Two by Vonnegut: The Big Trip Up Yonder and 2BR02B

By: Kurt Vonnegut

Narrated by: Kitty Hendrix

Length: 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (1922-2007) was a prolific and genre-bending American novelist known for works blending satire, black comedy, and science fiction, such as Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), Cat's Cradle (1963), and Breakfast of Champions (1973).

These two short works, "The Big Trip Up Yonder" and "2BR02B", are science fiction tales originally published in the magazines Galaxy Science Fiction and If: Worlds of Science Fiction in 1959 and 1962.

©2016 Kurt Vonnegut (P)2016 Kitty Hendrix

Short but sweet

I was given a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. That being said, It was short but sweet. I enjoy Vonnegut as much as the next person. The biggest downside was how short these seemed. As though they were full story ideas that never made it past the first few pages. Although, I guess that is the definition of short story, full ideas within a few pages. It just left me wanting more. All in all if you're a Vonnegut fan, this won't disappoint.

Thoroughly Enjoyable; I wanted more

Two tales of a distant future in which aging, and essentially death, have been all but eliminated. Two tales of thought-provoking possibilities.

What if aging were prevented and barely anyone died? How would parents deal with having 150+ year old children? How about great-grand children who are over 100 themselves? Our first short story takes a crack at exploring those questions in "The Big Trip Up Yonder", ending with an unexpected and amusing resolution.

Our second story deals more with humanity as a whole. How would our planet sustain an ever-growing population? How would society? "2BR02B" explores a world where birth control means that no one is born without someone dying. Great for the planet, but what about for society? This tale focuses more on the mental and emotional implications of such a reality.

Both stories have that classic Vonnegut aura. Simple, to the point and with a touch of reality that makes them both thought-provoking and terrifying.

The narrator did an outstanding job. She brought life to the story while also staying out of the way of the words leaving you to focus on them and not her.

I was provided this audiobook for free in exchange for my honest review, but would have happily paid for this short, but satisfying collection.

Interelated Theme Dystopian

What made the experience of listening to Two by Vonnegut: The Big Trip Up Yonder and 2BR02B the most enjoyable?

I'm familiar with both works. I dont feel either short story is in the "Best of Vonnegut" works. Futuristic, Satirical, anti government interference . The storytelling of Kitty Hendrix was very good. You can hear the underlying humor and sarcasm of Vonnegut in the telling. She made the stories more "listenable".

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The stories are interrelated. Overpopulation is the problem and both stories suggest how the problem may be dealt with.

Have you listened to any of Kitty Hendrix’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't. But she does a good job.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Tomorrow and tomorrow and ... the original title of The Big Trip Up Yonder...

Any additional comments?

Both stories are in Public Domain. I did enjoy the audio book format.

Well performed!

Thank you for the opportunity to review it!

This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost. I am happy to give my honest review of it.

I would be remiss if I fail to mention that I am reviewing it on a voluntary basis.

Vintage Sci-fi

Any additional comments?

There's nothing quite like some Kurt Vonnegut Jr. if you're in the mood for some sci-fi! These two vintage sci-fi tales deal in futuristic worlds where human living is dramatically different from what it is today. It's hard to say more without giving away spoilers! If you enjoy sci-fi, forward thinking, thought experiments, psychology or just short-form entertainment, then these two stories are for you! I would recommend this book to any science fiction lovers.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Great Short Stories

Vonnegut is a really great writer and I was glad to have the opportunity to review these short stories. They were quite enjoyable, very well narrated, and a good representation of Vonnegut's work.

These were two short stories with futuristic settings. Both deal with death and the possibility of avoiding it all together.

The narrator was very good and I hope to hear future narrations of other books.

All-in-all these were 5-star short stories. I would recommend them to anyone.

I requested and received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, publisher, or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review. I was NOT required to write a positive review and this reflects my honest opinion of the work.

I have always loved Vonnegut and this narrator is very good.

Vonnegut is an all time favorite of mine, and as of late I have been preferring to do my re-reads using audiobooks. This narrator is very good. She has a pleasant tone, is easy to understand, and there were no annoying speech sounds (such as lip smacks and audible breath intakes). I will be looking for other classics she has narrated for my future re-reads.

Quick, engaging & thought provoking vintage sc fi

These are two short sci fi stories that address aging in the future; or more accurately not aging. They reflect two different extremes which make them interesting as a pair.

The Big Trip Up Yonder tells of Gramps Ford, a 172-year-old, who is the head of his clan of children and grandchildren. They are all living together cramped into one three bedroom apartment where the head of the family gets the perk of the best bed in a private room. Gramps gets to dole out the use of the bedrooms as a reward to his favorite child, grandchild or great-grandchild of the moment, as well as changing his Will bequeathing his bed and couch anytime one heir falls out of favor. If Granps continues to take the special medicine that keeps him from aging and dying the family is stuck in this terrible routine. Everyone’s nerves are on edge and Gramps decides something has to be done. The solution is an ironic twist that I have seen so often in these vintage sci fi stories…and in the modern ones.

2BR02B is another satiric story that deals with death in a future world where government controls the population and a new child is only permitted if another person dies. I really liked the authors use of the wall mural to mirror the events that were happening.

I wouldn’t want a steady diet of these stories, but they are fun to read/listen to. I particularly like to compare the “vintage” tales of the future with the current day imaginings. Often the themes are similar and certainly the twists of irony are always present.

Audio Notes: Kitty Hendrix does an excellent job with the narration. This is not so much an issue of presenting character voices, although she does that well also. The plus is that the narration focuses on the story so the listener gets to think about the point that Vonnegut is making. I’m glad I received this audio for an honest review.

I received this audio title from the narrator in exchange for an unbiased review. My rating 4.0.

These two short stories left me scratching my head in thought

I liked the first story much better than I did the second one. The narration was excellent but I'm not sure I would be comfortable recommending a book simply based on narration. Unfortunately this is a book that I would not waste a credit on. I was voluntarily provided a review copy by the publisher author or narrator