A Novel Look At... Breakfast Of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

When it comes to deciding what the Great American Novel is, it comes as no surprise that Kurt Vonnegut’s hilarious Breakfast of Champions is left off the list due to the lambasting of the USA’s overzealous patriotism and capitalist society. However, it’s not just the daring attack on American culture that makes this novel so entertaining; the well-written characters play their part in that.

            The story follows mad-as-a-hatter author, Kilgore Trout, on his way to Midland City to speak at the opening of an Arts Centre. We also tag along for the tale of Dwayne Hoover, a Pontiac car dealer who is border-lining on the fringe of insanity. Without giving away too much of the story, the lives of both men change drastically when they finally meet, all observed by the author himself who pops up just to see how everything plays out (isn’t that nice of him?).

            The novel is full of surprising writing techniques that differ greatly from the norm. To start, Vonnegut is a character in the story, offering all of his own opinions and making it clear to the reader that he is capable of manipulating the world which he has created.

            Secondly is Vonnegut’s use of drawings. I found it very refreshing to see illustrations in a book not intended for children. His doodles are funny, thought-provoking, and on occasion, seemingly unconnected to the story at all. They break up the text nicely without distracting from the plot. They are simply offer a view into the author’s mind (and a lovely view of his anus), adding to the overall theme of insanity.

            Breakfast of Champions is still well-received by post-modern readers decades after it was first published and it’s not hard to see why. Today, western society as a whole is obsessed more than ever with the idea of capitalism and consumerism and Vonnegut’s points are as valid now as they have ever been. His depiction of Dwayne Hoover’s descent into insanity mirrors the way it happens today; slowly, under the radar of others, building from the pressures of work and other life issues (Dwayne’s wife had committed suicide).

            This is a novel I would recommend to just about anyone; it’s funny, well written and isn’t afraid to jab at all aspects of American life. A word of warning before you start to read; make sure you don’t have an annoying laugh that will get on the nerves of others because Breakfast of Champions will have you in hysterics.