God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
by Kurt Vonnegut
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Read in June, 2008
This is a great book about the role wealth plays in our country. The story centers on Eliot Rosewater, the heir to a tremendous fortune, who chooses to spend his life living in the small town of Rosewater, Indiana (which his family has long since abandoned while still using its tenuous ties to maintain its Indiana seat in the U.S. Senate), lovingly helping the people there with his endless assets. Naturally, then, Vonnegut's plot finds a lawyer trying to have Mr. Rosewater declared insane.
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recommends it for:
cynical idealists
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Read in December, 2007
I began this book with uncertainty. I couldn't decided whether I liked Vonnegut's style or whether I hated its dry humor. I apporached the plot with morbid curiosity. The protagonist is a trainwreck, and I couldn't tear myself away from the book. it seems that this is the authors intention. I was uncomfortable watching Mr. Rosewater's life fall apart, until I realized that Rosewater enjoyed it. He is a an insane philanthropist, iresponsible with his money. But by the end of the book their is so...more
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Read in July, 2008
This is the first Vonnegut I have read in...gosh, maybe five years? I have read almost everything the man has written, so it is strange to go back to him. I consumed most of his catalogue before I could legally buy cigarettes.
It is a strange sensation with a book intended for adults and about something (money, the have and have nots, economy, charity) that you really only understand when you are an adult, to still say: I might have enjoyed this more when I was a teen. But I think that's tr...more
It is a strange sensation with a book intended for adults and about something (money, the have and have nots, economy, charity) that you really only understand when you are an adult, to still say: I might have enjoyed this more when I was a teen. But I think that's tr...more
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Once I realized and accepted the fact that I will never completely understand what Kurt Vonnegut writes, it became a lot easier for me to read his books. My first attempt at reading his work - Cat's Cradle resulted in me staring at the page, mentally shouting at Kurt Vonnegut, "What are you even TALKING about?" Reading Slaughter-House Five went slightly bett...more
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"A sum of money is a leading character in this tale about people, just as a sum of honey might properly be a leading character in a tale about bees."
This was the very first Vonnegut book I ever read, when I was 12 years old. I remember finishing it and thinking to myself "what the hell did I just read?" and promptly turned around and read Slaughterhouse-Five, Welcome to the Monkey House, Cat's Cradle and a bunch of others. I'm not sure if I understand...more
This was the very first Vonnegut book I ever read, when I was 12 years old. I remember finishing it and thinking to myself "what the hell did I just read?" and promptly turned around and read Slaughterhouse-Five, Welcome to the Monkey House, Cat's Cradle and a bunch of others. I'm not sure if I understand...more
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Read in April, 2008
The strength of this book is in its social commentary about the very rich rather than the story itself. The writing is good, and at times scathingly funny. The story is somewhat disjointed and not all that satisfying overall, but worth the read for the humor and style. Eliot Rosewater was born into a filthy rich family, and as an adult administers the Rosewater Foundation. He renounces his family's ways, lives like a pauper, and tries to give away as much of the foundation's money as he can....more
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Read in July, 2008
Like most of Mr. Vonnegut's brilliant novels, this book is much more about the main character, Eliot Rosewater, than plot. Eliot is an eccentric man whose never had to do any real work in his life. He has marital problems, then moves to a little town in Indiana named Rosewater (because it was founded by his illustrious ancestors) where he sets up a foundation to care for the poor unfortunates, who make up nearly all of the population. Since fire departs are Eliot's biggest obsession, he joins...more
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Read in January, 2008
It seems like loads of people think this book is pro-socialism, but it seems to me like more of a hopeless rant against society with no attempt at positive suggestions. Don't get me wrong--his style is entertaining: sincere but at times surprisingly blunt and humorous.
However, the content falls short for me, and Vonnegut comes across as one of those people who are always whining about what he/she dislikes about society and then never does anything to fix it. I'm an amateur though, so what ...more
However, the content falls short for me, and Vonnegut comes across as one of those people who are always whining about what he/she dislikes about society and then never does anything to fix it. I'm an amateur though, so what ...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
thinkers, vonnegut fans, the proletariate
One of those books where, if you read it in multiple sittings, you kind of want to go back and read it again because you're wondering if you missed the plot somewhere. But you didn't. This is basically a story about several people, with lots of back story, converging to become a part of a single event. But Vonnegut makes Elliot Rosewater an engaging protagonist. He is born into power but rejects it, choosing a life of service to others that is either eccentric or insane. And when the machin...more
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Read in January, 1997
recommends it for:
youth with the pretensions of liberal politics--wealthy youth
i learned that kurt vonnegut wrote a play called happy birthday wanda june.
this book is, i think, the culimination of certain ever present themes that exist in vonnegut's work. and thus, the best impression of vonnegut that vonnegut would ever do:
fuzzy morality that is really quite clear.
sadness wrapped in a humor so dry that it's almost not palatable, but somehow, so genuine...oh i dunno--
i just really like this one. who knows? maybe because the women are so haunted and distant. maybe b...more
this book is, i think, the culimination of certain ever present themes that exist in vonnegut's work. and thus, the best impression of vonnegut that vonnegut would ever do:
fuzzy morality that is really quite clear.
sadness wrapped in a humor so dry that it's almost not palatable, but somehow, so genuine...oh i dunno--
i just really like this one. who knows? maybe because the women are so haunted and distant. maybe b...more
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Read in December, 2007
So I always demurred from being a Vonnegut fan in high school and early college, when it was so cool to be a fan, stolidly pushing throughing nineteenth century two pound books of either British or Russian origins. This is because I was an idiot. Vonnegut is no master of plot, but how important is plot where everything is fucked through and through, and nothing is working toward a meaning-
But then that is too simple, he really just tells us what we already know, in whimsical tones, in lov...more
But then that is too simple, he really just tells us what we already know, in whimsical tones, in lov...more
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Not quite as full and fullfilling as other works by Kurt. This novel was very short and not really to the point. To me, it felt as if Eliot was being portrayed as the American people while his father and everyone of his "keepers" are the American Government. the General idea Vonnegut tries to convey is that the Government will always try point you in the direction they feel is correct, no matter how absurd it is. And, if at any point in time you stray off their path, or idea, of what i...more
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
Vonnegut fans
I'm on a mission to read all of Vonnegut's books this year. I chose this one because the reviews on the back swore it was a hilarious read. I didn't find it to be so, but I still enjoyed most every word and giggled enough to be able to nod in agreement if someone asks, "Was it funny?"
It wasn't funny in a comedic way, which on the surface I'm sure makes no sense. It was funny in the same way making fun of someone else is funny. It's not actually funny so much as we chuckle out o...more
It wasn't funny in a comedic way, which on the surface I'm sure makes no sense. It was funny in the same way making fun of someone else is funny. It's not actually funny so much as we chuckle out o...more
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Okay, so last week I tried to reread
Vonnegut classic. I found it somewhat
tiresome. BUT...this one and CAT'S
CRADLE hold strong memories for me.
Because, in 1971, my then-boyfriend
gave me these two (same copies I have
now), thus exposing me to the wonders
of Kurt V., I'm gonna keep my 5-star
rating. I may revisit MR. ROSEWATER
in a year or two.
In a way, reading books like this
stimulated me to study literature in
a serious manner, to start college
fulltime "late&quo...more
Vonnegut classic. I found it somewhat
tiresome. BUT...this one and CAT'S
CRADLE hold strong memories for me.
Because, in 1971, my then-boyfriend
gave me these two (same copies I have
now), thus exposing me to the wonders
of Kurt V., I'm gonna keep my 5-star
rating. I may revisit MR. ROSEWATER
in a year or two.
In a way, reading books like this
stimulated me to study literature in
a serious manner, to start college
fulltime "late&quo...more
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Read in October, 1998
[Note - this review combines Vonnegut's Slapstick and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater:] These two Vonnegut novels don't seem similar, but they both contain the character Norman Mushari - a lawyer who represents family members with unfair financial situations (relative to their siblings). Both books were equally disturbing - Slapstick a bit more so because of its odd, futuristic New York. I especially enjoyed the autobiographical introduction. God Bless You was an interest satire - but sad in th...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommended to Jil by:
Jordonrecommends it for: rich people, poor people, potential philanthropists
Perhaps a part of me is mellowing. I am now able to read Vonnegut and recognize his tricks and maybe even tire of them without growing astoundingly irritable. Maybe, though, this is just better than Galapagos.
I appreciated that this made me think intensely about my own socialistic beliefs, appreciated the bit in which Eliot Rosewater's hatred of art is justified by him having shot a fourteen-year-old volunteer, appreciated that parts of the book were excerpts from letters and family historie...more
I appreciated that this made me think intensely about my own socialistic beliefs, appreciated the bit in which Eliot Rosewater's hatred of art is justified by him having shot a fourteen-year-old volunteer, appreciated that parts of the book were excerpts from letters and family historie...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
human humanists
I haven't read a Vonnegut in some time, so I may have forgotten how great much of his other work is but reading God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater again made it appear to be my favorite. It's a fantastic book in the simplicity of it's story, there is very little metaphysical oddities, or for that matter space aliens, or chono-synclastic-infundeblums. Rather one is simple presented with the image of man who loves too much and the damage that the viciousness of class and capital in America can do to t...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
Most people
More Vonnegut. More insightful satire on American culture, more gay references than what I expected. I don't think I enjoyed this as much as I did Hocus Pocus but still definitely worth the read. I started reading this immediately after Hocus Pocus and had to put it down for about a month. Luckily, no one asked for it at the library and my appetite for it came back to me.
I also noticed that the socialist commentary was much more obvious in this one. Ends like a cheezy movie, but a good ch...more
I also noticed that the socialist commentary was much more obvious in this one. Ends like a cheezy movie, but a good ch...more
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
cynical people with lots of time
so pretty much this is supposed to be some kind of funny novel and so on and so forth, I'm a little more than halfway though and still waiting for my first laugh, should be coming any minute now... pretty much it's for all these so-called educated people who think they understand the nature of man and how life is. Very cynical and while not a complete bore not one I'd recommend. I guess the moral was pretty good. but honestly could've been said in a couple sentances so it was pretty boring.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.84 (5077 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.83 (4991 ratings) number of reviews: 190popular shelves
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"'You're the man who stands on the street corner with a roll of toilet paper, and written on each square are the words, 'I love you.' And each passer-by, no matter who, gets a square all his or her own. I don't want my square of toilet paper.'
'I didn't realize it <i>was</i> toilet paper.'"
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