Bluebeard

"We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is."

Dr. Mark Vonnegut, M.D.

"That was an ordinary way for a patriotic American to talk back then. It's hard to believe how sick of war we used to be. We used to boast of how small our Army and Navy were, and how little influence generals and admirals had in Washington. We used to call armaments manufacturers "Merchants of Death.

Can you imagine that?"

Kurt Vonnegut

Bluebeard

The more I read of Vonnegut, the more I see of him in his main characters, especially in his books that deal with war. Bluebeard follows the story of Rabo Karabekian, an Abstract Expressionist painter, who just wants to be left alone in his home on Long Island with all of his secrets locked away in a potato barn. One day a sexy, young widow appears and badgers him into writing his autobiography. Rabo writes of his life, how his parents came to America as refugees in the heart of the Great Depression, why he went to war and what he saw there, and what his life was after. 

Bluebeard was amazing. The way Vonnegut balances the creative act of art with the extremely destructive act of war to paint a picture of how we live with the things that we do, and how we live with the survivors guilt that accompanies truly dark events. I really liked this book. I really liked the commentary on war and art, living and dying. I liked how personal it felt, and how vivid the story was. I love his writing style, and I highly recommend

this book to anyone.