120,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Enjoy overnight delivery from our 100% NZ-owned independent bookstore 🚀

Mother Night

4.23 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 103,170 ratings, 5,443 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut is a thought-provoking novel centred on the story of Howard W. Campbell, an American playwright and Nazi propagandist. After World War II, he is living in obscurity until his past actions catch up with him. The book examines themes of identity, morality, and the blurred lines between good and evil.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2600
Backorder
STOCK ARRIVING MID OCTOBER Order now to secure your copy from our next shipment

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate dark humour and thought-provoking narratives that examine the complexities of identity and morality. It delves into the blurred lines between good and evil through the story of an American playwright caught in a web of espionage during World War II. Perfect for readers who enjoy Vonnegut's unique blend of satire and social commentary.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

‘Black satire of the highest polish’ Guardian

Whilst awaiting trial for war crimes in an Israeli prison, Howard W. Can a black or white verdict ever be reached in a world that’s a gazillion shades of grey?

‘After Vonnegut, everything else seems a bit tame’ Spectator

A diabolically funny and macabre novel by the brilliantly wacky Kurt Vonnegut - now rejacketed with brilliant, witty new look for the backlist

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A diabolically funny and macabre novel by the brilliantly wacky Kurt Vonnegut – now rejacketed with a brilliant, witty new look for the backlist.

Black satire of the highest polish - Guardian

Whilst awaiting trial for war crimes in an Israeli prison, Howard W. Campbell Jr sets down his memoirs on an old German typewriter. He has used such a typewriter before, when he worked as a Nazi propagandist under Goebbels. Though that was before he agreed to become a spy for the US military. Is Howard guilty? Can a black or white verdict ever be reached in a world that's a gazillion shades of grey?

After Vonnegut, everything else seems a bit tame - Spectator

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut is lauded as a chilling early masterpiece, praised for its brilliance and creative storytelling. Though not as widely renowned as some of his other works, it's considered one of his best. Vonnegut is admired for his unique style, blending humour and passion, and critics agree that his work deserves a wide readership.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099819301

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 21 May 1992

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 12.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 144g

Pages: 192

About the Author

Kurt Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis in 1922 and studied biochemistry at Cornell University. During the Second World War he served in Europe and, as a prisoner of war in Germany, witnessed the destruction of Dresden by Allied bombers, an experience which inspired his classic novel Slaughterhouse-Five. He is the author of thirteen other novels, three collections of stories and five non-fiction books. Kurt Vonnegut died in 2007.

Also by Kurt Vonnegut

View all
  • Slaughterhouse 5
    Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut is a masterpiece and one of the very best anti-war novels ever written. Known for being both beloved and banned, it has been rejacketed with a brilliant, witty new look for the Vonnegut backlist. Read Kurt Vonnegut's powerful masterpiece, which is as timely now as when it was first published. "An extraordinary success. A book...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2300
    Backorder
    Ships mid October
  • Cat's Cradle: Popular Penguins
    In Cat's Cradle: Popular Penguins by Kurt Vonnegut, the seemingly innocuous endeavours of Dr Felix Hoenikker have left a deadly legacy for humanity. As the ingenious inventor behind ice-nine, a chemical compound with the terrifying capability to freeze water instantly, Hoenikker's discovery holds the potential to annihilate all life on Earth. The novel unfolds through the eyes of writer Jonah,...
    Paperback
    $1599
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Cat's Cradle
    A brilliant science-fiction satire from one of the best writers of the twentieth century. Dr Felix Hoenikker—a father of the atomic bomb—has another creation. Far more dangerous than that which levelled Hiroshima is ice-nine, a chemical that could freeze the world's oceans solid. The search for Hoenikker leads first to his three children, each in possession of the chemical, and...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Backorder
    Ships mid October
  • Slaughterhouse 5
    VINTAGE QUARTERBOUND CLASSICS – Bound to be beautiful A beautiful hardback edition of one of the most funny, moving and brilliant novels of the twentieth century. 'A book to read and reread. He is a true artist' – New York Times Billy Pilgrim – hapless barber's assistant, successful optometrist, alien abductee, senile widower and soldier – has become unstuck in...
    Hardback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Breakfast of Champions
    Another iconic title from the brilliant space-wanderer Kurt Vonnegut - rejacketed in a new, witty series style. Discover Vonnegut's funny absurdist novel about the human condition. 'Outrageous, witty, thought-provoking, unputdownable, scintillating, invigorating, ennobling, enlightening and masterly' - Spectator In a frolic of cartoon and comic outbursts against rule and reason, a miraculous weaving of science fiction, memoir, parable, fairy tale...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Slaughterhouse 5
    This series of war novels from Vintage Classics presents eight powerful stories about the horror and waste of war—each a passionate plea to prevent its repetition. Read Kurt Vonnegut's powerful masterpiece, which is as timely now as when it was first published. Billy Pilgrim—hapless barber's assistant, successful optometrist, alien abductee, senile widower, and soldier—has become unstuck in time. Hiding in...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Cat's Cradle
    The irreverent and highly entertaining fantasy about the playful irresponsibility of nuclear scientists. All of the true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies. Dr Felix Hoenikker, one of the founding fathers of the atomic bomb, has left a deadly legacy to the world. For he is the inventor of Ice-nine, a lethal chemical capable of freezing...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Backorder
    Ships early October
  • On Sale
    19% off
    Player Piano
    Kurt Vonnegut's debut novel, Player Piano, marks the arrival of a literary genius whose work has left an indelible impression on American literature. With the re-release of this trailblazing book to celebrate Vonnegut's 100th birthday, readers are invited to revisit a story that remains strikingly relevant. Detailing a dystopian future where automation has rendered most of the American workforce obsolete,...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Usually:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Deadeye Dick
    Rudy Waltz hasn't had it easy. After accidentally committing manslaughter at the age of twelve, the traumas life continued to throw at him seemed almost inconsequential. Now fifty-four, an expat living in Haiti, he's reliving the harrowing moments of his life that have left him in his current disillusioned state. But perhaps his ancestors, among them a father who was...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Welcome to the Monkey House
    Welcome to the Monkey House is a masterful collection of twenty-five short stories from the inimitable Kurt Vonnegut, the author of Slaughterhouse 5. Vonnegut is George Orwell, Dr Caligari and Flash Gordon compounded into one writer...a zany but moral mad scientist. - Time A diabolical government asserts control by eliminating orgasms. A scientist discovers the secret to unlocking instant happiness,...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Palm Sunday
    An autobiographical collage of speeches, stories and essays from novelist Kurt Vonnegut. From the one-of-a-kind imagination that brought us Slaughterhouse 5 and Cat's Cradle. Kurt Vonnegut is either the funniest serious writer around or the most serious funny writer – Los Angeles Times Book Review In Palm Sunday, an autobiographical collage of speeches, stories and essays, Kurt Vonnegut writes beguilingly...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Bluebeard
    From the author of Slaughterhouse 5. In Rabo Karabekian’s fictional autobiography, Vonnegut creates an impeccably funny satirical piece through the reflections of a seventy-one-year-old man.
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from General Fiction

View all
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Yesteryear
    A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE — Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE — Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE — Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS — Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale — Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Theo of Golden
    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Dungeon Crawler Carl
    The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman-now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition! You know what's worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what's worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Fourth Wing
    THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NUMBER ONE GLOBAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON! DON'T MISS OUT ON THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'This book contains an addictive, drug-like essence that will make you relinquish all responsibility until the very last word. Do not say I didn't warn you' Glamour 'I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, and when I finished, I...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook
    Carl and Princess Donut have to team up with other contestants to not just survive, but to solve a deadly puzzle in this third, mind-twisting novel in the addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series -now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition! Carl and Donut have survived so far, but this fourth level is unlike anything they could imagine. The...
    Hardback
    $4700
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Taipei Story
    TAIPEI STORY is the electrifying new novel by bestselling literary phenomenon Rebecca F. Kuang, a profoundly moving coming-of-age story that explores first love, second language and final goodbyes – all set against the backdrop of one unforgettable summer in Taipei. Yale student Lily Chen arrives in Taipei hungry: for family, for culture, for connection. But her summer of discovery quickly...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Gate of the Feral Gods
    The fourth book in the explosive LitRPG Dungeon Crawler Carl series New Achievement! Total, Utter Failure.You failed a quest less than five minutes after you received it. Now that's talent. Surviving in a multilevel dungeon that also happens to be the set of the galaxy's most watched game show has taught Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess...
    Hardback
    $6000
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Iron Flame
    The instant number one Sunday Times bestseller and thrilling sequel to the global phenomenon, Fourth Wing! DON'T BE THE LAST TO DISCOVER THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'Yarros is the true inheritor of Harry Potter and inspires Hunger Games levels of devotion' Guardian 'Fear not, levels of fighting, rebelliousness and all-round sexiness are still sky-high' Daily Mail...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Haunting Adeline
    VIRAL BOOKTOK SENSATION AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR! The Manipulator I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me. I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh. But my words don't affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave. He's always there, watching and waiting. And I can never look away....
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Carl's Doomsday Scenario
    Join Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat Princess Donut as they fight fantastical creatures and deadly mobs in the second book in the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl series -now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition Now on the third floor, Carl and Donut have to fight harder than ever. They've already proven that a Coast Guard vet and once-and-forever...
    Hardback
    $4699
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses
    The first instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON and TikTok sensation, from multi-million selling and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan – Time Harry Potter magic, Taylor Swift sass, Fifty Shades-level athleticism – The Sunday Times With bits of Buffy, Game of Thrones and Outlander, this is a glorious series...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

General Fiction lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!