And so it goes…

One hundred sixty times. That’s how many times that phrase appears in Kurt Vonnegut’s book Slaughterhouse 5.  It bugged the Hell out of me, not at first.  At first, I thought it was clever, but by the 2nd chapter, it was distracting.  Maybe it reminded me of my Grandmother’s catch phrases “they get you coming and going” and “can’t win for losing.”  Fingernails on chalkboard for me (ironically, fingernails on a chalkboard don’t bother me, but you get the reference).

I loved the intro and the first few chapters, but then it just really annoyed me for a chapter or two.

I am glad I soldiered on, no pun intended. I grew fond of the main character, Billy Pilgrim.  I found my compassion.  I got past the “and so it goes” and started to understand the character more, or should I say that I understood the message that Mr. Vonnegut was relaying through Billy.

When I finished the book, I was inspired to look up reviews.  I found a nice BBC recording of Mr. Vonnegut being interviewed in 2006, about a year before his death.  The obvious questions were asked.  Questions that he must have had to answer time and time again.  His Hoosier upbringing was apparent even though he had spent much of his post-wartime life on the East Coast.  He was polite and entertaining.  He answered the questions as though it was the first time he has ever been approached by that angle.  I liked him. I liked the book.  So it goes.