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22nd out of 32 books
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330 voters
Harrison Bergeron
It is the year 2081. Because of Amendments 211, 212, and 213 to the Constitution, every American is fully equal, meaning that no one is stupider, uglier, weaker, or slower than anyone else. The Handicapper General and a team of agents ensure that the laws of equality are enforced.
One April, fourteen-year-old Harrison Bergeron is taken away from his parents, George and Haze...more
One April, fourteen-year-old Harrison Bergeron is taken away from his parents, George and Haze...more
ebook, 9 pages
Published
by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
(first published October 1961)
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This short story takes about 5 minutes to read and it is absolutely worth it. It is set in a society where, in an effort to make everyone equal, anyone who is above average in any respect is given mechanisms or hindrances by the government to suppress whatever it is they can do. If they are mentally gifted, the Handicapper General (It was written in 1961) gives them an earpiece which plays annoying noises when they are thinking. If a person is attractive, they are forced to wear masks.
The story...more
The story...more
A (hopefully) short review for a short story...
I ran into this on StumbleUpon, so I figured I might as well review it. This is a short story, a dystopian world with the same ultimate goal as in the Uglies series. However, this one succeeded in frightening me in a way that Uglies never did.
This is a society where equality is everything. No one is allowed to excel in any area, and the government enforces this strictly-- beautiful people must wear grotesque masks, athletic people carry heavy loads...more
I ran into this on StumbleUpon, so I figured I might as well review it. This is a short story, a dystopian world with the same ultimate goal as in the Uglies series. However, this one succeeded in frightening me in a way that Uglies never did.
This is a society where equality is everything. No one is allowed to excel in any area, and the government enforces this strictly-- beautiful people must wear grotesque masks, athletic people carry heavy loads...more
9 likes · like · see review
In the year 2081, due to the 211th, 212th and 213th Amendments, people are equal (literally). If one person is "above" others then he or she gets assigned some kind of "handicap" which makes smarter people less smart, prettier people less pretty and athletic people weaker. The objective is to erase all traces of individuality.
Harrison Bergeron is not only smarter that most, but he's also very strong and handsome....so he gets an abundance of handicaps.
The rest of Harrison's appearance was Hallo...more
Harrison Bergeron is not only smarter that most, but he's also very strong and handsome....so he gets an abundance of handicaps.
The rest of Harrison's appearance was Hallo...more
7 likes · like · see review
There are two paths to equality: elevating some people, and breaking others. Actually, ignoring for a moment the second option (which is the theme of Vonnegut's story), the first is pretty divisive all by itself. All our modern political ideologies seem concerned with it, after all - the extent to which a society, a government, should be responsible for its people, and whether helping each other actually infringes on some inalienable right of not having to help each other.
The reality is that al...more
The reality is that al...more
Took me mere minutes to read, but my God, Vonnegut does it again.
A world where everybody is equal, hauntingly so. If you're beautiful, you wear a mask, the more beautiful you are, the uglier the mask. And God forbid, you're actually intelligent. If you are, there are sporadic bursts of noise emission from little mechanical devices that should be enough to scatter your thoughts. Other than that, there are handicap bags. The more capable you are, the heavier your bags.
Read online here: Harrison B...more
A world where everybody is equal, hauntingly so. If you're beautiful, you wear a mask, the more beautiful you are, the uglier the mask. And God forbid, you're actually intelligent. If you are, there are sporadic bursts of noise emission from little mechanical devices that should be enough to scatter your thoughts. Other than that, there are handicap bags. The more capable you are, the heavier your bags.
Read online here: Harrison B...more
3 likes · like · see review
Mar 19, 2013
Nyamka Ganni
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Nyamka by:
Hanper Tim
Shelves:
shorty
very interesting short story... strangely well-written .
I'm at a loss for words to describe, it's like where failed-attempt-to-create-better-society meets satirical humor and absurdity.
PS: wish it had a novel... I would very much like to hear more about what that Diana Moon Glampers had to say? :D
/...waiting to watch the movie/
I'm at a loss for words to describe, it's like where failed-attempt-to-create-better-society meets satirical humor and absurdity.
PS: wish it had a novel... I would very much like to hear more about what that Diana Moon Glampers had to say? :D
/...waiting to watch the movie/
Story available here:
http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/harri...
I read this story last week and it has stuck with me ever since. The story itself took me less than five minutes to read but it is a strong reminder that about the importance of individuality and expression. What's scary is how real a situation like this could unfold; an idea that is taken up for the greater good that destroys what uniqueness we as individuals have leading to unhappiness, unrest and absolute control of our bodies and m...more
http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/harri...
I read this story last week and it has stuck with me ever since. The story itself took me less than five minutes to read but it is a strong reminder that about the importance of individuality and expression. What's scary is how real a situation like this could unfold; an idea that is taken up for the greater good that destroys what uniqueness we as individuals have leading to unhappiness, unrest and absolute control of our bodies and m...more
Harrison Bergeron truly is one of my favorite short stories. It's certainly the only one that I've gone back and read over and over, because I wanted to. I found it in the back of a school book (Animal Farm and Related Readings) and vaugley remembered reading it sometime back in 5th grade. Right off the bat, it captured my attention once more. The things it has to say about equality give voice to thoughts I've had before- it seems, today, that everybody wants equality all the time. Poor little k...more
Damn you Vonnegut!!
All these years you let me think that 1984 is one of it's kind.
For god knows how long have I felt awed by the world Orwell imagined 1984 to be.
And here comes a SOB who writes stories which take hardly 5 minutes to read and leaves the reader scarred for life. In spite of the dominance of Orwell and presence of Fahrenheit 451 on the similar lines, Vonnegut is able to deliver the message safely and eloquently.
The story is set in the future when 'Equality' is the norm and 'Comp...more
All these years you let me think that 1984 is one of it's kind.
For god knows how long have I felt awed by the world Orwell imagined 1984 to be.
And here comes a SOB who writes stories which take hardly 5 minutes to read and leaves the reader scarred for life. In spite of the dominance of Orwell and presence of Fahrenheit 451 on the similar lines, Vonnegut is able to deliver the message safely and eloquently.
The story is set in the future when 'Equality' is the norm and 'Comp...more
This book undeniably made me upset. Upset to a super suckish point. I can't say WHY I hated this book so much I just did.
Maybe it was the humor. Usually I love the satire of a book, that's always a quality piece to me but this book was so... out there. I LOVE Utopian literature but this didn't do anything for me. I found it irritating and annoying to no end. It's highly unbelievable and I know its a 60s book, I know it was supposed to mock America and such but there are way better ways to do it...more
Maybe it was the humor. Usually I love the satire of a book, that's always a quality piece to me but this book was so... out there. I LOVE Utopian literature but this didn't do anything for me. I found it irritating and annoying to no end. It's highly unbelievable and I know its a 60s book, I know it was supposed to mock America and such but there are way better ways to do it...more
"Harrison Bergeron" is a dystopian science fiction short story written and published by Kurt Vonnegut in 1961. Vonnegut wrote it in a manner that wreaked havoc on the norms of fiction and the standards of "normal" and "acceptable", which has become the definition of Vonnegut through the past few decades. From beginning to end, "Harrison Bergeron" is written in dark humor to satirically depict the exaggerated and over the top but still plausible concerns of the country. Kurt Vonnegut chose to set...more
This book is slightly sickening.I mean don't get me wrong it LOVED it.Between guys in my class being idiots and pervs i had a hard time focusing. Even so it was amazing.Now back to the sickening part.Every time the dad's handicap ear thingy rang it was like i could feel it.I'd wince.I could almost feel the wait of the handicaps weighing me down.
On another note,it made me imagine what i'd be like for me in that 'utopia'. I'm smart (even though i maybe dumb).I'd have to have that ear thing. Also i...more
On another note,it made me imagine what i'd be like for me in that 'utopia'. I'm smart (even though i maybe dumb).I'd have to have that ear thing. Also i...more
I read this short story in school, somewhere around 9th grade. It always stuck with me, particularly the ballerinas. I remember thinking what a terrible thing it would be if it were true, because what of those who are paralyzed, or those who are born missing limbs or other organs. Would these people spark handicaps for others, or would they simply be done away with (The Giver, anyone?). This story screams the difference between today's struggle of fighting to be treated equally and what life cou...more
Such an amazing and powerful short story. Thanks to my friend I read it, I don't know how I survived this long without having read it!
The story takes place in the year of 2081 where three amendments are made announcing the equality between every being. They are amendments 211, 212 and 213. Nobody is stronger, stupider, uglier , weaker or slower than anyone else. A 14-year old boy named Harrison is taken away from his family. Due to the new amendments, Harrison's parents, George and Hazel have average intelligence just like everyone else which limits their memory which is why they don't remember who Harrison is. I thought to my...more
A classic - I was reminded by my mom who's doing a lesson on this fantastic Kurt Vonnegut short story with her 7th grade class. Published in 1961 - it's dystopian view of life is just as jarring and relevant today.
This extremely short story paints a vivid picture of life under the Handicapper General and the newest amendments to the constitution. There is artistry in Vonnegut's ability to convey so much information on his projected future in so few words.
It is eerie and disturbing at the core...more
This extremely short story paints a vivid picture of life under the Handicapper General and the newest amendments to the constitution. There is artistry in Vonnegut's ability to convey so much information on his projected future in so few words.
It is eerie and disturbing at the core...more
This is the best short story I've ever read, EVER. Vonnegut's storytelling just...oh, gosh. I'm at a loss of words. Let's just say, I loved this story more than ice cream, which is a lot.
One of the main things is, I LOVE reading character descriptions, and the ONE sentence that I came back to a million times was, "Harrison looked like a walking junkyard."
That one sentence grabbed me, and kept me looking back to it a million times a second. It gave me images of a seven foot tall boy with handicap...more
One of the main things is, I LOVE reading character descriptions, and the ONE sentence that I came back to a million times was, "Harrison looked like a walking junkyard."
That one sentence grabbed me, and kept me looking back to it a million times a second. It gave me images of a seven foot tall boy with handicap...more
I really liked this short story, and I keep on referring back to it for various reasons - it's a very powerful piece of social commentary, timeless in nature. Harrison Bergeron is the paragon of modern day success, and it is interesting to see how the qualities that we idolize right now are the very ones vilified in the short. Ultimately, in it's own quirky, deceptively light-hearted way, the short demands the reader to think about how we should treat and value people, and provides no easy answe...more
The story takes place in the year of 2081 where three amendments are made announcing the equality between every being. Nobody is stronger than another nor prettier nor more worthy. A 14-year old boy named Harrison is taken away from his family. Due to the new amendments, Harrison's parents, George and Hazel have average intelligence which limits their memory. The story sets a depressive plot with a boy who's above averaged compared to everyone else is out of control. Despite the three amendments...more
This seems to me like a more diluted version Aldous Huxley's Brave New World where there was complete unity in a class, however not among the classes themselves.
An extremely creative take on a dystopian future. This takes equality among people to the extremes! The writing is simplistic and easy to understand, the plot is even more so; yet the way Vonnegut writes makes the most simple of plots amazing stories. I'm amazed to how he was able to develop fairly decent characters in only 9 pages, make...more
An extremely creative take on a dystopian future. This takes equality among people to the extremes! The writing is simplistic and easy to understand, the plot is even more so; yet the way Vonnegut writes makes the most simple of plots amazing stories. I'm amazed to how he was able to develop fairly decent characters in only 9 pages, make...more
2 likes · like · see review
As I read this short story, I couldn’t help comparing it to The Giver . Though I haven’t read The Giver in a very long time, I believe that the main character lives in a society in which everyone is expected to look and act the same way. I can’t remember how the book ends, but I was disappointed with the way this short story ended. Overall, it’s a decent read and made me appreciate the freedoms I do have.
Harrison Bergeron: Christ or Rebel
In Kurt Vonnegut’s short story Harrison Bergeron, society is crippled by the government’s enforcement of equality. We learn of a remarkable fourteen year old, Harrison, and his parents, George and Hazel. But what is the role of Harrison? While some argue Harrison is a rebellious fourteen year old want-to-be dictator, Vonnegut’s use of God imagery shows Harrison Bergeron must die to save society from their bonds of equality like Christians believe Jesus Christ di...more
In Kurt Vonnegut’s short story Harrison Bergeron, society is crippled by the government’s enforcement of equality. We learn of a remarkable fourteen year old, Harrison, and his parents, George and Hazel. But what is the role of Harrison? While some argue Harrison is a rebellious fourteen year old want-to-be dictator, Vonnegut’s use of God imagery shows Harrison Bergeron must die to save society from their bonds of equality like Christians believe Jesus Christ di...more
Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut is a short fiction dystopian vision that leaves the reader thinking long after the short prose is over. One of the great things about Vonnegut’s short fiction is that he is able to tightly wind a story and never meanders off on tangent (even though those wanderings are often entertaining in his novels). Bergereon is the alpha male amidst a society of forced mediocrity. Best line in the story, when asked if he would be a good whatever, the answer, “as good as an...more
An awesome short story. Very concise, and Vonnegut's punchy, matter-of-fact style suited the creepy story perfectly. The only thing I would have preferred is if (view spoiler) I don't know why. I couldn't see how it was an advantage and, as there are a lot of very gifted people, I think it would have felt more in-line. That just seemed like a random detail which jarred with the surprising realism of the story. Follow Flannery's link, and enjoy. an...more
2 likes · like · see review
I didn't like this one, and I know that Kurt Vonnegut fans everywhere will disagree when I say that the short story is horrible. Although I dispise the story I am not opposed to reading it again in hope of changing my mind, and I'm not against reading the Vonnegut book entitled Galapogos which still stands along side the rest of unopened volumes on my bookshelf. Dispite my opinionated distaste for the piece of work, I must say that what the story stood for is very respectable.
In this dystopia future, everyone is made equal by handicapping natural advantages such as beauty or intelligence.
One intelligent behemoth of a man dares to break out of his handicaps.
It sure makes you think about the nature of equality and if this future is possible with the way we're heading.
It's a short story - five minutes maximum - so you won't lose anything by reading this. At most it will make you think. And even in this story, that's a good thing.
One intelligent behemoth of a man dares to break out of his handicaps.
It sure makes you think about the nature of equality and if this future is possible with the way we're heading.
It's a short story - five minutes maximum - so you won't lose anything by reading this. At most it will make you think. And even in this story, that's a good thing.
2 likes · like · see review
A novel about a society where everyone is literally equal, one person can;t be smarter than another. That's why Harrison Bergeron has many handicaps so he's equal with everyone else. The government think that Harrison Bergeron wants to take over and kills him which is seen on TV. His parents saw the event happening but forgets the next moment because they also have handicaps which makes them forget what just happened. So their son just passed away and they just forgot about it.
"The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General."
Genius.
Genius.
Mar 30, 2012
Julia
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anybody
Recommended to Julia by:
reading teacher
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
“They leaped like deer on the moon” describes eloquence and flow. What a beautiful description.
I believe that this story’s theme is also Ignorance is Bliss, however in a very negative way. Hazel witnesses a huge revolt on the government, where Harrison gets the ballerina’s and orchestra players to take off their handicaps and do “their best”. They’re shot dead, and Hazel forgets about this extraordinary event.
I believe that this story’s theme is also Ignorance is Bliss, however in a very negative way. Hazel witnesses a huge revolt on the government, where Harrison gets the ballerina’s and orchestra players to take off their handicaps and do “their best”. They’re shot dead, and Hazel forgets about this extraordinary event.
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Kurt Vonnegut, Junior was an American novelist, satirist, and most recently, graphic artist. He was recognized as New York State Author for 2001-2003.
He was born in Indianapolis, later the setting for many of his novels. He attended Cornell University from 1941 to 1943, where he wrote a column for the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun. Vonnegut trained as a chemist and worked as a journali...more
More about Kurt Vonnegut...
He was born in Indianapolis, later the setting for many of his novels. He attended Cornell University from 1941 to 1943, where he wrote a column for the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun. Vonnegut trained as a chemist and worked as a journali...more
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