New Dictionary Summary

After clarifying that he, Vonnegut, does not use the dictionary for any purpose higher than to check spelling, he covers various aspects considered in the new version from Random House. He comments on its grandeur and its inclusion of an atlas and foreign language conversions.

Vonnegut compares Merriam Webster's terse explanations to Random House's judgmentalism. Vonnegut also mentions that biographies, places and works of art are now included in Random House's dictionary.

Throughout the review, Vonnegut states the beauty of the book, but then immediately undermines its importance.

New Dictionary Analysis

"New Dictionary" is an interesting addition to this collection. It has no plot, no real characters and very few literary elements. The dominant presence in the piece is the voice of the writer. The tone of the piece is classic Vonnegut: intelligent, ironic, sometimes sarcastic and sometimes hard to pin...