Mother Night - SFBA Book Club

English language

ISBN:: 978-0-385-33414-3

(1 review)

Mother Night is a novel by American author Kurt Vonnegut, first published in February 1962. The title of the book is taken from Goethe's Faust (and ultimately from the Egyptian Goddess Nuit, mother of Osiris, Horus, Isis, Set, and Nephthys, and her counterparts in European religions, such as Skaði). The novel takes the form of the fictional memoirs of Howard W. Campbell Jr., an American, who moved to Germany in 1923 at age 11, and later became a well-known playwright and Nazi propagandist. The story of the novel is narrated (through the use of metafiction) by Campbell himself, writing his memoirs while awaiting trial for war crimes in an Israeli prison. Howard W. Campbell also appears briefly in Vonnegut's later novel Slaughterhouse-Five.

5 editions

Jonathan Arnold reviewed Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut

Review of 'Mother Night' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This relatively straight forward and relatively serious novel tells the story of a Nazi propagandist awaiting trial in Israel for crimes against humanity. But he says he is an American spy, passing along coded messages in his virulent broadcasts. He tells his story with emotion and detachment even. He tries to figure out if he can separate out his words from his true feelings and did the hateful things he said, in the end, destroy his soul?

A very interesting book, more "normal" than other Vonnegut books I have read. Howard W Campbell Jr is a complex character, trying to come to grips with what he said and what he did. A fairly short book, despite its nearly 300 page official length, as there is plenty of white space and short chapters. But definitely a page turner, with some profound thoughts on love, estrangement and self delusion. I really enjoyed …

This relatively straight forward and relatively serious novel tells the story of a Nazi propagandist awaiting trial in Israel for crimes against humanity. But he says he is an American spy, passing along coded messages in his virulent broadcasts. He tells his story with emotion and detachment even. He tries to figure out if he can separate out his words from his true feelings and did the hateful things he said, in the end, destroy his soul?

A very interesting book, more "normal" than other Vonnegut books I have read. Howard W Campbell Jr is a complex character, trying to come to grips with what he said and what he did. A fairly short book, despite its nearly 300 page official length, as there is plenty of white space and short chapters. But definitely a page turner, with some profound thoughts on love, estrangement and self delusion. I really enjoyed it.