There’s nothing quite like kicking back with a quality novel. Unfortunately, the demands of the college lifestyle typically leave little time for recreational literature. If you find yourself yearning for a quick book fix, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got this week’s installment of a quality novel brief enough to read in a weekend.
Title – Breakfast of Champions
Author – Kurt Vonnegut
For the cynical and literate, “Breakfast of Champions” represents the pinnacle of weekend reads. Vonnegut’s sardonic masterpiece gives a critical look at American society. Written on the occasion of Vonnegut’s 50th birthday, he said the goal of the book was to “clear his head of all the junk in there.”
As such, the book is a pleasantly bizarre blend of characters from past novels, reunited again in a chaotic yet enjoyable storyline. Vonnegut uses the story to make frequent critiques of negative elements of American culture, as well as the darker parts of American history such as racism, slavery and colonialism.
The book is as bizarre and entertaining as it is brief, condensing clever social commentary and a fast-paced storyline into a surprisingly small package. It shouldn’t take you more than eight hours to finish, making it an achievable weekend goal.
Breakfast of Champions is available through the UW Library systems as well as local retailers.
