Book Review: Welcome to the Monkey House is a startling mix, even more so than most short story collections. A writer's first book of short stories gives the reader a picture of the author's growth, history, mistakes and successes. This is particularly true of Kurt Vonnegut, with some stories having no endings, some seemingly little purpose, some being nothing like the Vonnegut he became, and others just unashamedly brilliant ("Harrison Bergeron"). But all the stories, no matter the quality or subject, have his great humanity, all are people-centered, all are about us. What's particularly striking is the variety of styles included in Welcome to the Monkey House. This is revealed by the magazines in which the stories were first printed. Does Cosmo, Ladies Home Journal, the Saturday Evening Post sound like Vonnegut? How about Atlantic, Esquire, The New York Times? Okay, maybe the NYT. There're also stories from Fantasy & Science Fiction and Galaxy. And some periodicals I'd never heard of. Some of these stories are just everyday slice of life, some are clever ideas taken to absurd levels, many are satirical commentary on our society that remain relevant, and there's even straight romance. Vonnegut was trying anything. With a generous 25 stories in Welcome to the Monkey House, there's bound to be ups and downs, but all the stories are enjoyable and provide an insight into how to write, how to live, and how to be human. [3½★]
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