Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin, Friedrich Durrenmatt, Jorge Luis Borges, Somerset Maugham, Mario Puzo, Кurt Vonnegut…

Western titans of Humanism and Compassion

Кurt Vonnegut – the writer-humanist, the brightest representative of a constellation of creators, faced to the world a true Western Culture of the 20-th century. This Culture shined on the lifeless spaces of the materialism and presets the hope to millions lost souls. There are not enough like him, titans of the Idea of Compassion: Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin, Friedrich Durrenmatt, Jorge Luis Borges, Somerset Maugham, Mario Puzo, Кurt Vonnegut. Yes, there are little of them – stars in the universe, that made inhabited the icy cold night of the materialistic world. Gentle, steadfast, paying careful attention to the simple people, in inhuman conditions of a survival, a word of understanding and support, grief and humor, a prayer, Poetry and Romanticism – despite of everything else going on in the world. Кurt Vonnegut – the Storyteller and American Don Quixote, we Russians knew him since childhood... Thanks for YOUR WORLD and for YOUR HEART; you have taught us of Love and about God, and warned us. The informed are the rescued. Eternal Loving Memory, Dear Friend!

IN LOVING MEMORY OF FRIEND

By Chris Martin, VOA, 12. 04. 2007

At the age of 84, the classic in American-literature Kurt Vonnegut died. His popularity rose through his post-war products in which he used a mix of caustic social satire and science fiction. The writer died in a house in Manhattan, New York, from a head trauma.

Vonnegut was a proscenium of modern literature after the 60th anniversary of the publication of the story "Cat’s Cradle", which became a best seller, and the novel "Slaughterhouse-Five", which is considered one of the best American novels in the XX century. In it by means of elements of science fiction, absurdity and humor the writer put under doubt doctrines of religion, practice of war, technical progress and aspirations of a consumer society. Vonnegut’s themes were not unique. The popularity of his books, however, has provided uniqueness to author's style.

Kurt Vonnegut was born in 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Has acted in Cornell University, but didn’t finish due to being drafted into the army. During the Second World War, he served in Europe and got in German captivity. After the destruction of Dresden by an allied aircraft in 1945, he was sent to a captured refugee camp, where he resided in a slaughterhouse for cows.

Vonnegut thought of himself as pessimists and approved, that equality in the American society is not result of equal opportunities, and, on the contrary, fruits of reduction of these opportunities. This theme it has developed "the Breakfast of champions " where the hero, the seller of cars of average years, are convicted on their own experiences that assiduous work, honesty and mind do not guarantee success in quickly varying America in the story. People in the USA are not the owners of their destiny, and are only elements of the equation with many unknown persons, thus concludes Vonnegut.

The characters of his books are ordinary people, who get into surrealistic situations, which in fact, portray the American culture. The author himself was also a part of this culture.

GOOD BYE, MIRACLE!

LUCH 2007