Reviews

Summary: Malachi Constant is one of the richest and most morally corrupt men on Earth, and he has been invited to attend the materialization of Winston Niles Rumfoord, another fabulously wealthy man who, as the result of accidentally entering some kind of time warp on a trip to space, materializes on Earth at predictable intervals and is able to see across time. After Rumfoord tells Constant what his future holds, Constant tries desperately to avoid the fate that Rumfoord has declared will be his. The rest of the story unfolds in a way that challenges the concept of free will while taking the reader across the galaxy to meet a cast of characters that includes humans, extraterrestrials, and robots alike.

sadtourist's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Really interesting book... as in: strange, unusual, unique, and not what I was expecting.

Not a typical science fiction book by any means (meaning it's not realistic, the science isn't explained, etc), but rather a satirical story set against a backdrop of aliens and flying saucers.

I enjoyed a more lighthearted/absurd take on one of my favorite genres!

miketurner1012's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

ashleigh_see's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

erotic_gimli_fanfic's review against another edition

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4.0

This happened to be the first Vonnegut I ever read. Now, in the wake of my first rereading, I can’t help but feel it really is the perfect introduction to the world of KV. So many of the Vonnegutian characters and themes and idiosyncrasies are there on display. It is by no means his best novel, but it is perhaps (with the exception of Breakfast of Champions), the most concentrated, purely distilled Vonnegut experience.

czarnola's review against another edition

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4.5

It was so up my alley! There were so many elements that I love: imaginative worldbuilding, cynical narrator, pretentious writing style, original plot, tongue in cheek humour... It made me smile in disbelief at the absurdity of the situation many times and every time I thought the author wouldn't go that far into grotesque, he proved me wrong. I'm just full of admiration for how good a recommendation it was.

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