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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
This book has some great nuggets of pure genius in it, though altogether it feels like an incomplete novel. The plot centers around Kilgore Trout, my personal favorite of Vonnegut's characters, who, along with everyone else, is waking up after ten years of deja vu. A timequake had hit and sent everyone back ten years to relive everything they had already done, totally unable to change any action or behavior they had done before. On top of this plot, Vonnegut is writing about many of his own personal experiences, so it makes it semi-autobiographical with additional musings of fiction. Some of the best parts are short stories that Trout has thrown in the garbage. Trout stories are simple ethical dilemmas put into a short plot outline that have no need to develop any characters.
Overall it is a great read, though not quite as complete as his other works. Love that Trout.
Overall it is a great read, though not quite as complete as his other works. Love that Trout.
Cranky and humorous, this has its moments. Part autobiographical and part fiction. It's 2001 and a space glitch has taken the world back 10 years, to 1991, forcing people to re-live the last 10 years. A satire of history repeating itself, time moving forward while humans stay in the same place. He uses this time glitch to reminisce about his wives, children, books, WWII experiences and other things. Probably not one of his best works.
"Listen: We are here on Earth to fart around. Don’t let anybody tell you any different!"
Craziness. This book is utter insanity. I loved every minute of it.
Craziness. This book is utter insanity. I loved every minute of it.
I like Vonnegut's jump-cuts from one scene to another, forward and backward in a story, but this story was too depressing to follow to the end. I hope I'm wrong and it's a work of heartbreaking genius because I really did want to like it. Funny thing is that I like to read depressing things when I'm depressed, and right now I'm just a happy girl.
My least favourite Vonnegut I've read by quite a margin. Some wonderful little bits of writing dotted through (I love the phrase "Clinically bughouse" ) but in general it became a real chore to read, especially when moving away from his own life.
I was pretty sure nothing would beat Breakfast of Champions, but I have never been more pleased to be wrong! At times I felt like highlighting not just sentences, but whole pages or even chapters, because I couldn't wrap my head around Timequake's brilliance!
Because of its countless references, a rather hectic writing, and somewhat crude honesty, it felt like reading Vonnegut's confession, a very intimate monologue addressed to nobody in particular (okay, I know I'm definitely wrong here, as K. himself said all his books are addressed to his sister Allie, but you get what I mean).
Please, please, if you haven't read Vonnegut's other work yet, DO NOT start with this one. Leave it until the end, to enjoy the full experience. It's definitely worth the wait.
Because of its countless references, a rather hectic writing, and somewhat crude honesty, it felt like reading Vonnegut's confession, a very intimate monologue addressed to nobody in particular (okay, I know I'm definitely wrong here, as K. himself said all his books are addressed to his sister Allie, but you get what I mean).
Please, please, if you haven't read Vonnegut's other work yet, DO NOT start with this one. Leave it until the end, to enjoy the full experience. It's definitely worth the wait.
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
I want to like this. I mean, it is Vonnegut after all. Everything of his I've read up to this point was engaging, thought-provoking, and interesting, but here I felt like Timequake was more so scattershot, unfocused, and only intermittently able to keep my attention.
There are, of course, some glorious Vonnegut literary nuggets here and there, but they can't save this from being one of his weakest efforts (if not the weakest). I feel like I'm betraying a great by not rating this higher, but I honestly feel it can be skipped, even by Vonnegut fans.
There are, of course, some glorious Vonnegut literary nuggets here and there, but they can't save this from being one of his weakest efforts (if not the weakest). I feel like I'm betraying a great by not rating this higher, but I honestly feel it can be skipped, even by Vonnegut fans.
This was fine. It has all the hallmarks of a Vonnegut book - time that jumps around, short sections, moralizing about war, violence, and the absurdity of sex - but was sort of missing a plot. A sort of interesting frame, to write a book about a book you wrote but didn't publish, but didn't hold my attention as well as his others.