content: Is this book a classic? Undoubtedly. It shines, cuts and weaves its way through a wonderfully intriguing plot. Vonnegut's use of imagery is superb, his economical way with words unparelled; he richly deserved all his accolades.The only positive to come out of Kurt's passing is the renewed interest in his work. Hopefully this will inspire other authors to dare reach for the greatness that was Vonnegut.But is this Vonnegut's best work? No. If you're only checking out Vonnegut because he was recently in the news, because he died, I'd buy "Cat's Cradle" instead. That's Kurt's best work.Now I still feel Slaughterhouse Five was one of the 20 best books ever written. I'd rank it around number 18; Cat's Cradle would be in the top three.Cat's Cradle