Kurt Vonnegut was one of the “cutting edge” authors of my
teen years, and beyond. His novel Slaughterhouse-Five was
literally required reading. However, I was never that into his writings – my reading
interests back then were almost exclusively nonfiction. This year, I’ve been revisiting
some of his many other works: Galapagos during my winter vacation;
and now God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.
This novel is set largely in fictional Rosewater County
in Indiana – for the record, Vonnegut was raised in Indianapolis. Generations ago the Rosewater
family settled the county and built and grew their business, (a sawmill and other profitable
businesses) making them exceedingly rich, and easily the most prominent citizens in town. Their status in the Hoosier state was
not unlike the (real life) Ball family of Ball Industries (glass jars for food canning)
in Muncie where Ball State University is located, or even the fictional Magnificent Ambersons, portrayed in Booth Tarkington’s classic also set in
Indianapolis.
The plot details an attempt to wrestle control of the
Foundation away from Eliot by having him declared mentally incompetent. The novel is deeply and deliciously cynical, with
a just and quite funny ending.
Recommendation:
Yes, definitely a thought-provoking book, particularly for those of us
who spent our careers working in nonprofit organizations.
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