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Breakfast of Champions | 
| Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
Category: Book
List Price: CDN$ 16.50
Buy New: CDN$ 7.57
You Save: CDN$ 8.93 (54%)
New (21) Used (3) Collectible (1) from CDN$ 7.57
Rating:  194 reviews
Sales Rank: 5369
Media: Paperback
Pages: 303
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.2 x 0.9
ISBN: 0385334206
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780385334204
ASIN: 0385334206
Publication Date: May 11, 1999
Availability: Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: From our American Warehouse - Delivery in 7-10 days.
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From Amazon.com
"We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane." So reads the tombstone of downtrodden writer Kilgore Trout, but we have no doubt who's really talking: his alter ego Kurt Vonnegut. Health versus sickness, humanity versus inhumanity--both sets of ideas bounce through this challenging and funny book. As with the rest of Vonnegut's pure fantasy, it lacks the shimmering, fact-fueled rage that illuminates iSlaughterhouse-Five/i. At the same time, that makes this book perhaps more enjoyable to read. p iBreakfast of Champions/i is a slippery, lucid, bleakly humorous jaunt through (sick? inhumane?) America circa 1973, with Vonnegut acting as our Virgil-like companion. The book follows its main character, auto-dealing solid-citizen Dwayne Hoover, down into madness, a condition brought on by the work of the aforementioned Kilgore Trout. As Dwayne cracks, then crumbles, iBreakfast of Champions/i coolly shows the effects his dementia has on the web of characters surrounding him. It's not much of a plot, but it's enough for Vonnegut to air unique opinions on America, sex, war, love, and all of his other pet topics--you know, the only ones that really count.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 189 more reviews...
 I WROTE MYSELF INTO MY REVIEW December 14, 2007
Benjamin Anderson (Fredericton, NB CAN)
Such a funny, clever book. When I start getting bored with reading, I always pick up a Vonnegut book. If it doesn't spark your interest, nothing will. His writing style is unmistakable. My favorite Vonnegut book.
amazing July 4, 2007
justine (canada)
this was my first vonnegut book, but it certainly won't be the last. this was a wonderful book on free will and how we choose to see the world and our ever eternal fight against cynisism. i think that an important point to keep in mind is that there is a reason and purpose behind every passage he has written, they all connect back to one of the larger points he makes. its cynical, but not a depressing cynical, a cynical that makes you take a closer look. i would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. its one of the great reads of our time. philosiphical, satirical, and wonderful. definitely check it out
Three greats September 18, 2006
Angela (Calgary)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
The last three books I read were spectacular: OF MICE AND MEN by the ever popular John Steinbeck, KATZENJAMMER by the hilarious and insightful J. McCrae, and finally, BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS by the master himself, Kurt Vonnegut. In a very cleverly written scene, Vonnegut has himself being scared and almost chased by a dog of his own creation, a very stark contrast from the normal idealistic person who would give him or herself perfection. The characters, Kilgore Trout and Dwayne Hoover, are both very complex and interesting. Kilgore writes countless novels that, because of unpopularity, are only published alongside smut pictures in pornographic novels. Dwayne is a very wealthy person whose primary business is owning a car dealership, where he frequently has sex with his secretary. The most interesting part of Kilgore Trout is that his stories are intriguing and insightful enough to make the reader want their hands on a copy. In his most well-known work (and the one that causes problems when these two main characters meet), there is simply one person on the world with free will, and all the rest are drones just made by 'the creator' to see how the free will person will interact. This parallel between himself and his characters is portrayed brilliantly throughout the book. Vonnegut also includes some drawings, which appear about every three pages, and though some are original and add to the story, many seem quite unnecessary. And the story could have benefited from the presence of 'the creator', or Vonnegut, from the beginning. Great book. Get it. br / br /
The most important meal of the day July 27, 2004
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
By far my favorite Vonnegut book, this is THE one you must read if you like this author's humor and wit. Vonnegut wrote this book as a gift to himself upon his 50th birthday, but it is better suited as a gift to the world, which could benefit by listening to the advice given by the author on humanity, the environment, and a host of other topics. Part novel, part sketch book, part essay- Breakfast of Champions is a sweet package of all things Vonnegut- and an absolute must-read. Also recommended: THE BARK OF THE DOGWOOD
Insanity! July 15, 2004
Keith Whitener (Handsome Ville, USA__Population: Me)
This book is crazy. The main character, Dwayne Hoover, is an auto-dealer that suffers a mental break down because of a short story he read that Kilgore Trout, Vonnegut's alter ego, wrote. Then, after losing his mind, Dwayne goes on a shooting rampage. The narrative jumps between different time periods, but the story of Dwayne is still told effectively. There are many funny things going on in this book, like the career of Kilgore Trout, whose work only appears in dirty magazines albeit being about science fiction and dealing only with strange topics.pVonnegut inserts himself into the book as God. He also describes the genitals of characters and gave himself the world's widest how do you do. Other types of insanity can be found in this book and it's worth reading just to encounter it. Vonnegut's style is simplistic and lucid, which means that this is a book that one can finish quickly. pThere's no need to buy it because it can be found at your library. The one I frequent, for example, has three copies of this book and two shelves dedicated entirely to Vonnegut.
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