84-Yr-Old Kurt Vonnegut Dies

Best selling author Kurt Vonnegut died of brain injuries.

A self-described religious skeptic and freethinking humanist, Vonnegut used protagonists such as Billy Pilgrim and Eliot Rosewater as transparent vehicles for his points of view. He also filled his novels with satirical commentary and even drawings that were only loosely connected to the plot. In "Slaughterhouse-Five," he drew a headstone with the epitaph: "Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt."

Vonnegut authored 19+ novels, many of them best-sellers and was widely regarded for his satirical writing style. He died Wednesday at the age of 84 from brain injuries resulting from a fall. Most adults have read at least 1 of his novels or short stories. Personally, I've only read "Slaughterhouse-Five" and that was only last year. I remember thinking it was a really interesting book and that the theme of the story transcends the generational gap. It applies to any war.