Spring Break has officially started, and I've finished my first book of pleasure reading since Christmas Break! Kurt Vonnegut's Look at the Birdie is an amazing collection of short fiction from a cache of this great American writer's unpublished pieces. Sadly, I've not had much experience with Vonnegut as a whole, never having read his more famous works, like Slaughterhouse Five or Cat's Cradle. In fact, previously, the only one of his works that I had read was the short story "Harrison Bergeron", which has now become one of my favorite short stories ever. So, when I recognized Vonnegut's name on a collection of more short fiction, I just had to check it out.
Look at the Birdie has a little bit of everything. A family learns the dangers of bringing their deepest, darkest secrets to life; a hypnotist is questioned by the police about the disappearance of several women last seen in his shop; two myrmecologists discover a shocking truth about the history and evolution of ants; and a genius, his teacher, and his slow-witted classmate learn a very valuable lesson from a female classmate.
This was a book that I could literally not put down! I was drawn right into the world of Vonnegut's imaginings, in a manner that rivaled Neil Gaiman; one of my favorite short story writers. I would highly recommend this collection to anyone who has an interest in short fiction or Kurt Vonnegut; or someone who is just looking for a good read. You will not be disappointed!
