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    Man Without a Country
    Man Without a Country
    Man Without a Country
    Audiobook2 hours

    Man Without a Country

    Written by Kurt Vonnegut

    Narrated by Norman Dietz

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    One of the greatest minds in American writing, Kurt Vonnegut has left an indelible impression on literature with such inventive novels as Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse- Five and Breakfast of Champions. Now this iconic figure shares his often hilarious and always insightful reflections on America, art, politics and life in general. No matter the subject, Vonnegut will have you considering perspectives you may never have regarded. On the creative process: "If you want to really hurt your parents . the least you can do is go into the arts. I'm not kidding." On politics: "No, I am not going to run for President, although I do know that a sentence, if it is to be complete, must have both a subject and a verb." On nature: "Evolution is so creative. That's how we got giraffes." On modern cultural attitudes: "Do you think Arabs are dumb? They gave us our numbers. Try doing long division with Roman numerals." And on the fate of humankind: "The good Earth-we could have saved it, but we were too damn cheap and lazy." A Man without a Country showcases Vonnegut at his wittiest, most acerbic, and most concerned. Beyond the humor and biting satire is an appeal to all readers to give careful thought to the world around them and the people they share it with.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 7, 2008
    ISBN9781436101790
    Man Without a Country
    Author

    Kurt Vonnegut

    Kurt Vonnegut was a master of contemporary American Literature. His black humor, satiric voice, and incomparable imagination first captured America's attention in The Siren's of Titan in 1959 and established him as ""a true artist"" with Cat's Cradle in 1963. He was, as Graham Greene has declared, ""one of the best living American writers.""

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    Reviews for Man Without a Country

    4/5

    1,319 ratings40 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A look at the country (but not his) of 2005. A cynical, humorous, personal look at the hell that politics and our government were during the mid-2000s. KV would surely be bitter at what is going on now.
    • 5/5
      Loved it. I just can’t stop thinking what would he have said if he was alive at this time( Trump’s)
    • 5/5
      Funny, intelligent and full of wisdom that is relevant right now and no doubt in the future too.
    • 2/5
      Far better at fiction than social commentary or politics. ?
    • 5/5
      One of our best humans writes more about what that means.
    • 2/5
      This was the last book that Vonnegut published before his death, and he grumbles his way through it, sure that the world is dying along with him. While he certainly deserves to be able to write something as self-indulgent as this, I made the mistake of picking this up before having read any of his canonical stuff.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      I believe everyone should read Kurt Vonnegut. I also believe that if you read him at only one time in your life, it should be when you are young. Most of the Vonnegut I have read was before or well before I was 30. His various novels, especially my favorite SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE, detail the worst of what the world might offer but also the best of how we can handle it. However fantastic the goings on, the strength of our humanity will be what gets us through. This is largely why he was so popular among college kids in the sixties who were tossing off the time worn structures of religion and politics and embracing humanism. I took his books as a tuning fork setting the tone for how I perceived the world: hard but not without hope. What fascinated me about this collection of Vonnegut materials (mostly worth reading) is that it seemingly unconsciously reveals what happens to old humanists. When you consider humanity responsible for all that is wicked and wonderful in the world, you have no safety net other than your own contentment with what you have done. And part of getting older and older and old is evaluating the paths you have chosen that determine that contentment. This book indicates this isn't always a restful process. Vonnegut's humor and humanity still twinkle but also at times a gloom is cast that can be quite unsettling--as if hope had escaped Vonnegut. In my 50's now, I pride myself on still hearing that tone I picked up from Vonnegut years ago. Sometimes I have to strain to hear it or seek a quiet place from which to listen--but it is still there. That is not always evident for Vonnegut himself in this book. Maybe this explains the title better than anything else. In the end we are our own countries, our own world, our own responsibility. As we live, we learn but knowledge should not be the enemy of hope--but it certainly has a habit of wounding it.

      While pondering this review I kept thinking of the Coen Brothers and in particular their movie THE BIG LEBOWSKI. I would like to think that among the last thoughts of Kurt Vonnegut was something as reassuring as "The Dude Abides". If you don't know what that means watch the movie. If then you still don't know what it means, watch it again. So it goes.
    • 5/5
      A Man Without a Country, a collection of essays, was Vonnegut’s last book. In keeping with my practice of acquiring books chiefly from garage sales and used-book stores, I discovered it ten years after it had become a bestseller. As a longtime Vonnegut fan, I expected to love it, and I did, I do. I now realize how naive I have been in being disappointed how he conducted his marriages and how he left child-rearing to his wives. His insight into life and his way of expressing its joys and disappointments issue from the flawed man that he was, and my misguided judgments about his life issue from the flawed woman that I am. I take him as he is with gratitude at his ability to say things so simply and perfectly, to ask and answer all the questions human beings have. And in this collection, he even showed me that he had spent some time ruminating about his lost marriage and also about something that I’ve spent a lot of time considering: why inter-gender relationships are so damned challenging. A case in point:"Freud said he didn’t know what women wanted. I know what women want: a whole lot of people to talk to. What do they want to talk about? They want to talk about everything.What do men want? They want a lot of pals, and they wish people wouldn’t get so mad at them .Why are so many people getting divorced today? It’s because most of us don’t have extended families anymore. It used to be that when a man and a woman got married, the bride got a lot more people to talk to about everything. The groom got a lot more pals to tell dumb jokes to."He also talks about the admirable qualities of socialism and what it was like to be a prisoner of war in Dresden, as British incendiary bombs destroyed the city.And so it goes.
    • 3/5
      I like Vonnegut's books. I've read every one of them, and will probably reread some. I liked his cameo in Back to School.

      This one has gotten lots of 4-5 star reviews here on Goodreads. How many great reviews would it have gotten if it weren't written by Kurt Vonnegut? Probably none.

      It's a nice rambling book, with perhaps some pearls of wisdom, but right now I have too many other books that I want to read. Maybe another day.

      Sorry, Mr. V.
    • 5/5
      More relevant today than when it was first written. God Bless You, Kurt Vonnegut, the world needs you back!
    • 3/5
      A non-fiction book by Vonnegut. It was extremely well written like all his books. But Vonnegut is a pessimist who is very liberal and he talks about how people are ruining the earth and each other.
    • 3/5
      Overall, this was a pretty depressing read. Vonnegut brings up a lot of things wrong in the world today. It is very pessimistic and snarky. However, he also discusses humanism in a way I found very enlightening. There were some snippets of humor in here, but I wouldn't classify this a humor book.I like Vonnegut and typically agree with this ideas, but I just found this to be very heavy. I may revisit at some time in the future when I am in a different frame of mind. I would not recommend this as someone's introduction to Vonnegut.
    • 5/5
      I picked this up on a whim at the library and I couldn't have chosen a better read.

      Vonnegut was a man that not only wrote about the bombing of Dresden in Slaughterhouse Five, but actually lived through it himself. Using that experience as a lens, he expresses his views on our current conflicts in the middle east. As you can imagine, he takes a hard line stance against warmongering and the glorification of killing. It's not a new perspective, but one that carries some weight while being incredibly interesting to read.

      Along side said essays are his interesting musing on life and the human condition. I often find myself searching for meaning in life and welcome any new perspectives, regardless of how pessimistic they may be.

      A very enjoyable read that I will be recommending to those that haven't already read it.
    • 2/5
      The work of an author with more than 1 book under his belt. For Vonnegut aficionados.
    • 4/5
      I actually just rescued this off a weeding cart to read at lunch, but it reads almost like a cynic's version of "Oh the Places You'll Go!" Vonnegut talks a lot about life and politics and in fewer than 150 broad-margined pages manages to amuse and offend pretty much anyone reading the book. But in addition to the lighthearted jokes and the bombing of Dresden (and even a joke or two ABOUT the bombing of Dresden), there are a lot of beautiful things and good advice built into the pages.It's not necessary to have read any of Vonnegut's fiction to appreciate the book, but it does add a little more depth to the book, and it gives roots to some of his more esoteric ramblings.The book would make a good graduation gift for a high-school student or a cynic in training. But then again, pretty much anyone can appreciate the page that says "We are here on earth to fart around. Don't let anybody tell you any different."
    • 4/5
      The only criticism is that this work is much too short. Mark Twain lives
    • 5/5
      "A Man Without a Country" is not a novel, of course, but an update on Vonnegut thought, particularly about social issues and President G.W. Bush and others of his calling, like Jas. K. Polk and Abe Lincoln. Nor was it intended as a last will and testament; Kurt Vonnegut was only 82 with plenty of potential to finish "If God Were Alive Today" and anything else that came to this Nobel Laureate's agile and unique mind. He was ready for another Nobel. What? They don't award more than one to the same genius? Yet another first for this great, great man. If you've read "Mother Night," or "Cat's Cradle," or "Slaughterhouse Five," I know you'll agree that these tales make you laugh, weep, and even think. What more can you ask of Great Literature? OK, I was just kidding about his winning a Nobel Prize, as I'm sure the committee in Stockholm thought they were doing by holding it back for so long. "A Man Without a Country" reads like a series of Nobel acceptance speeches, and great ones at that. So I figured that with this book I was getting a preview of a major coming attraction. But the Swedes lost a chance to redeem themselves; they failed again to Ring the Nobel for Vonnegut in 2006. “A Man Without a Country” encapsulates his legacy: “Electronic communities build nothing. You wind up with nothing. We are dancing animals. How beautiful it is to get up and go do something. We are here on earth to fart around. Don’t let anybody tell you any different.”
    • 2/5
      Really dreadful...it's sad that someone like Vonnegut, who wrote some truly brilliant short fiction, could be such a terrible non-fiction essayist. His political views are so simple-minded that they hardly deserve serious discussion...suffice it to say, he thinks Jesus Christ was the greatest moral thinker who ever lived, and we should base our political system on the Sermon on the Mount. As if Aristotle had never lived, and the Renaissance and the Enlightenment had never taken place. Except he actually mentions Aristotle, to whom he refers as "a good guesser"---as against Hitler, who was "a bad guesser" (Vonnegut sees no difference between their epistemological methodologies, or why the "guesses" of Aristotle happened to be rather better than those of Hitler).Vonnegut says near the end that he might be getting too grumpy to be funny anymore, but this is just ironic false humility, as he clearly still thinks very much of himself indeed...but the real irony is that he was right, he really wasn't funny anymore. Part of the problem is that, like so many old people, he keeps repeating the same stale stories...but he compounds the sin by doing so in print. And, as alluded to above, his views are so poorly conceived and argued that they're not even funny (talk about guessers...projection, anyone?).
    • 2/5
      If he wasn't famous, this book would probably have no audience. Though perhaps my harshness is due to 1. listening to an over-emoted audio version dripping with a sardonic tone and/or 2. reading this too long after the world events he writes about. But really, meh.
    • 4/5
      This is a great book.
    • 3/5
      Basically classic Vonnegut. Definitely some gems in there, but a little more overtly preachy than the other stuff I've read as there is no fictitious narrative to enshroud it. Not his best, but probably worth a read if you really like Vonnegut.
    • 5/5
      This was the first book of Vonnegut's I read, (I've since read the majority of his work). It's also the very last book he published while alive. From the first pages of this book I was completely enamored with his candid style and black sense of humor. The book itself is a gem, but it's no better than his other collections of essays. I enjoy his fiction, but have found that his nonfiction, opinion-based ramblings are more my style. He had a way of weaving serious issues, like war, with threads of absurdity that's so unique. This book gives you a great taste of his work because it's a short collection that deals with current issues. His very distinct way of writing that often polarizes readers when it comes to his work. I'll be the first to admit that Vonnegut is not for everyone, but he is, for me, a joy to read.
    • 3/5
      Several of the blurbs for this book say it is as close as we will get to a memoir from Vonnegut. Honestly, if you have read Cat's Cradle, Slaughter-House Five, and his collections of lectures, speeches, etc. you have read everything in this book before. That doesn't mean it isn't worth reading. It is full of Vonnegut wit and misanthropy. It is fragmented, like his novels. It is funny, like his novels. The humor is to deal with the fear and hopelessness. He states that he has given up on mankind, and in particular, America. He strongly disliked the Bush administration, and he strongly believed that humans have destroyed the Earth. In typical Vonnegut fashion, he doesn't have any hope for us. To some degree it reads like a really depressed Al Gore- if Al Gore had a personality and was funny. I like Vonnegut's fiction. I liked it even more in my twenties when I was just as negative as he is, but I personally think you have to balance his cynicism with your own common sense and your own ability to think for yourself.
    • 5/5
      A quick read, but a treasure. Not a bad book for those who have never read anything by the author before. Very quickly, you get a sense of who Kurt is, what he believes in, and the humorous stance he has taken in order to get "through this thing, whatever it is."
    • 5/5
      I watched a PBS interview with Kurt Vonnegut and they were talking about this book. I found him to be a very interesting and satirical man. I had never heard of him before and was intrigued by watching him.There were many times throughout the book that I thought to myself "that is exactly what I was thinking." I liked that he was not afraid to say what he felt and I got the feeling that he didn't care who heard him.This book lead me into my quest for reading all Kurt Vonnegut I can get my hands on. I am looking forward to reading much more in the future.
    • 5/5
      My kind of humour. I read this book in three hours; the book is quite simple, really, but definitely a great read! Classic Vonnegut.
    • 4/5
      My rating might be a little high as I am a pretty big Vonnegut fan.
    • 2/5
      This is basically an amalgamation of brief rants by Mr. Vonnegut. It reads like the writings of a 16 year old socialist who denounces the world's evils with half-baked arguments. Not too funny and and rather witless, I'm disappointed, as I have enjoyed some of his novels.
    • 2/5
      An attempt to an autobiography. I think Vonnegut didn't have enough strength left in him to write a real story of his life. As it stands now the book is a collection of oneliners and sweeping statements. This makes sometimes shallow reading, although lots of his statements make you think. Many of them very dark: ''We have squandered our planet's resources, including air and water, as though there were no tomorrow, so there isn't going to be one.'' Sometimes a bit more optimistic: ''What you can become is the miracle you were born to be through the work that you do.'' If you haven't read anything from Vonnegut I would suggest you read some of his other books first (my personal recommendations: 'Slaughterhouse 5' and 'Galapagos'),before you turn to this book, which presupposes some familiarity with his novels.
    • 5/5
      Took less than a morning to read, and it's already one of my favorite books of the year! Full of opinion, rants, KV articulates my frustrations and passions of this era better than any other I've read recently.