Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Book club read!
I read a lot of Vonnegut in high school but this is the first book I’ve read of his in a while. I love his existential humour. Love how he plays with form and breaking the 4th wall. Honestly haven’t read stuff by him in a while but this makes me want to read more of his stuff. The language and humour can be a bit crude a la 1970s but the absurdism generally stands the test of time
I read a lot of Vonnegut in high school but this is the first book I’ve read of his in a while. I love his existential humour. Love how he plays with form and breaking the 4th wall. Honestly haven’t read stuff by him in a while but this makes me want to read more of his stuff. The language and humour can be a bit crude a la 1970s but the absurdism generally stands the test of time
“We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane.”
I know this is meant to be a sharp/smart/humorous/critical take on America and Americans etc. I do not know if I gleaned all of the ~important~ messages.
There’s ample (and quirky) underscores of social commentary on race, labor, class, and climate issues, yet the usage of racial slurs, no matter what the internet says, feels dated and unnecessary.
Overall: an absurd read!!!!
A fun extra quote:
“We had tortured circles until they coughed up this symbol of their secret lives: π ”
I know this is meant to be a sharp/smart/humorous/critical take on America and Americans etc. I do not know if I gleaned all of the ~important~ messages.
There’s ample (and quirky) underscores of social commentary on race, labor, class, and climate issues, yet the usage of racial slurs, no matter what the internet says, feels dated and unnecessary.
Overall: an absurd read!!!!
A fun extra quote:
“We had tortured circles until they coughed up this symbol of their secret lives: π ”
Qué alto empezó y que normalito ha acabado. Vonnegut sorprende al principio con una peculiar forma de narrar, que le sirve para ir repartiendo a diestro y siniestro. Pero una vez pasada la primera impresión no me ha dado la impresión de que hubiera mucho detrás. Mucho fuego artificial para una historia que se desinfla según pasas los capítulos.
"We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane." - Kilgore Trout
2018 Reread: Added the 5th star.
2018 Reread: Added the 5th star.
I simply am not a fan. I enjoyed John Malkovich's reading. He was great. There were bits and pieces that were brilliant like the segment with "crying machine, working machine, etc" when describing his parents. The expression yeast excrement for alcohol is hilarious.
But the book just do anything for me. I read it to finish it and see if I would like it more at some point. Didn't happen.
PS I know about the criticism, irony, and satire, but I felt uncomfortable about use of the n-word and the pattern of reporting the measurements of various characters. I am debating whether it's because I feel it was overdone. Not sure. I just know it was an irritation as it went on.
But the book just do anything for me. I read it to finish it and see if I would like it more at some point. Didn't happen.
PS I know about the criticism, irony, and satire, but I felt uncomfortable about use of the n-word and the pattern of reporting the measurements of various characters. I am debating whether it's because I feel it was overdone. Not sure. I just know it was an irritation as it went on.
That was...um...interesting. While I liked Slaughterhouse Five and loved Cat's Cradle, this one was just a little too out there for me.
This is one of those that people pretend to like, right? In reality we're all just looking at one another and asking why we need to know the penis size of every character.
I've read one other Vonnegut book that I liked. I knew the premise of this one was an author setting free its characters. So, I was expecting quirky. This book was just odd, though. And, I really don't know why we needed to know the length and girth of every male character's penis. And, after supposedly setting them free, he was in the bar 'telling them what to do.' How was that being free? Or, maybe he didn't actually set them free until he talked to Kilgore at the very end? Whatever. It was odd. I didn't like it all.