Vonnegut’s Ghost

Who would you like to talk to soon?

When pondering the question of who I would most like to converse with soon, my mind doesn’t drift to a living person or even a legendary figure from history. No, my choice is far more eccentric and literary. I would absolutely love to talk to the ghost in Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Galápagos.

Yes, you read that correctly. I want to have a chat with the disembodied spirit of Leon Trout, the narrator of Vonnegut’s brilliantly bizarre tale. Why? Well, let me paint you a picture.

Firstly, Leon Trout has been dead for a million years. Can you imagine the stories he has stored up? Forget about your grandma’s tales of the Great Depression—Leon has the scoop on human evolution, the slow but sure regression of our species to simpler beings, and what it’s like to hang out in the ethereal plane for millennia.

“Leon,” I would say, “tell me, what exactly do you do to pass the time? Solitaire gets old after a few hours; I can’t fathom a million years.”

Moreover, Leon is the son of the infamous Kilgore Trout, Vonnegut’s recurring, ever-struggling science fiction writer. Chatting with Leon might provide a backdoor into some wild Kilgore anecdotes. Did Kilgore really think the world was going to end via a rogue iceberg? Or was that just a metaphor for his writer’s block?

But it’s not just the existential musings and cosmic gossip that intrigue me. Leon’s got a knack for wit and sarcasm that I find irresistible. If Vonnegut’s writing is anything to go by, Leon would be the ideal conversationalist: sharp, darkly humorous, and brutally honest. Just imagine the zingers!

“Leon, what’s your take on modern technology?” I’d ask.

“Oh,” he’d reply, “watching your species stumble through the digital age is like watching a toddler with a chainsaw.”

In addition to his humor, Leon offers a unique perspective on humanity. As someone who has witnessed the decline and evolution of Homo sapiens, his insights would be invaluable. I can only imagine his commentary on today’s world events. Spoiler: I doubt it would be positive, but it would certainly be enlightening.

Lastly, there’s the ghost factor. Let’s be real, who wouldn’t want to chat with a ghost? Especially one who’s seen it all, from prehistoric fish to modern-day folly. The spooky element adds a dash of excitement and a pinch of the surreal—qualities that Vonnegut fans like myself can’t resist.

So, if I could talk to anyone soon, it wouldn’t be a celebrity or a politician. I’d prefer a spectral chat with Leon Trout, the sarcastic spirit from Galápagos. It would be the conversation of a lifetime—well, perhaps several lifetimes!

So, who would you like to talk to soon? Let me know in the comments below!