if i ain't dead already, girl

I'm finally reading my first bit of for-a-brief-time-Ithacan Kurt Vonnegut. Player Piano from 1952. It's not precisely what I was expecting, in that it's not screamingly hilarious so far (60 pages in), but it's a pretty good story and there's some interesting writing going on too.

For example. "As she handed Paul his cocktail, he felt somehow inadequate, bumbling, in the presence of her beautiful assurance. Only things that might please or interest her came to his mind - all else submerged. It wasn't a conscious act of his mind, but a reflex, a natural response to her presence. It annoyed him..."

And then this bit, which was pretty amusing.

"The Shah clapped his hands delightedly and continued to stare at Private First Class Hacketts, who was a huge, healthy man. 'Niki Takaru!' he cried, exhaling a strong effluvium of Sumklishi.

'No Takaru!' said Doctor Halyard. 'Sol-dee-yers.'

'What's he say?' said General of the Armies Bromley.

'Said they're a fine bunch of slaves,' said Halyard. He turned to the Shah again and waggled his finger at the small, dark man. 'No Takaru. No, no, no.'

Khashdrahr seemed baffled, too, and offered Halyard no help in clarifying the point.

'Sim koula Takaru, akka sahn salet?' said the Shah to Khashdrahr.

Khashdrahr shrugged and looked questioningly at Halyard. 'Shah says, if these not slaves, how you get them to do what they do?'

'Patriotism,' said General of the Armies Bromley sternly. 'Patriotism, damn it.'"