Highbrow Magazine - kurt vonnegut https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/kurt-vonnegut en New Graphic Novel Pays Homage to a Kurt Vonnegut Classic https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/19300-new-graphic-novel-pays-homage-kurt-vonnegut-classic <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/books-fiction" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Books &amp; Fiction</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 02/11/2022 - 11:16</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1vonnegutbook.jpg?itok=M3srELYY"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1vonnegutbook.jpg?itok=M3srELYY" width="341" height="480" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Sequels, re-imaginings, and remakes. Rarely do these works live up to their original counterparts. After all, it's hard to follow up any piece of media, let alone wildly successful ones that become cemented in pop culture and widely celebrated as classics. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Everyone has their own idea of what should happen next, what shouldn’t, whether anything should even happen at all. It’s even tricky to reiterate a classic work out of reverence to its creators. Damned be the bands that try to cover “Bohemian Rhapsody.” </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">However, with enough love and appreciation for the original work, anyone can find a few kids belting out Queen’s magnum opus a bit of fun even if their lead singer has nowhere near the technical proficiency of Freddie Mercury. This would be the best metaphor to describe Ryan North and Albert Monteys’ graphic novel adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s classic dark comedy <em>Slaughterhouse-Five</em>. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">While this graphic novel adaptation is unable to stand up to the original work, I think it would be foolish to expect as much. Nor does the adaptation convey that these were North and Monteys’ intentions. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2vonnegutbook.jpg" style="height:600px; width:432px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Slaughterhouse-Five-Ryan-North/dp/1684156254/ref=asc_df_1684156254/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=509217856928&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=2765953242994319193&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9003503&amp;hvtargid=pla-947861073524&amp;psc=1" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline"><em>Slaughterhouse-Five: The Graphic Novel</em></a> is a faithful retelling of the story of Billy Pilgrim and his journey through time. While it covers the entirety of the book verbatim, the authors still add their own twist to it, giving the adaptation a bit of original charm, and showing deference to Vonnegut and the original novel in its presentation.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">One of the biggest challenges in adapting a novel like this is that much of the content comes from Vonnegut’s comic descriptions. With graphic novels serving as a more visual medium, and the text that is presented often being reserved for dialogue, preserving the wit of the original work is a challenge the authors contend with well -- including a lot of the best and most important text in the panels. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The greatest achievement this adaptation brings is its inclusion of Vonnegut’s tendency to break into the story, to point things out as himself. For example, Vonnegut occasionally points out background characters as himself. This is executed nicely with little arrows pointing to characters with text attached saying, “This was Kurt.” </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">In fact the entire opening to the original novel is Vonnegut talking about his process of writing the book. He narrates his meeting with an old war buddy and the belabored process of trying to find the words to describe a tragedy such as the bombing of Dresden, the event on which this book is centered. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3vonnegut.jpg" style="height:424px; width:602px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The adaptation translates this perfectly, instead of treating us to panels showing the things Vonnegut describes, the authors instead do what Vonnegut did and tell us a bit about the creation of the original work. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Part of what makes the execution of this graphic novel so brilliant is that the authors do not pretend to write as Vonnegut, but narrate this portion as themselves, similarly to how Vonnegut narrates Billy Pilgrim’s story. This is a charming allusion to the original work that keeps the tone of the original intact.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The graphic novel also alters details slightly to add its own unique comic edge. For example, Kilgore Trout, an unsuccessful science-fiction writer in the fiction of the novel, is made to be a comic writer, with the authors making a self-deprecatory remark through a character who questions if Kilgore Trout could stoop any lower. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Kilgore Trout's novels are also adapted and shown to the reader as a classic comic book. Whereas in the original book, Vonnegut describes the plot of the book, the adaptation creates an actual comic out of what is described. The aesthetic of the graphic novel is completely shifted to that of a classic 1950s comic book -- with the pages holding the sepia tone and “Ben-Day” dots used in classic comics.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4vonnegutbook_r-flickr.jpg" style="height:450px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Overall, the art style has a cartoony feel reminiscent of older comic books. There aren’t the tough angular superheroes found in the pages of Marvel and DC comics. However, this is exactly as it should be. After all, Vonnegut writes himself as saying “there won't be a part for Frank Sinatra or John Wayne” in his novel.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">North and Monteys hit the mark precisely in adapting their own brilliant version of <em>Slaughterhouse-Five</em>. The graphic novel recreates the tone, theme, and bizarre nature of the original work and is ultimately a love letter to Vonnegut’s classic. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Why then does it not match up to the original? Simply because it would be impossible to do so. When a literary work is built on clever writing as <em>Slaughterhouse-Five</em> is, to take away any of it detracts from the experience. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">This is not to say this adaptation is bad. This is about as perfect of a recreation as I could imagine. It stays faithful to the original while adding its own notes of originality and charm. It is a fun read for those who love the novel and something a little different for fans of graphic novels, where superheroes and action adventure reign supreme.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Garrett Hartman is a contributing writer at </em>Highbrow Magazine<em>. He is a California State University, Chico, student double-majoring in media arts design technology and Journalism/PR. A lover of pop culture, Garret enjoys a wide array of film, television, video games, and literature. However, as a drummer in a rock band and an alt-rock enthusiast, music holds a special place in his heart.</em></strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Image Sources:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>R (</em><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/miserlou/3622704407" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline"><em>Flickr</em></a><em>, Creative Commons)</em></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>Archaia</em></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/slaughterhouse-five-graphic-novel" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">slaughterhouse five: the graphic novel</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/kurt-vonnegut" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">kurt vonnegut</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/billy-pilgrim" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">billy pilgrim</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/ryan-north" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">ryan north</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/albert-monteys" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">albert monteys</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/vonnegut-books" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">vonnegut books</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/fiction" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">fiction</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/american-literature" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">american literature</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Garrett Hartman</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 11 Feb 2022 16:16:05 +0000 tara 10921 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/19300-new-graphic-novel-pays-homage-kurt-vonnegut-classic#comments Remembering the Genius of Kurt Vonnegut and ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10028-remembering-genius-kurt-vonnegut-and-slaughterhouse-five <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/books-fiction" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Books &amp; Fiction</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Sun, 06/23/2019 - 16:48</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1kurtvonnegut.jpg?itok=LC9B3Pea"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1kurtvonnegut.jpg?itok=LC9B3Pea" width="324" height="480" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>As a young man, few books exerted anything like the formative power held by Kurt Vonnegut's <em>Slaughterhouse-Five</em>. Despite the grim acceptance of a world with conflict and war, Vonnegut still fell into writing an anti-war book, perhaps an anti-war book highly ranked among the best. This year marks the 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary of its publication, and, accordingly, Modern Library has released a new edition with a foreword by Kevin Powers. And, as the foreword shows in splendid detail, the lessons of <em>Slaughterhouse-Five</em> are just as relevant today as they were in 1969.</p> <p>           </p> <p>Early on, the reader is given a view of exactly what Vonnegut's targets might be. By picking the name “The Children's Crusade” as a subtitle, not only did Vonnegut draw a comparison between selling children off to slavery and sending them off to war (even one that was justified), he also took on a target more familiar to the world of 1969 than today: Dwight D. Eisenhower and his memoir, <em>Crusade in Europe.</em></p> <p> </p> <p> In the author's tale in which the tale of Billy Pilgrim is embedded, we see a clear indictment of the “war story” as it may have been developing by Mary O'Hare: “You'll pretend you were men instead of babies, and you'll be played in the movies by Frank Sinatra and John Wayne or some of those other glamorous, war-loving, dirty old men. And war will look just wonderful, so we'll have a lot more of them. And they'll be fought by babies like the babies upstairs.” It's about as motherly a sentiment as could be written.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2kurtvonnegut.jpg" style="height:523px; width:342px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Something of a sticking point to the reader acquainted with the valorization of past generations and the American fighting man in general is the characterization of the soldiers. The most poignant examples would be Roland Weary's fixation on violence and perverse pornographic picture, and Paul Lazarro taking pleasure in sadistically killing a dog. There is also an adverse selection mechanism at play: The two scouts, who are unquestionably good soldiers, are shot, as is Edgar Derby, a stand-in for civic virtue. One is at one point informed by a German that, “All the real soldiers are dead.” Even if it is 1944 and the conflict is nearing its end, especially for the Germans, the point is clear. Although one is forced to wonder about the biographical details of Vonnegut's life, or the authorial narrator trying to write a book between Vonnegut and Billy Pilgrim, if such things might be allowed to creep into a review, might provide supporting a diagnosis of survivor's guilt.</p> <p> </p> <p>Aside from Vonnegut's commentary on war and its effects on society, <em>Slaughterhouse-Five</em> paints an astounding picture of a the combined effects, in Billy, of post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury. He's “unstuck”: in time, flashing back and forward with no clear trigger effects and no obvious narrative logic. If it's confusing for the reader, it's worse for Billy. While one might think of Oliver Wendell Holmes rubbing his fingers over the holes in his old Civil War uniform as one possibility for the mental scarring of conflict, this is another more frightening possibility.</p> <p> </p> <p>And what of Tralfamador? Through providing the reader an alternative vision of seeing the world, with all of history at once, the extraterrestrials give the reader a perspective of what the tragic view of history might actually look like. Whether Billy is mad or not, there is something sane about the Tralfamadorians' perspective.</p> <p> </p> <p>This momentous occasion has been marked by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/books/kurt-vonnegut-dresden-anniversary.html"><em>The New York Times</em></a>, which deftly captured the frustration and anger which gave rise to Vonnegut's novel with an anecdote relayed by his daughter, Nanette. Vonnegut had become so irate at the Vietnam War's misrepresentation, often shouting “liars” at the television, that he took to writing to show people war as it really was (away from the cameras).</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3kurtvonnegut.jpg" style="height:476px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Despite the enmity with which the book was greeted during its publication, for the use of profane language that so often works as a sort of bolster for censorship, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2019/mar/05/reading-group-slaughterhouse-five-by-kurt-vonnegut-is-our-book-for-march"><em>The Guardian's </em>Sam Jordison</a>, it was also seen as a classic and critically well-received.</p> <p> </p> <p>While some might wonder what a book from the Vietnam era can teach us today, <em>Slaughterhouse-Five</em> has something even for the most vociferous skeptics. Even the most well-supported arguments of topicality can be met by the sheer persistence of conflict: Our much enlightened times are still rife with opportunities for the young to die on foreign shores.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>Adam Gravano is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/slaughterhouse-five" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">slaughterhouse five</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/kurt-vonnegut" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">kurt vonnegut</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/books" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">books</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/american-writers" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">american writers</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/literature" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">literature</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/vietnam-war" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Vietnam war</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/modern-library" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">modern library</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Adam Gravano</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Wikimedia.org; Greg Kolls (Flickr; Creative Commons)</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Sun, 23 Jun 2019 20:48:46 +0000 tara 8811 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10028-remembering-genius-kurt-vonnegut-and-slaughterhouse-five#comments A Toast to Cocktails in Literature https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1834-toast-cocktails-literature <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/books-fiction" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Books &amp; Fiction</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 12/06/2012 - 10:41</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumHemingwaydrinking%20%28Wikipedia%20Commons%20--%20JFK%20Library%29.jpg?itok=T8gLNabq"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumHemingwaydrinking%20%28Wikipedia%20Commons%20--%20JFK%20Library%29.jpg?itok=T8gLNabq" width="324" height="480" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> The cocktail, that delicate blend of liquors that has become such a fixture in contemporary culture, has long been the delight of writers and artists. While the first recorded use of the word “cock-tail” is dated back to 1798, it was not until the 19<sup>th</sup> century that the cocktail began to attain some cultural significance, with the first bartender’s guide appearing in print in 1862. By the early 20<sup>th</sup> century, the cocktail began to achieve a more celebrated role with cocktail parties becoming common fare in the years immediately following the First World War, and continuing discreetly throughout the 1920s, despite the Volstead Act, which established prohibition throughout the United States. In literature, while alcoholic beverages (particularly wine) have been referenced since early written history (both in the Eastern and Western tradition), it was not until relatively recently that the mixed drink was first mentioned in literature, and rarely with any memorable description.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Throughout the works of Russian writers, like Tolstoy and Chekhov, the characters drink vodka like there is no tomorrow, and also wine, as in Tolstoy’s <em>War and Peace</em>. Mead, the delicious honey wine first created by the ancients, played a significant role in <em>Beowulf</em>, with Beowulf, the hero, defending the king’s mead hall against the terrifying beast, Grendel. In works like Steinbeck’s classic moral tale, <em>The Pearl, </em>the featured drink of choice is pulque, a beverage made from the maguey plant’s fermented sap. In yet other works, the favored libation was whisky, beer, grappa, champagne or absinthe. Yet, the mixed drink was nowhere to be found.</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumabsinthe%20%28ArnaudH%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 450px;" /></p> <p> Some writers were known for their famous alcoholic addictions and their related downfalls. The French symbolists, for instance, – Rimbaud, Verlaine, Baudelaire – were often associate with absinthe, which Verlaine blamed for many of his personal demons, including his tumultuous love affair with Rimbaud. When we think of Fitzgerald, it is often difficult not to also think of gin, which he allegedly preferred because he believed it did not taint one’s breath as did other spirits. Faulkner, being the glorious Southerner that he was, is said to have been quite fond of his mint juleps. And Hemingway was such a renowned lush that he was associated with many a drink, including his said favorite, the mojito, and some that he allegedly invented, including the Papa Doble – a daiquiri made with rum, lime juice, grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur – and Death in the Afternoon – a fitting name for a blend of  champagne and absinthe.</p> <p>  </p> <p> While the biographies of many writers, and their personal correspondences, suggest that they were quite fond of the bottle, it is particularly interesting to see how cocktails have found their way into the works of modern literature – not just alcohol or spirits, but that sticky blend of two or more ingredients that achieved its prominence in the relatively recent past.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Perhaps the most memorable drink in literature is the martini. It appears in many works of fiction, notably the Vesper martini in Ian Fleming’s <em>Casino Royale </em>(1953)<em>, </em>the “very strong [. . .] and very well-made” drink that James Bond orders with precise instructions: “A dry martini [. . .] In a deep <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champagne_stemware" title="Champagne stemware">champagne goblet</a>. [. . .] Three measures of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon%27s_Gin" title="Gordon's Gin">Gordon's</a>, one of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodka" title="Vodka">vodka</a>, half a measure of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillet" title="Lillet">Kina Lillet</a>. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_peel" title="Lemon peel">lemon peel</a>.”</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediummintjulep%20%28GrizDave%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 400px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> In John Steinbeck’s <em>Sweet Thursday </em>(1954), the follow-up to <em>Cannery Row </em>(1945), the martini reappears with yet another twist from the classic version. While Doc and Suzy are waiting for their wine to cool, Doc orders two “Webster F. Street Lay-Away Plans” – “a martini made with chartreuse instead of vermouth.” It certainly sounds better than the beer milkshake that Doc abashedly orders in <em>Cannery Row. </em></p> <p>  </p> <p> In Hemingway’s <em>The Sun Also Rises </em>(1926), the characters are perpetually drunk, quaffing everything from the always memorable martini, wine, grappa, absinthe, beer and brandy to Anis del Mono and “a Basque liqueur called Izzarra,” not to mention the Jack Rose, – a combination of applejack, grenadine and lime juice – which Jake Barnes orders while awaiting the arrival of the “damned good-looking” Lady Brett Ashley.   </p> <p>  </p> <p> <em>Catcher in the Rye </em>(1951), the archetypal story of teenage angst, also pays homage to the martini, which Carl Luce – one of Holden Caulfield’s many “phony” acquaintances – orders “very dry” with “no olive” at the Wicker Bar in the “swanky” Seton Hotel. Meanwhile, Caulfield was already lit after drinking a couple of scotch and sodas, which he ordered standing up so that the “lous[y]” bartender wouldn’t think he was a “goddamn minor.”</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediummojito%20%28Culinary%20Geek%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="width: 399px; height: 600px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> Try to escape martinis though we may, they also appear in Truman Capote’s 1958 novella <em>Breakfast at Tiffany’s</em>, with Holly Golightly “tapp[ing] an empty martini glass. ‘Two more, my darling Mr. Bell.’” Many other libations also grace the pages of Capote’s comically tragic story about the charmingly naive Holly Golightly. Upon news of “Fred” the narrator’s upcoming publication, Holly and “Fred” enjoy “Manhattans at Joe Bell’s,” and when Joe hears of Fred’s good news, they get “champagne cocktails on the house.” But no drink gets quite so much attention from the author as the White Angel, a kicker of a martini that Capote describes approximately five pages into his novella as “Something new [. . .] one-half vodka, one-half gin, no vermouth.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Kurt Vonnegut’s wildly funny <em>Breakfast of Champions </em>(1973) also has no shortage of cocktails. While crazed Pontiac dealer and Burger Chef franchise owner Dwayne Hoover orders his “customary drink, which was a House of Lords martini with a twist of lemon peel,” parolee Wayne Hoobler overhears many of the other drinks ordered in the Holiday Inn cocktail lounge in Midland City, Ohio, including: “Gilbey’s and quinine with a twist,” a Manhattan, a Brandy Alexander, a Sloe Gin Fizz, a Johnny Walker Rob Roy, “Southern Comfort on the rocks, and a Bloody Mary with Wolfschmidt’s.” The author of the book, appearing as a character, orders a “Black and White and water.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Sticking with books that have no shortage of alcohol, one can almost get drunk or high by simply reading Hunter S. Thompson’s classic 1971 work <em>Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. </em>It’s almost impossible not to when Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo are making a road trip from Southern California to Las Vegas with “two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers . . . and also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls.” Throughout the book, the main characters drink everything from “two cuba libres with beer and mescal on the side” to Bloody Marys. At least they also brought along plenty of grapefruit to get their daily intake of Vitamin C: healthy choice.</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediummartini%20%28Chris%20Palmer%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="width: 450px; height: 600px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> Jack Kerouac, like many writers, was no stranger to the bottle. He drank more than enough wine to make Dionysius swell with pride, applying the Latin maxim <em>in vino veritas, </em>in <em>The Dharma Bums</em> (1958): “There’s wisdom in wine, goddam it!” But <em>The Dharma Bums </em>was more about transcendence and Zen Buddhism without the many drug and alcohol frills of his earlier classic, <em>On the Road </em>(1957). In that earlier work, when Sal and Dean aren’t getting high on tea or jazz they’re getting tight. At a bar in San Francisco, Dean and Sal hang out with “a colored guy called Walter who ordered drinks at the bar and had them lined up and said, ‘Wine-spodiodi!’ which was a shot of port wine, a shot of whisky, and a shot of port wine.” Though it does not seem from the description that it is served in true cocktail form, wine-spodiodi can be and often is mixed together and served up cocktail-style in all of its syrupy sweetness.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Finally, not without missing more than a few cocktail references along the way, no discussion of cocktails in literature would be complete without mention of Fitzgerald’s classic tale of Jazz Age decadence, <em>The Great Gatsby </em>(1925). At Gatsby’s fêtes, many unnamed cocktails often float along on trays, but in the drunken fun of the seventh chapter, we encounter two cocktails by name. The first is the gin rickey – actually four of them – a mix of gin (Fitzgerald’s liquor of choice), carbonated water and lime juice. The second is the mint julep, the suggestion of Daisy Buchanan, a combination of whisky, water, sugar and mint.</p> <p>  </p> <p> In good books we not only find interesting plots, wonderful prose, and character development, but we can often find some sort of wisdom or truth. This is true to some extent or another whether we are reading about Tolstoyan free will, Sal and Dean’s perpetual quest for “It,” Chekhovian philosophies on life, the moral lessons of Steinbeck or the rich allegories found in Melville’s prose.  In this sense, we can crudely turn Kerouac’s appropriation of the Latin maxim <em>in vino veritas </em>on its head and say that just as there is wisdom in wine, so too there is plenty of wine in wisdom, and a generous order of martinis, too. Next time we enjoy a libation, let’s raise our glasses and give a toast to cocktails in literature. In the celebratory cup-tapping words of Hemingway’s Lady Brett Ashley: “Bung-o!”</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Author Bio:</strong><br /> <em>Benjamin Wright is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <em><strong>Photos: Arnaud H, GrizDave, the Culinary Geek, Chris Palmer, CayUSA (Flickr, Creative Commons).</strong></em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/cockails" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">cockails</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/literature" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">literature</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/ernest-hemingway" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Ernest Hemingway</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/jack-kerouac" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">jack kerouac</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/f-scott-fitzgerald" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">F. Scott Fitzgerald</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/beowulf" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">beowulf</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/kurt-vonnegut" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">kurt vonnegut</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/truman-capote" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">truman capote</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/martinis" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">martinis</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sloe-gin-fizz" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">sloe gin fizz</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/gin" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">gin</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/mint-julep" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">mint julep</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/manhattan" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Manhattan</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/mojito" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">mojito</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/absinthe" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">absinthe</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/drinking" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">drinking</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Benjamin Wright </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Wikipedia Commons - JFK Library</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:41:28 +0000 tara 2004 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1834-toast-cocktails-literature#comments