Kurt Vonnegut is perhaps best known for his best-selling novel Slaughterhouse-Five, which was first published in 1969. Beyond that title, he had an extremely productive career, penning everything from plays to short stories to full-length nonfiction. Drawing on his experiences of war, life, and love, Vonnegut’s powerful messages were delivered so creatively—and often quite satirically—ensuring that they stood the test of time.
This assortment of Kurt Vonnegut quotes is just a glimpse of the gems found throughout the works of this great author.
Quotes About Life
Kurt Vonnegut was a master of creating outlandish plotlines for his novels and short stories. Often the protagonists find themselves in strange, unknown lands, and sometimes the characters aren’t even human. However, no matter how crazy the stories can be, they’re rich in metaphors for human life.
1. “Our awareness is all that is alive and maybe sacred in any of us. Everything else about us is dead machinery.” – Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions
2. “Nobody's so damn well educated that you can't learn ninety percent of what he knows in six weeks. The other ten percent is decoration.” – Kurt Vonnegut, Player Piano
