Selected Product:
| Cat's Cradle (Essential Penguin)
Paperback
Edition: New edition
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: July 1999
ISBN-10: 0140285601
ISBN-13: 9780140285604
List Price: £8.99
Average Customer Rating:
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Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
Make sure you've read Slaughterhouse 5 first
| Customer Rating: | This is the second book of Vonnegut I've read, the first one being Vonnegut's best know novel, "Slaughterhouse 5". If it was not for "Slaughterhouse 5" I would take "A cat's cradle" as a very imaginative, weird and funny book, but probably not one that keeps me thinking for some time once finished. The tone is just too light and the story too improbable to be taken otherwise. But this is highly deceptive and once you realise that Vonnegut's war experience in Dresden has been central to his vision of life, this book appears not just as light entertainment but as a more profound reflection on the meaning of life (pretty meaningless in the author's view I gather) and, incidentally, on the role of religion and the power science gives to some very irresponsible and unbalanced people (this book was written during the cold war and the possibility of the world being completely wiped out by nuclear war was then seen as very real).
The message may be too pessimistic to make the novel completely enjoyable but it makes for an interesting and very funny read until someone presses the wrong the button.
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read it again
| Customer Rating: | | The first time I read this book I thought it was good, six years on I read it again and thought it was great, another six years and I've just finished it again and think it may be the greatest book I've ever read. |
'No damn cat, and no damn cradle.'
| Customer Rating: | | Lacks the inherant pathos and humour of Slaughterhouse-5 but, don't let that put you off! This is a superbly imaginitative story that incorporates a brilliantly biting, satirical sideswipe at the cynicism of religion, the dangerous nihilism of science and the abundant stupidity of both! The protaginist is a writer who, whilst investigating the life of Dr Felix Hoenikker (co-creator of the Atomic Bomb), becomes aware of the deadly Ice-09, a 'lethal chemical capable of freezing the entire planet'. I won't spoil the plot, suffice it to say that, the bulk of the story involves the writer's pursuit and eventual, catastrophic encounter with the deadly chemical. Vonnegut keeps the story moving along at a comfortable pace, in short chapters, whilst we are introduced to some of the most colourful characters in 20th Century fiction, from seemingly amoral 'mad' scientists to cynical pseudo-messiahs. I loved the witty dialogue of the Hoenikkers and, the cynical aphorisms of 'Bokonon'. I also liked the way that Vonnegut portrayed his message that, religion is based upon (supposedly harmless) untruths that allegedly, explain the issues that elude science (the unexplainable). Just buy it! |
Ideology through entertainment
| Customer Rating: | | "Cat's cradle" is a book that forces you to like it. It will eventually put a smile on your face through sheer persistence in its vision which is pervasive, cynical and at times very very humourous. The story, which follows directly from "Ice Nine", revolves around a man's hunt for the missing pieces of the substance, after he accidentally discovers that they exist and how to go about locating them. During his trip, he comes across an immense array of characters, all of which have something profound to reveal, whether they realise it or not. There is not a lot to say about the book's dogma, as it doesn't seem to have a central point. Rather, it is a collage of several ideas, expressed strongly, though often vaguely, by the assortment of memorable characters featured. The author displays a witty and sharp writing style with emphasis on dialogue and minimal waste of paper, although I found his prose somewhat lacking in terms of literature. All in all, "Cat's cradle" is an honest, straightforward book with more good moments than bad, aimed at leaving the reader entertained, satisfied and, possibly, this bit wiser. |
Ideology through entertainment
| Customer Rating: | | "Cat's cradle" is a book that forces you to like it. It will eventually put a smile on your face through sheer persistence in its vision which is pervasive, cynical and at times very very humourous. The story, which follows directly from "Ice Nine", revolves around a man's hunt for the missing pieces of the substance, after he accidentally discovers that they exist and how to go about locating them. During his trip, he comes across an immense array of characters, all of which have something profound to reveal, whether they realise it or not. There is not a lot to say about the book's dogma, as it doesn't seem to have a central point. Rather, it is a collage of several ideas, expressed strongly, though often vaguely, by the assortment of memorable characters featured. The author displays a witty and sharp writing style with emphasis on dialogue and minimal waste of paper, although I found his prose somewhat lacking in terms of literature. All in all, "Cat's cradle" is an honest, straightforward book with more good moments than bad, aimed at leaving the reader entertained, satisfied and, possibly, this bit wiser. |
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