"Poverty is a relatively mild disease for even a very flimsy American soul, but uselessness will kill strong and weak souls alike, and kill every time."
Kurt Vonnegut
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
Vonnegut always hits home for me, and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, I think, is even more relevant today than it was when it was first published in 1965. This satire follows the adventures of the extremely wealthy Eliot Rosewater as he searches for meaning and order in America, examining the wage gap, the culture differences between the rich and the poor, and the randomness that occurs, some babies being born with nothing and others being born with everything.
Funny as always, Mr. Rosewater leads a comical existence while trying to eradicate suffering, which causes his sanity to come into question. For anyone who hasn't read it, this book is my favorite by Vonnegut, out of all of the books by him I have read (maybe another will replace it in the future). It delivers wisdom and insights from "the difference between pornography and art is bodily hair" to "honest, industrious, peaceful citizens were classed as bloodsuckers, if they asked to be paid a living wage."
Given the growing gap of wealth in America, there is still a sense of classicism, where the wealthy look down upon the poor working class. I see it in the small town in Colorado where I live. Given that most wealth is accumulated through inheritance, I find this sentiment extremely absurd, and this was reflected in the book.
Whether you're in it for the laughs or the political satire, I highly recommend God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.
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