Quills

I love vonnegut, but I do think this was my least favorite of those I’ve read so far (cat’s cradle, sirens of titan, slaughterhouse-five, & god bless you, mr. rosewater). in bluebeard, our narrator rabo karabekian is writing his autobiography and commenting on current developments in his life; I enjoyed the structure of that and reflection on past events woven in. I’m glad there was a glimmer of joy by the end, although I was struck by the lack of joy and hope until that point. I also thought it was funny when marilee discussed the patriarchy while in Italy and the narrator commented those ideas hadn’t caught on in her home country yet, lol. Interesting dynamic to have an imposing character that gave people guidance and direction while also being annoying about it (circe; although I found the way rabo and circe came into one other’s presence by chance to be pretty convenient. Not a major plot point though). The ideas of soul in artwork and perceptions of different art movements were interesting. Likewise, commentaries on war and displacement of communities of people were thought-provoking and continually relevant.