Charles J. Shields

An authorized portrait of the influential twentieth-century American writer draws on first-person accounts and Vonnegut's private letters while offering insight into his youth, the inspirations for his work, and his enduring literary impact.

Kurt Vonnegut: A Life

And So It Goes

Patrick Book

Despite the author being a Vonnegut devotee this is an honest rebelling of the life of a man who never really got his due. Shields lays bare the story of a man whose insecurities and fears always got the best of him.

Oh, but how much less rich would our literary world be without him?

Vonnegut describes himself as an asshole in his own writing. That's true, but he was so much more than that. This book is invaluable in providing a deeper understanding of his motivations, his true intent, and the sad circumstances of a life that kept him creatively fertile if not overly happy. 

The book ends with the moment of his passing, true to its subtitle. I'd like to know more of what followed, but I can't complain.

And So It Goes Kurt Vonnegut: A Life

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