Breakfast of Champions (1973) By Kurt Vonnegut

 

Once you have read a few of Kurt Vonnegut’s novels, you have learned to expect the bizarre.  Classify them as science fiction, or comedy, or biting social commentary, but expect dry humor, with no sacred cows. 

Expect too the reappearance of some familiar characters.  And in Breakfast of Champions, expect Vonnegut, as the book’s author (using the pseudonym Philboy Sludge) to have first person conversations with the characters he has created, including threatening to uncreate them.

Breakfast of Champions, published in 1973, and comically illustrated with juvenile line art, is a riot.

The lead character in the book is Dwayne Hoover, owner of the Pontiac dealership in Midland City, Ohio.  He is the town’s most prominent citizen.  As such he has been asked to spearhead the opening the new Arts Center.  In that role he will accept the recommendation of Eliot Rosewater of the Rosewater Foundation (and main character in Vonnegut’s God Bless You Mr. Rosewater) on who should be the honorary guest at the ceremony.  His recommendation is Kilgore Trout, Rosewater’s favorite author. Midland City is excited to have an oft published writer for its opening even though no one in town knows anything about him.

Trout, who appears in several Vonnegut novels, writes science fiction articles.  While they are widely published, they are almost never read. Trout sells his articles to porn magazines. His stories are used as filler between photo spreads. And we aren’t talking Playboy Magazine, the magazines that buy Trout’s stories are more along the lines of Hustler, hardcore pornography lawsuits waiting to happen.  Rosewater reads them “for the articles.” 

Trout will hitchhike from New York City to Midland City to accept the honor.  His travel escapades along the way are … well, memorable.

Once in Midland, Sludge (Vonnegut) will stop by the bar at the hotel where guests are staying.  There he will observe them, and then have a conversation with his characters, wrapping the story up.

There is an additional character in the book named Wayne Hoobler.  He is a Black man who has recently been released from a correctional facility.  He idolizes and works for Dwayne Hoover.  With intentionally similar names, Wayne is economically and socially the polar opposite of Dwayne.  This works perfectly as a social commentary, though distracting from its message is Vonnegut’s frequent use of the “N” work to reflect the "reality" of the times.

Recommendation:  Not for everyone, but if you like Vonnegut’s other works, you’ll love this.