Kurt Vonnegut passed away last night; the NY Times has a wonderful informative obituary to the writer who was probably my favorite of all. I came to Vonnegut rather late in life; that is if you compare it with that of high school students who get their first taste of Vonnegut in high school English classes.
I must have been almost 30 the first time I picked up one of his novels -- Slaughterhouse Five -- I believe. I was immediately drawn to his sense of humour -- edgy, but not too cynical -- and his style of prose. I can point to a number of my own blog writings which consciously -- or not -- sought to imitate his style.
My favorite novel is The Sirens of Titan; I love the way it builds up as well as the denouement. I have 7 or 8 of them on my bookshelf, which means another to go, leaving aside the compilations of short stories.
If there is silk lining in it all, it is that Vonnegut's main protagonist, a certain Kilgore Trout appears to be doing well. Though we have not heard from him in a number of years, we have no reason to believe he is the worse for wear.
So it goes.