Armageddon in Retrospect

Kurt Vonnegut was a versatile author whose books addressed a wide range of subjects. Published posthumously, ARMAGEDDON IN RETROSPECT is an engaging compilation of 12 of the authors' most compelling writings, focused primarily on the topics of war and peace. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the essays is their variety, ranging from a letter Vonnegut wrote to his family when he was taken prisoner by the Germans during WWII to his final speech. Vonnegut does not mince words, and the material is thought-provoking, captivating, and humorous. Rip Torn is a somewhat unusual choice to narrate Vonnegut's essays. Torn's voice has a raspy twang that can be distracting, yet Vonnegut offers his opinions in such a compelling fashion that the listener can easily focus on the content rather than the delivery. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Starred review from February 25, 2008
When Kurt Vonnegut died in April 2007, the world lost a wry commentator on the human condition. Thanks to this collection of unpublished fiction and nonfiction, Vonnegut's voice returns full force. Introduced by his son, these writings dwell on war and peace, especially the firebombing of Dresden, Germany. The volume opens with a poignant 1945 letter from Pfc. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. to his father in Indianapolis, presenting a vivid portrait of his harrowing escape from that city. The fiction, full of his characteristic humor, includes stories about time travel and the impossibility of peace in the world (“Great Day”) and, in the title piece, a kind of mock Paradise Lost
, Dr. Lucifer Mephisto teaches his charges about the insidious nature of evil and the impossibility of good ever triumphing. In his final speech, Vonnegut lets go some of his zingers (jazz is “safe sex of the highest order”) and does what he always did best, tell the truth through jokes: “And how should we behave during the Apocalypse? We should be unusually kind to one another, certainly. But we should also stop being so serious. Jokes help a lot. And get a dog, if you don't already have one.” So it goes.