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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Vonnegut speaks in the first person mixing in both fact and fiction, playing alongside Kilgore Trout. This is a "message" book more than a pure entertainment, with Vonnegut laying out his views on nuclear war (and war in general), his continued desire for extended families (karass), and references to earlier works. It is not hard to follow, but nor is it a book for the casual reader. Only those familiar with his past writings should take a look, as references to his life and earlier work are somewhat important to understanding the story.
I recommend this book to those who have read through Vonnegut's earlier work.
I recommend this book to those who have read through Vonnegut's earlier work.
I often find myself wondering WTF I'm reading whenever I read a Vonnegut book, and this one is no exception. I teetered between "is this real?" and "wow I can't believe this really happened" to the point where it was frustrating at times. And like other Vonnegut books, I didn't "get it" until the end. Timequake is a fascinating thought experiment on time (of course), the consequences of our decisions, and the roles various people in our lives play. The twists of the book between 1996, 2001, and everywhere else had me flipping, and on top of that, Kurt mingled fiction alongside of fact, creating a believable historical fiction that had me unclear on which was what.
Highly recommend reading this, and don't give up if you get halfway through it and don't get it. Be sure to read the epilogue too.
Highly recommend reading this, and don't give up if you get halfway through it and don't get it. Be sure to read the epilogue too.
Vonnegut's writing always appeals to me, it's quirky and has some real quotable gems that encapsulate life. This is a semi-autobiographical book, talking of his life and family and also the fictional Kilgore Trout. About the world having to re-live the past decade in a 'timequake'.
One of my favourite quotes has to be:
"'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone."
One of my favourite quotes has to be:
"'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone."
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A memoir of sorts, that blends Vonnegut's real life with stories by out-of-print science fiction writer Kilgore Trout; both are characters in this meta novel.
'Listen: We are here on Earth to fart around. Don't let anybody tell you different!'
'Listen: We are here on Earth to fart around. Don't let anybody tell you different!'
This is definitely Vonnegut at his most meta, I was reminded of the movie “Adaptation” (which I loved). A book about writing a book that he discarded but he’s telling you about while filling in the gaps with details from his own life, some real some not… It’s full of those great Kurtisms (“we’re put on earth to fart around”), but compared to the rest of his work it’s definitely a 3. I can’t possibly give less than a 4 compared to all the other great books in the world, though.
An amazing Vonnegut book, but suitable for Vonnegut fans only. There's a skeleton of a plot, on which he hangs philosophical musings. If you like his work, it's because you like how he thinks about things. And so you want to hear more about what he thinks about things. If this is your first or second Vonnegut novel, I hear it's pretty frustrating and annoying that he keeps interrupting his novel to speak tangentially of buying an envelope. Me? I think the chapter about buying an envelope is one of my favorite chapters I've ever read -- certainly one of the most memorable. And it's just about buying an envelope.
I really wasn't enjoying this until more than halfway through, when it started to get to me (in a good way). It's not really a story as such -- it's a series of reflections and comments by the author, some of which are really wise and thought-provoking and funny, and others just not. I didn't realize it was his last book.
Not really a novel, more a collection of thoughts and recollections. Still worthy of interest for any big fans of Vonnegut. Reading his writing is strangely comforting to me.
Late stage Vonnegut and Kilgore Trout is the main man. Weirdly intertwined stories of kilgore trout, upper manhattan, and Vonnegut's extended family. All the familiar tropes are here, and it brings a full circle to his writing as his final novel.