Again I mention that Vonnegut has been a favorite author of mine for quite some time. Naturally, when I saw this title in the book store, I grabbed it immediately.
Like Shaking Hands With God is a transcript of some discussions Vonnegut and Stringer had- one in a more public forum and one at a lunch together. It was interesting to see their views and their speaking patterns. I had never heard of Lee Stringer before this, and now I'd like to read one of his books. He apparently had been homeless before his first novel, which was about his experiences. Vonnegut said that Stringer is proof that writers are born, not made. He also felt like Stringer was a much better writer than himself. Still, that did not stop Vonnegut from interrupting Stringer constantly. It seemed a little overbearing and intimidating to me, but perhaps much is lost in the lack of intonation of written language.
Before I began reading, I expected something along the lines of A Man Without a Country by Vonnegut. I thought that the world's deepest darkest mysteries would be solved by these two men in their discussions. In all honestly, there didn't seem to be much. Both men sounded rather put on the spot, which I'm sure they were, but I personally found fewer gems than I had hoped.
It all goes to prove, I think, that these men are indeed human. 3 stars.
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