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why." (pp. 76-77)"
Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five
author39 quotes
Slaughterhouse-Five, or, The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death is a 1969 semi-autobiographic science fiction–infused anti-war novel by Kurt Vonnegut. It follows the life experiences of Billy Pilgrim, from his early years, to his time as an American soldier and chaplain's assistant during World War II, to the post-war years. Throughout the novel, Billy frequently travels back and forth th
More by Slaughterhouse-Five
View all →Slaughterhouse-FiveQuote
"I have told my sons that they are not under any circumstances to take part in massacres, and that the news of massacres of enemies is not to fill them with satisfaction or glee. I have also told them not to work for companies which make massacre machinery, and to express contempt for people who think we need machinery like that. (p. 19)"
Slaughterhouse-FiveQuote
"I asked myself about the present: how wide it was, how deep it was, how much was mine to keep. (p. 18)"
Slaughterhouse-FiveQuote
"This is a novel somewhat in the telegraphic schizophrenic manner of tales of the planet Tralfamadore, where the flying saucers come from. Peace."
Slaughterhouse-FiveQuote
"The smell of mustard gas and roses."
Slaughterhouse-FiveQuote
"You know — weve had to imagine the war here, and we have imagined that it was being fought by aging men like ourselves. We had forgotten that wars were fought by babies. When I saw those freshly shaved faces, it was a shock. "My God, my God — I said to myself, Its the Childrens Crusade." (p. 106)"
Slaughterhouse-Five