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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Maybe my favorite Vonnegut read. A bunch of short stories (some are VERY short). I liked the sci-fi ones the most. The range of ideas was fantastic. I'd like to see them all developed into a single episode show like a special Twilight Zone Vonnegut special.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hard to have a single opinion on this collection because the stories are all pretty different. If I have one overall critique, it's that the stories are too short to allow Vonnegut to adequately explore his concepts, sometimes just leaving you wanting more, and sometimes leaving you wishing he'd just thrown out the whole thing instead of serving it half baked. If this collection was maybe half as long as just included the best stories, it could be a 3, maybe even a 4 if I was feeling generous. None of the stories blew me away, but some are short and sweet and even thoughtful at times.
But unfortunately there's other stories. Content warning: rape. The biggest theme throughout this collection, and particularly in the worst of the stories, is misogyny. Mostly this takes the form of Vonnegut unnecessarily lingering on physical descriptions of women, whether to call them attractive, repulsive, or just vain. But in the the absolute worst story, which baffingly is also the titular story, things get much darker. Yes, the story "Welcome to the Monkey House" is, with no exaggeration, a story about how rape can be good. Vonnegut sets up a hypothetical "overpopulated" world (Vonnegut also has a bizarre obsession with overpopulation that permeates the stories) in which people are medically induced not to want sex except for one man who bravely goes around doing corrective rapes of women
But unfortunately there's other stories. Content warning: rape. The biggest theme throughout this collection, and particularly in the worst of the stories, is misogyny. Mostly this takes the form of Vonnegut unnecessarily lingering on physical descriptions of women, whether to call them attractive, repulsive, or just vain. But in the the absolute worst story, which baffingly is also the titular story, things get much darker. Yes, the story "Welcome to the Monkey House" is, with no exaggeration, a story about how rape can be good. Vonnegut sets up a hypothetical "overpopulated" world (Vonnegut also has a bizarre obsession with overpopulation that permeates the stories) in which people are medically induced not to want sex except for one man who bravely goes around doing corrective rapes of women
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Monkey House is the world of Kurt Vonnegut, meant to be the "fruits of Free Enterprise". It's addicting. My ranking of the stories throughout this book:
The Manned Missiles
Unready To Wear
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
Epicac
Deer In The Works
All The King's Horses
Report On The Barnhouse Effect
The Euphio Signal
The Kid Nobody Could Handle
New Dictionary
D.P.
More Stately Mansions
Adam
Who Am I This Time
Harrison Bergeron
The Hyannis Port Story
Tom Edison's Shaggy Dog
Welcome To The Monkey House
Long Walk To Forever
Next Door
Go Back To Your Precious Wife And Son
Miss Temptation
The Lie
The Foster Portfolio
Where I Live
The Manned Missiles
Unready To Wear
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
Epicac
Deer In The Works
All The King's Horses
Report On The Barnhouse Effect
The Euphio Signal
The Kid Nobody Could Handle
New Dictionary
D.P.
More Stately Mansions
Adam
Who Am I This Time
Harrison Bergeron
The Hyannis Port Story
Tom Edison's Shaggy Dog
Welcome To The Monkey House
Long Walk To Forever
Next Door
Go Back To Your Precious Wife And Son
Miss Temptation
The Lie
The Foster Portfolio
Where I Live
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some of these stories are a bit troubling and problematic, but still should be taken with a grain of salt. Most of these stories are poignant micro-doses of Vonnegut’s brilliant social satire. I especially love “All the King’s Horses”, “Report on the Barnhouse Effect”, “The Euphio Question”, “Unready to Wear”, and “The Manned Missiles”.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced