> What gives? Why is Vonnegut considered so great? Anbody out there with a dissenting opinion? I'd love to hear from you. I want to know why Vonnegut is so beloved. Really.

Well, I'm not exactly (EXACTLY, mind you) a Vonnegut authority, but I'm guessing that it's his fairly frank attitude and straightforward manner that gets him the attention. Not so much in his novels as in his stories, though; I've never particularly cared for his books.
Vonnegut's stories, on the other hand, can be poignant *and* come to a point in just a few pages, and I like that in a story. If you need someone to point you in the right direction, I'd check out "Harrison Bergeron" for starters. And don't let the movie throw you off (if you've seen it); it's only *very* loosely based on the story. I mean, to make a movie ot of a story that short would take some effort. Also, "The Eupheo Effect" and "The Barnhouse Principle" (I'm fairly certain they're both by Vonnegut; it's been a while) follow the same pattern. The question asked by "The Eupheo Effect" is a particularly difficult one, at that...
Anyway, the moral of my jabber is that Vonnegut as an author should not be judged by his novels, but by his stories. They are what earned him his respect.