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sunn_bleach's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Another one of those revisits from the mid-2010s when I was getting deeper into adult reading. I felt middling upon first reading "Cat's Cradle" in around 2015 or 2016. Upon this read, I get it a lot more, albeit it's still not my favorite Vonnegut. The parallels to MAD and nuclear warfare are more obvious, though it's clearly meant to be so - the man is angry. Vonnegut writes imperfect and unlikeable characters yet usually separate that from the author's voice (masterful in "Breakfast of Champions"), but here it's hard to separate the pseudo-nameless narrator from Vonnegut's own voice in the native sexualization and overuse of "midget". One can always say he's aware of this - especially since Newt gets it more than anyone else - but it's still jarring. The banana republic satire is similarly confused, at once sardonic toward the USA's involvement in the rape and pillage of those countries while also kind of playing it straight with McCabe and Bokonon.
Yet, as with some other mixed opinion reads this year, I still liked it. The ultimate "fuck you" to God at the end and mordant tendency toward fatalism is incredible. I had a friend who in his early 20s called himself a "Bokononist", and I see why.
Yet, as with some other mixed opinion reads this year, I still liked it. The ultimate "fuck you" to God at the end and mordant tendency toward fatalism is incredible. I had a friend who in his early 20s called himself a "Bokononist", and I see why.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Death
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Bullying, and Animal death
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I have had this book on my TBR for years in part because it is a modern classic and in part because Ice Nine Kills is my favorite band.
"Cat's Cradle" is the story of "ice nine" and its deadly implications it could have on humankind. Dr. Felix Hoenikker, one of the founding fathers of the atomic bomb, created an elusive substance called ice nine that has eluded experts for years. Following his death, no one knows what happened to ice nine nor what it even was. The narrator of the book is determined to uncover the truth, and he enlists the help of Hoenikker's children.
This was such an interesting novel and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. The narrator ends up going on such a twisted adventure to uncover the truth about ice nine, and I never knew where he would end up next. I was also fascinated by the mystery around ice nine. What is it? How is it made? What would it mean to the world if it was unleashed? The human mind is capable of great things, and sometimes those things are better left in the human mind.
I will definitely be inclined to read from Kurt Vonnegut in the future.
"Cat's Cradle" is the story of "ice nine" and its deadly implications it could have on humankind. Dr. Felix Hoenikker, one of the founding fathers of the atomic bomb, created an elusive substance called ice nine that has eluded experts for years. Following his death, no one knows what happened to ice nine nor what it even was. The narrator of the book is determined to uncover the truth, and he enlists the help of Hoenikker's children.
This was such an interesting novel and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. The narrator ends up going on such a twisted adventure to uncover the truth about ice nine, and I never knew where he would end up next. I was also fascinated by the mystery around ice nine. What is it? How is it made? What would it mean to the world if it was unleashed? The human mind is capable of great things, and sometimes those things are better left in the human mind.
I will definitely be inclined to read from Kurt Vonnegut in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Violence
___'s review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Man, my first Vonnegut book and I'm pretty disappointed. Quite boring. I didn't care for any of the characters. I didn't even realize what I thought was a minor subplot was actually the main plot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Racial slurs
technicolorxsn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book is the lightest of Vonnegut's novels that I've read so far honestly. I found it's engagement with faith very fascinating and somewhat adjacent to my own spirituality. I thought the concept of ice-nine was really cool and the exploration of its mechanics fascinating, even if it wasn't the core of the story.
(it's been a while since I've read it)
(it's been a while since I've read it)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Ableism
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Sexual content
abmochapman's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
this was mid, nihilism is overrated, and i think i do deadpan comedy better than vonnegut.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Suicide, Ableism, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
jordan_noel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Cat’s Cradle is a dive into the modern madness of humanity and its inability to remain in a peaceful state. There are contrasts between morals and science that prompt the question of why goodness is important when our nature leads us to destroy ourselves anyway. A demolished, war-driven world seems inevitable with these characters motivated almost solely by their individual interests. The main religion of a hopeless people is openly founded on lies, and yet it is the only religion that these people so devoutly serve. There are no comforts and there are no explanations. It is only chaos.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide
Minor: Colonisation, Alcohol, Grief, Gore, and Racism
katrinarose's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I feel cheated that I never read this in school. This book is so perfectly suited to an in depth analysis - dissecting of word choice, symbolism, metaphor, and a discussion of the themes surrounding science, religion, and humanity. I feel like I missed a lot of what Vonnegut was trying to convey just doing a quick independent read. I think if I read this in school with the opportunity for that kind of group analysis, this could’ve been 5 stars, but without that, just rating for my enjoyment I give it 3. The absurd and meandering plot left me feeling confused and detached but it was quick and funny read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Classism, Colonisation, and Death
Moderate: Pedophilia, Cancer, Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Violence
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Suicide, War, and Ableism
Moderate: Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Colonisation, Confinement, Medical content, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
Minor: Fatphobia, Animal cruelty, Grief, Excrement, Genocide, and Slavery
Also includes technically legal but nonetheless predatory age gaps.senpai_no_lie's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Some of the language and humor has not aged well. Hints at themes of science, religion, and morality. About the end of the world in a way that's fairly light-hearted and strange. No one is a good person but they're not unlikable.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Animal death, and Ableism
Chapters are very short so it's a fast read.emoryscott's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I enjoyed this read. Several times, I found myself laughing aloud. I don’t think I fully understood the broader picture that Vonnegut was trying to paint with this story, but here and there I was able to notice the deeper meaning. Vonnegut is a tricky author to read, but he can be very reflective.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism, Death of parent, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Cancer, Confinement, Vomit, Death, and Racial slurs