A Collection of Previously Unpublished Writing - Sucker's Portfolio

The writing is classic Vonnegut - meandering yet with purpose. I thoroughly enjoyed each short story, as well as the essay. It's a shame that the last piece was never completed, since it definitely let me wanting more.

I enjoyed the book but it wasn't anything special. I have not read short stories in a while so that may be part of the problem. I am more used to fuller stories and so it may be more reader error than content in the book. I am glad I bought it.

The short stories are good - well written that make you think. The part of the book that is a letter is ok, it is some random thoughts by the author. The final story, which is incomplete, is also interesting. You won't be able to stop reading this book once you start.

Vonnegut is my favorite satirist. To be able to read unpublished works is great. The first couple of stories have a Hitchcockian ending. As always his stories are commenting on something like religion, relationships, politics, etc.. These are early stories but still great I hope they discover more unpublished stories and publish them. I have read all of his books multiple times.

David Papa Place

It's Kurt Vonnegut. What more needs to be said. Absolutely enjoyed it. I have read just about everything Mr. Vonnegut has written, and I won't stop. His prose is perfectly simplistic and so much is said with so few words.

For much of my life I have anticipated Kurt Vonnegut's next novel. I've missed that sense of anticipation for his wry wit & unique gift of story-telling. This collection of 'new' short stories to read was like a gift from beyond the grave.

Vonnegut's former brilliance. He has always had the ability to cover many different types of fiction with great aplomb. This is a far cry from his many stories, perhaps it is better that he expired at this time.

This small collection of previously unpublished stories (and one essay) by Vonnegut was an interesting read. Some of the stories were clearly from a time early in his writing life. The final story, an appendix, is incomplete, and actually leaves off mid-sentence, which is a shame because it is a great premise.

This is a worthwhile read for Vonnegut fans and a great illustration of his growing skills. Some of the stories were very entertaining in their own right, but they are all valuable for their historical significance to anyone with a sharp interest in Vonnegut's writing.

I do have to say that I am dismayed to see that the top-rated customer review on the store is under the impression that these are -all- incomplete stories. Nothing could be further from the truth. Only the final story, which is given as an appendix, is incomplete. This review, rated 'most helpful' of all the reviews, mistakes the literary ambiguity of the stories as 'stopping right in the middle,' and says we have no idea where the story is about to go. I submit that those mistaken thoughts are -not- helpful. The main stories in this book (all aside from the appendix) most certainly end right where their author intended them to end, and the stories are complete and well revised.

My favorite memory of Kurt Vonnegut is his cameo in the comedy with the late Rodney Dangerfield. I think it was called "Back to School" or some such. In the movie, Rodney is a wealthy self-made business man that decides to go to college in late middle age. In the scene he is trying to write a book report on one of Vonnegut's novels. Being rich, he hires Kurt Vonnegut himself to help him. You have to know who Kurt is to get the joke when he shows up at Rodney's dorm room. The add on joke is that Rodney is told by his prof that his report isn't very good, and that he missed Vonnegut's meaning entirely. To have been the proverbial fly on the wall when those two met or even rehearsed the scene would have been beyond special! If Mark Twain and Vonnegut had met, it would have been like the Olympics of sarcastic wit. Both Kurt and Rodney are greatly missed.

For me Vonnegut's longer works are more satisfying. The short, in some cases very short, stories contained in this collection are reminiscent of O. Henry's Gift of the Magi with elaborate setups followed by a leaden punchline. The last piece is a lengthy essay on the history of North America from 1492 on, marred by an over-reliance on once trendy academic views.

I think I'll go back and re-read Slaughterhouse 5.

Having read and admired most of Mr. Vonnegut's works, I was excited to find this collection available. I wasn't disappointed by anything about it save its brevity and its testimony to Vonnegut's mortality. Really, the one is just evidence of the other, but this work is poignant enough to move even the stoniest fans' hearts.
The stories are short and fit the style I associate with Vonnegut, and reading them is tonic to my fan's melancholy. It is the abrupt end, as when falling, that hurts most; but to forego the chance to read new, unfamiliar work by this prolific and commonly profound author would be to scourge oneself needlessly.
Read it and weep, Vonnegut admirers.

Despite these essays being underdeveloped or unfinished, I still enjoyed this. It was free to borrow (I think because I have Prime) and I like Vonnegut. Unfinished yes, but plenty of the incisive wisdom, criticism, and pathos that I turn to Vonnegut for.

Just the right length, each chapter and the collection as a whole. The closing chapter reminded me of C.S. Lewis' "A Grief Observed", flowing freely from one topic to another, I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys any of Vonnegut's other work.

Terribly boring. Plots were way too wordy and too thick. You dont have to be a precise writer and mention every teeny weeny little detail. It's just way too boring for me. The author may want to try his hand at another career.

Wow, suckers is right. If you've read Vonnegut's "Breakfast of Champions" then you already know that the star-like design on the cover of "Suckers Portfolio" is Kurt's own drawing of an @$$-hole. Pretty funny little inside joke by the publisher.