▁serves ▁again ▁as ▁the ▁main ▁character , ▁who ▁the ▁author ▁decl ares ▁as ▁having ▁died ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁at ▁the ▁fict it ious ▁X an adu ▁retre at ▁in ▁Rh ode ▁Island . ▁V onn eg ut ▁explains ▁in ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁satisfied ▁with ▁the ▁original ▁version ▁of ▁Time qu ake ▁he ▁wrote ▁( or ▁Time qu ake ▁One ). ▁T aking ▁parts ▁of ▁Time qu ake ▁One ▁and ▁combining ▁it ▁with ▁personal ▁thoughts ▁and ▁an ec d otes ▁produced ▁the ▁finished ▁product , ▁so - called ▁Time qu ake ▁Two . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁an ec d otes ▁deal ▁with ▁V onn eg ut ' s ▁family , ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁loved ▁ones , ▁and ▁people ' s ▁last ▁words . ▁ ▁The ▁plot , ▁while ▁centered ▁on ▁Tr out , ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁sort ▁of ▁ram ble ▁in ▁which ▁V onn eg ut ▁rel ays ▁tang ents ▁to ▁the ▁plot ▁and ▁comes ▁back ▁do z ens ▁of ▁pages ▁later : ▁the ▁time qu ake ▁has ▁thrust ▁citizens ▁of ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁back ▁in ▁time ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁to ▁repeat ▁every ▁action ▁they ▁under to ok ▁during ▁that ▁time . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁small ▁stories ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁exp ound ▁on ▁the ▁de pression ▁and ▁sad ness ▁wr ought ▁by ▁watching ▁ones elf ▁make ▁bad ▁choices : ▁people ▁watch ▁their ▁parents ▁die ▁again , ▁drive ▁dr unk ▁or ▁cause ▁acc idents ▁that ▁sever ely