Book Ruminations: How Do You View The Author?

During my adolescent years, I regarded books as something that "got in the way of video games." As I matured, I realized my folly and began devouring as many books as I possibly could. This is not a review, but merely my thoughts and musings whilst reading books in general.

In case you skipped over, or just barely skimmed my blurb (it's not very long!), I haven't been an avid reader for very long. I'm discovering new authors all the time, and am very open to suggestions of any type of book you'd like to recommend I read.

But I do have one caveat: is the author alive or dead?

One of my favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, pictured above, is no longer amongst the living. But I didn't know that until I had read two of his books. So, what's the big deal, you're probably asking yourself.

For some reason, if I know an author has already passed, I view their work in a different way. When I began reading Vonnegut, which happens to be within the last couple of months, I wholeheartedly believed that he was alive and well, if a bit matured and elderly. Still, after reading the first book I ever read by him, Cat's Cradle (which I plan to discuss at length in a future post), I was enchanted with his writing style and brilliant, sarcastic voice.

And after reading a second book by him, TimeQuake, I felt like I'd grown to know him much better as a human being, and since I felt all chummy with my new author friend, sincerely wanted to drop him a line, asking him a few questions.

Imagine my surprise when a quick internet search turned up "Kurt Vonnegut passed away in April 2007." I was heartbroken. All of my questions, if he would've taken the time to answer them, mattered very little, if at all.

Then I began pondering his work in a different way. Now that I had the information that Vonnegut was no longer with us, I viewed certain parts of his book differently. Almost sadly.

Perhaps I should've realized that sooner, but again, it matters very little now. I guess all I'm saying is, if I know an author is dead, I read his work, thinking, Oh, this poor guy is dead.

I know, it's weird, but I can't help it.

In the famous words of Vonnegut: So it goes.