Book Review pt 4 - Repost from sometime in 2011

You know how this goes at this point, lets skip the chit chat and get to it:<br /><br />When you are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris<br /><br />Alright, so I finished this over a month ago, but I think I'll be good on this one anyway. This is a collection of short stories, all humorous, as the previous Sedaris books I have read have been. Half of this book were stories about him traveling. Which I found entertaining but not particularly as good as most of the rest of the book. But as he travels for a living it does make sense that he would write about it so much. I love Sedaris' style, I think the way he tells a story is fantastic and really has the ability to suck you into the moment. The ability to do so is a true talent that not many individuals have, so for that in and of itself, this is a book worth reading. But to be entirely honest if you have not read Sedaris before pick up something else to be truly entertained. This book was laugh out loud funny from time to time, and a very quick read as each story was fairly short and generally not particularly dense, which works well with his style. Rating: ****<br /><br />Hocus Pocus - Kurt Vonnegut<br /><br />This is an interesting story, and written in a very Vonegut style, which basically means not in any real order. It is constantly back and forth throughout time in the story of Eugene Debs Hartke, a college professor and Vietnam vet. The story told by Eugene follows him from high school, to West Point, to the Vietnam war, to becoming a College Professor at Tarkington College, a University for children from rich families who have learning disabilities. Like all of Vonegut's work, this novel is a reflection on societies issues and short comings. Most notably in this work is globalization and the growth and destructive powers of capitalism. But also touched upon are race and class relations, crime and violence, and war. The life story of Eugene continues through a prison break that ultimately lands him in prison. The story was interesting and of course supported my socialist ideals which always increases my chances of enjoying a piece of literature. Ultimately this was not my favorite Vonnegut novel by a long shot. That spot is still reserved for Cat's Cradle, which is fantastic, entertaining, and mood altering. This on the other hand was entertaining for the most part, even humorous from time to time, but was not particularly moving. If I had to guess why this was, I would have to say it was difficult to connect with Eugene as a story teller. He was bland enough that you could neither like and root for him, nor terrible enough that he deserved to be hated. He just was, which was probably the point of him being the narrator, but it just didn't work for me. Sorry Kurt, but this was just a bit disappointing for me. Rating: ***