Bluebeard: The Autobiography of Rabo Karabekian (1916-1988)

Kurt Vonnegut

Rabo Karabekian! What a name! What a character! Only Kurt Vonnegut (who, in my opinion is head and shoulders above any other American 20th Century author) could choose a name like that for his protagonist and write one of the greatest novels I have ever read.

Bluebeard: The Autobiography of Rabo Karabekian (1916-1988) is right up there with Slaughterhouse Five, as the two best novels written by Vonnegut. I find Vonnegut’s novels to be immensely entertaining. That is very important, since I like to be entertained when I read.

Karabekian was a unique character; an artist and a collector, intimately tied to abstract impressionism (think Jackson Pollack). The book is about art, about war, about love, about society, and certainly about psychology and economics. What is so wonderful about this and other Vonnegut novels is that they are so much fun to read and yet so multi-leveled that it's like dining at an eight course feast. There is humor, joy, imagination, social commentary, satire and so much else that one runs out of words to describe the many flavors and nuances.

This is a spectacular novel, not to be missed by anyone! Vonnegut is inimitable, unique, and a true master of the “bon mot”. My only regret is that I will have to wait a few years to re-read this book and enjoy it again.

Review by Len Oppenheim