I love Vonnegut's style in both the way he evokes huge images and events with sparse words and in his ideas, like this most banal and final of apocalypses with the world ending in ice-nine. The problem is that as we get further from the period it was written in, the assumptions it was written under, especially about the role of women and non-white (and non-American) people in the narrative and society, jar even more with the inventiveness going on around them.
I'm convinced that most of my earlier life, let's say 40 years and younger, I was lied to over and over again by "authorities" of various subjects, even by anti-authoritarian authorities that decried authority. They mostly did it for the money, or the power, or because they are narcissists. But, you know who never lied to me, except when they knew damn well they were lying and made damn sure I knew they were lying to me? Kurt Vonnegut Jr., that's who! In this age of reality rewrites we need more and more funny untruths to help us understand what is true. This book is full of it!
Scads have been written about this book, so I'll defer the analysis to the qualified. But, I will say this is the first book I read when I was pretty young that made me love unreliable narration. At the time I didn't …
I'm convinced that most of my earlier life, let's say 40 years and younger, I was lied to over and over again by "authorities" of various subjects, even by anti-authoritarian authorities that decried authority. They mostly did it for the money, or the power, or because they are narcissists. But, you know who never lied to me, except when they knew damn well they were lying and made damn sure I knew they were lying to me? Kurt Vonnegut Jr., that's who! In this age of reality rewrites we need more and more funny untruths to help us understand what is true. This book is full of it!
Scads have been written about this book, so I'll defer the analysis to the qualified. But, I will say this is the first book I read when I was pretty young that made me love unreliable narration. At the time I didn't even know it was rhetorical device.
And here's something of a non sequitur, Vonnegut is kind, and he wants you to be kind even if life is hard.
I fed the above words into ChatGPT after I told it: "I want you act as an executive editor at a top book publisher. I will provide you texts and I would like you to review them for any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Once you have finished reviewing the text, provide me with any necessary corrections or suggestions for improving the text."
Here's what the little shit had to say... and my god, it sounds like an American customer support "team member", always congratulatory and making sure you know you get a prize. It even has the audacity to say, "the reminder to be kind to one another is a powerful sentiment." No it's not you unthinking regurgitating monster -- Kindness is not a sentiment, it is action. Anyway, here's its response, which is really just me patting myself on the back by chatting with "AI" instead of making a real connection.
I appreciate your enthusiasm for Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and his writing. It sounds like his work has had a profound impact on your perspective and appreciation for the use of unreliable narration in storytelling. It's always fascinating to discover authors who resonate with us on a personal level.
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s emphasis on kindness, even in the face of life's challenges, is a valuable and uplifting message. In a world that can often feel uncertain and overwhelming, the reminder to be kind to one another is a powerful sentiment.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and personal connection to Vonnegut's work. It's clear that his writing has left a lasting impression on you.
There is no cat and there is no cradle, but as humanity, we need to pretend there is. Because otherwise we cannot understand ourselves.
I think I'm converting to Bokononism. Kurt Vonnegut's take on religion, technology, society and life in general is not only humorous and refreshing but also insightful. I found the ideas of ice-nine as the "end of the world" weapon, the role of government and religion in people's lives, and the place of lies as elements of hope and understanding in a hostile cruel world fascinating and compelling. It is a book that doesn't take itself or the world too seriously, and I really believe the world needs a bit more of that. So I will go and practice my Boko Maru with my karass.
“Tiger got to hunt, bird got to fly; Man got to sit and wonder 'why, why, …
See the cat? See the cradle?
There is no cat and there is no cradle, but as humanity, we need to pretend there is. Because otherwise we cannot understand ourselves.
I think I'm converting to Bokononism. Kurt Vonnegut's take on religion, technology, society and life in general is not only humorous and refreshing but also insightful. I found the ideas of ice-nine as the "end of the world" weapon, the role of government and religion in people's lives, and the place of lies as elements of hope and understanding in a hostile cruel world fascinating and compelling. It is a book that doesn't take itself or the world too seriously, and I really believe the world needs a bit more of that. So I will go and practice my Boko Maru with my karass.
“Tiger got to hunt, bird got to fly; Man got to sit and wonder 'why, why, why?' Tiger got to sleep, bird got to land; Man got to tell himself he understand.”
I actually finished this ages ago but only just got around to logging in to here.
It was my first Vonnegut and I really enjoyed it. The pacing was slightly odd at times and the depiction of Mona didn't really work for me but on the whole I thought it was really good.
Looking forward to reading my next Vonnegut which I think will be Slaughterhouse Five.
Once upon a time, to a different audience - one which hadn't read the many books no doubt inspired by it- this book probably packed more punch. Vonnegut's characterization is amazing, his writing brutal and effective, but the book didn't contain any surprises and just didn't spark for me.
1) ''The whore, who said her name was Sandra, offered me delights unobtainable outside Place Pigalle and Port Said. I said I wasn't interested, and she was bright enough to say she wasn't really interested either. As things turned out, we had both overestimated our apathies, but not by much.''
2) ''And I remembered The Fourteenth Book of Bokonon, which I had read in its entirety the night before. The Fourteenth Book is entitled, 'What Can a Thoughtful Man Hope for Mankind on Earth, Given the Experience of the Past Million Years?' It doesn't take long to read The Fourteenth Book. It consists of one word and a period. This is it: 'Nothing.'''
Really, this is a novel that grabbed and fascinated me, all the way. I also think it was clever to write it in such short chapters, to imitate the way the Bible is laid out.
This is one of my favorite books! A darkly misanthropic, but somehow simultaneously generous and kind, exploration of how close to the brink humanity is.
