Vonnegut’s timelessness rests in his ability to express the humanity of the inhumane. War is ridiculous, and sending children to fight is a perpetual atrocity seen throughout history. Men and women not even grown went into scenarios that are as unfathomable as they are inappropriate. Ryan North masterfully translates Vonnegut’s approach to the banality of a ‘life well lived’ and his exploration of transience. I admired how the artistic choices were able to capture the atmosphere of the original novel. Poor Billy being thrown about like a bag in the wind amidst the unstoppable forces of global conflict as well as everyday accidents and tragedies.

Billy will always be alive but he has always been dead. So it goes. Poo-tee-weet.

Call me old fashioned but I would recommend this mostly to those that have experienced Vonnegut’s original work in order to appreciate this graphic novel adaptation at its fullest. But I have to say, it is highly capable of standing on its own. This graphic novel adaptation is a comfortable addition to the medium, without wordy, explanatory text or wasted pages of scenic views. The team for this book very obviously took their time to create an atmospheric experience of Vonnegut’s novel in an approachable and thoughtful way.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with an copy of this work in exchange for my honest opinion.

hank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
*3.5
First I want to say that I have never read the original so that might be why my rating house is this way. I did enjoy this book but I was confused most of the time. I didn’t really understand the timeline or some of the things going on. But it was a fun read and I enjoyed the illustrations. I love graphic novels so I’m happy I got to read this book!
This review is also posted on Goodreads!

This is a great reimagining of the classic book that makes this accessible to a whole new audience. The text and illustrations do a great job of really capturing the spirit of this iconic and sometimes confusing story. This will be great to pair with a reading of the original text, especially for students.

The original book by Kurt Vonnegut remains a classic. I don't think you should read this instead of the novel, but reading it as a gateway or a retelling is a great idea. Billy Pilgrim comes to life in a different way here. Kudos to Ryan North.

It's a comic book adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut' Slaughterhouse-5 and it is brilliant. It follows the life and experiences of Billy Pilgrim, from his early years to his time as an American soldier and chaplain's assistant during World War II, to the postwar years, with Billy occasionally traveling through time itself and other paranormal experiences. The graphic novel takes full advantage of its form and makes the confusing anti-war piece a bit more accessible. It seamlessly blends the different timeliness within a page, uses some style alterations to indicate subplots and most importantly, it manages to convey the same story and the same message using fewer words than the original.

Despite being 'just' a comic book, it still manages to discuss the topics of fate, free will and cruelty. It was difficult to read given the state of the world today — not only Vonnegut's native US, but other countries, too.

And so it goes.

What a page turner. Such a weird but interesting graphic novel. Think time travel plus aliens. It was a wild ride for sure. Had me captivated from beginning to end. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I read Slaughterhouse-Five in college and really struggled to follow the narrative structure. Some might say that this graphic novel presentation destroys the brilliance and integrity of the original text and perhaps they're right. For me, though, having a visual representation went a long way to help me understand what was happening and how assorted events connected to one another.

It was a bit of an experiment, me reading this book, seeing as I haven’t read the original as is. Looking back on it, I think it definitely would’ve been better reading it afterwards, partly because I do feel I was missing some context, and partly because I now can’t review this book as an adaptation. On the other hand, I can review it as a book on its own, and I think there’s value in that as well, seeing as I believe an graphic novel adaptation such as this one should be able to stand on its own.

While I just mentioned I did feel like I was missing some things throughout the book, I do think the adaptors and artists who worked on this did a good job of providing some extra context for the story. Again, I can’t say if and how this is done in the novel, but the intro, which takes a moment to situate the reader and give us a sense of the kind of story we’re going into, and the kinds of characters we’re going to meet, I think was really helpful.

The artwork and specifically the use of colour is really outstanding as well. I loved the stark contrasts between the war scenes and the time switches, or the time spent on the alien planet. Additionally I think that really helped to break up and clear up the story.

I’m actually quite excited to return to this after having read the novel, because I do believe that this book works better if you have read that and can pick up on the story and references more easily as you go through it.

I've only ever read snippets of the original, just enough to gather the basic plot and sense the revolutionary nature of the book. Thus, this graphic novel did a great job in letting me in and giving me a first hand perspective of Billy's life.

Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time

The story centers on Billy floating through different moments in his life - fighting during and surviving the WW2, becoming an optometrist, having children, becoming a successful man, dying. getting captured by Aliens who see and know and remain passive to everything in the universe (EXACTLY!) etc. He sees everything, yet can change nothing at the same time.

The graphic novel does a great job in following the non-linear structure through a introductory narrator, use of colour and clever transition. <b>SPOILER </b> Like how past and future at that moment in time collided for Edgar Derby - faithfully reading out the story book to Billy whilst the panel panned to being shot. Bloodied. The red brown juxtaposition encasing sorrow and the abruptness of war's anger. The children's crusade indeed. <b> END SPOILER </b>

I'm eager to read the original now just because of how thematic it is. Freewill and Billy's understandably apathetic nature towards life were embedded into the graphic novel's narration. Was it actual time-travelling, was he infact crazy? All the different perspectives colliding alongside the meta appearances of the actual author. Was it reality? Or devoid of reality- the pain and trauma to much to witness alone.

The were so much bleakness to highlight the futility of war and Dresden's horrific decimation during WW2. It's difficult to guess who lives and who dies. Good guys may die, bad may live - the lines aren't always clear cut. The only reality is the innocents who get caught in between the evilness. Some characters sought glory, others rest. Some wanted a bitter, bloody end, others dismissing the point of surviving. There are sudden moments when even though there is a paused relief, something springs up to remind you not so subtly how horrific war is. Particularly, how inhumanely evil WW2 was <b> SPOILER</b> In the quiet moments of the prisoners finally feasting, with warmth and company and space, we zoom into the candles. Candles we're told made of the "fat of rendered Jews and Romani and communists and queers". So it goes. <b> END SPOILER </b>

As a huge fan of Kurt Vonnegut, when I saw the adaptation of Slaughterhouse 5, the classic anti-war SF book, into a graphic novel, I was very excited. And this comic delivers, giving a vivid life to the rye cynical humour so typical of Vonnegut. He had this incredible talent to turn the most horrible things into laughing material... and make us think so hard and critically about accepted everyday events and their true meaning. In the current turmoil, dusting off this novel seems like a very good idea. In fact, it seems like the only sane answer to a world spiralling into a web of fear. This is a very political book meant to remind you to keep your eyes open and hopefully to think for yourself.
Slaughterhouse Five, the Children’s crusade, talks about Billy Pilgrim who has come unstuck in time and as a result lives his life in a none chronological way, often reliving his ordeal as a very rare survivor of the Dresden massacre.
I hadn’t re-read the novel since I was in my teens and I was shocked at how accurate some of its criticism is to today’s world: especially about the poor left to die without any help (today giving food to homeless people seems to be a crime in America), how no matter how senseless and destructive they are, wars still break out (why???), and overall the people without wealth are never given any agency over their lives. In any case, this adaptation seems topical and well done and gave a new life to the book.
The illustrations have a nice retro feel that carries the reader back to the 1940 all the way to the 1960s. I really liked the comics within a comic of Trout’s work, he is a recurring fictional SF writer in Vonnegut’s work, who has great ideas but bad execution and absolutely no readership except for his heroes. I also enjoyed the storyboard look of a movie the hero is looking at, it was an interesting visual presentation. The art really does add to the story, and I thought they pulled off the tralfamadorian alien abstract book very well. The pictures were surprisingly intriguing.
I highly recommend this adaptation. It is a classic for a reason and should be read by all adults. Maybe people would see the absurdity of violence. The book has a lot of humour, but you cannot come out uplifted from a Vonnegut book, because it always feels like we have a lot of work ahead of us if we want a better world.

This graphic novel is an adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's novel with the same title. I have read and loved the original work, so I can only comment on the reading experience with an already existing knowledge of the book. I think this adaptation works really well, the art style and the narration complements the story and gives back a very similar feeling that the book gave. I would recommend this graphic novel to anyone who enjoyed the original work.

What a unique experience this book was! I am in the rediscovery phase of my love for graphic novels as I haven't really read any for years but this year, I've been falling back in love with them. I especially have an interest in those that cover heavy topics because it's such a juxtaposition on the surface: lighthearted comics vs trauma, war, history, etc. And yet, strangely, it works wonderfully when done right.

I have to admit that I have no idea how this book fares as an adaptation, as I haven't read the original Slaughterhouse-Five - something I definitely plan on changing soon. However, I can safely say that this book has fallen into the "done right" category for me. The idea behind the story is just weird enough that it lends itself well to the format and the illustrations are fantastic. It kept me engaged throughout, even though world war topics are usually not my cup of tea.

Would highly recommend picking this up if you're into graphic novels/adaptations.

Wow. I'd never read the book before, so I figured this might be an easier way to consume a classic. It was...in a way. There's a reason I generally stay away from stories like this. They just don't appeal to my bubbly, shiny outlook. I get that they're important, though, for many reasons.

That said, I loved the artwork and it was laid out in a very easy-to-read way. I would recommend it to fans of the genre.

I was pleasantly surprised by Slaughterhouse-Five's graphic novel version. I'd always had a hard time reading this classic, and this format made it easier for me to get to reading it. The illustrations were amazing and really brought to life Billy PIlgrim's life post-WWII .

Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time. Meaning he no longer experiences his life in a linear fashion. Rather he spends it randomly hopping from one event to another, never mind that they're not in their chronological order. The events of his life include, among other things, his experience as a POW during the WWII firebombing of Dresden, the years he spends as an exhibit in an alien zoo, and his stint in a veterans hospital in 1948, convinced he's going crazy.
This graphic novel adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's brilliant novel hits the spot. It keeps the passages of text necessary to convey the originals unique style and humor and tells the rest of the story through wonderfully crafted panels. A perfect read for all long-term lovers of Vonnegut, as well as those who seek an introduction to his work and are yet to come into the delight of experiencing this brilliant storyteller for the first time!


This review comes to you courtesy of an ARC provided by BOOM! Studios via #NetGalley

It's been a while since I read 'Slaughterhouse-Five', and Ryan North's adaptation (with fitting art and colors from Albert Montyes) was just the thing to refresh my memory of it (albeit with some likely abridging because there's only so much that can be re-written and illustrated).

Slaughterhouse-Five in particular and Kurt Vonnegut in general are hard to adapt. Vonnegut’s storytelling devices are complex, hysterical, satirical and heartbreaking. It takes a team of artists with a lot of guts to take that on. Thankfully, Albert Monteys and Ryan North have guts. They decided to not pull any punches and attempt to make Vonnegut accessible.

While North makes a lot of the editorial decisions about what to cut or what to truncate, Monteys is the star of the show. Because Billy Pilgrim, our protagonist, is unstuck in time, he could be 22 in one panel and 50 in the next one. Monteys manages to capture a character who has only existed on a written page and brings him to life with such clarity, that I will always see Billy this way forever.

Additionally, as this is an anti-war book, Montoya makes sure that the war he shows is horrific. The fire bombing of Dresden is not shown on page, which is smart, but he shows the before and after images with such clarity that we can’t help but be moved. It is a master class is showing, not telling.

Slaughterhouse-Five is a perfect way into this classic novel for folks who struggled with the way Vonnegut writes and it is an excellent love letter for those of us who think Vonnegut is a genius. Some novels are unfilmable and while people have tried with this book, those attempts failed. The best thing about comics and graphic novels is that they can do thing cinematically with much, much lower budget and without worry of the special effects. North and Monteys have something special here and you should read it.

It has been years and years since I originally read the source novel and classic by Kurt Vonnegut, but I have to say that this graphic novel adaptation is a masterwork on its own. Billy Pilgrim is a man who is unstuck in time, and this comic book version catches all the absurdity, injustice, and unpredictability of the human existence. It's not a spoiler to say that Billy Pilgrim survives the firebombing of Dresden, because normal structures of plot are turned inside out when Billy bounces forward and backward throughout the timeline of his life. At various points of his life, usually poignant, painful, or overwhelming events, Billy is transported to other points in his life. Comics, with their power to juxtapose images and words, are perfectly suited to juxtapose diverse points in time for even greater effect. The heartbreaking horror of the destruction of a whole city is wonderfully captured in Albert Monteys' full-page spreads, as are the smaller heartbreaks of the life of a man who knows when his final day will find him. Monteys' expressive character sketches of Billy and the absurd cast of characters is equally wonderful, and at the opening of the book, we are given a dramatis personae for the rest of the book. The artwork skirts that fine line between sardonically funny and painfully mordant. Wonderful book.

Beautiful adaptation of the book I already love. I highly suggest this to both fans of Kurt but also people new to his writings. Great job Ryan North. I look forward to more of your work.

A very captivating adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. The art style is expressive and interesting and was able to convey the story well through the graphic medium. Fans of Vonnegut will enjoy having this in their collection and I believe this is a great option for libraries and schools that's accessible to people who have trouble with traditional books.