Super Short Summary

Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje is a fragmentary, jazz-inspired narrative about Charles “Buddy” Bolden, a historical cornet player and one of the founding fathers of jazz, depicting his life in Storyville, New Orleans. Bolden struggles with creativity, sanity, and self-destruction, leading to his eventual commitment to a mental institution. The novel explores themes of artistic genius and madness through multiple perspectives and a non-linear timeline. The novel includes descriptions of mental illness, self-destructive behavior, and violence.