Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 24,212 ratings · 682 reviews

Eliot Rosewater—drunk, volunteer fireman, and President of the fabulously rich Rosewater Foundation—is about to attempt a noble experiment with human nature . . . with a little help from writer Kilgore Trout. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is Kurt Vonnegut’s funniest satire, an etched-in-acid portrayal of the greed, hypocrisy, and follies of the flesh we are all heir to.

Paperback, 288 pages

Published September 8th 1998 by Dial Press Trade Paperback (first published 1965)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Vonnegut's Best

8th out of 32 books — 330 voters

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

100 Best American Authors

58th out of 336 books — 223 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Oct 23, 2008 Dusty Myers rated it 1 of 5 stars

I had a friend back in Pittsburgh who was incredibly smart and very kind and funny, but had a tendency toward literary snobbishness. (I know: can you imagine such a person?) Once he had something disparaging to say about Kurt Vonnegut, I can't remember exactly what. Some well timed comment that pretty much wrote him off as a hack, and I recall being almost hurt by it, seeing as how Vonnegut wrote so much stuff I loved as a teen.

And I guess that's maybe the rub. I loved Vonnegut as a teen. Sure I...more I had a friend back in Pittsburgh who was incredibly smart and very kind and funny, but had a tendency toward literary snobbishness. (I know: can you imagine such a person?) Once he had something disparaging to say about Kurt Vonnegut, I can't remember exactly what. Some well timed comment that pretty much wrote him off as a hack, and I recall being almost hurt by it, seeing as how Vonnegut wrote so much stuff I loved as a teen.

And I guess that's maybe the rub. I loved Vonnegut as a teen. Sure I only read Slaughterhouse 5 and Cat's Cradle and the collected stories. Breakfast of Champions. Slapstick? I read like five of his books. Timequake, six. And so when I found this audiobook I thought it would be a good one to listen to on my trip.

It was not good. Vonnegut's Redistribute All Wealth moral is completely overbearing, and so whatever aims for satire seemed to just fall off to dumb and obvious caricature. (Quickest plot summary ever: The scion of a wealthy family is crazy, maybe, but just so crazy that he considers actually helping people rather than using them to create more wealth.) The final scene reads only like a punchline. I could practically hear the rimshot at the end of the book, and this is no way for a novel to end. Maybe a short story, which form maybe Vonnegut should have reserved for this story.

Also, I don't understand why he has such a loathing, in this novel, for dependent clauses joined with anything other than a stupid, belchlike comma. Let me cue up one of the chapters at random and write the first example I hear (okay that took twenty seconds, is how rampant these sentences are in the novel): "Norman Mushari killed the afternoon by driving over to Newport, paid a quarter to tour the famous Rumford mansion."

Am I the only person who reads in such a sentence a downright scorn for the English language? There's like this gross boredom with the actions of the character, as though whatever motivations or mental processes that linked all causal events in the novel were of no concern. One can postmodernly argue these are all myths, but while Vonnegut gets lumped in with the postmodernists he's not that kind of postmodernist. I don't recall this construction in his other novels, but I wasn't as sensitive to syntax I was then, was instead a reader for story.

Man, even typing one out feels like rubbing someone else's feces into my keyboard.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Sep 07, 2011 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

I just finished all of the first six Vonnegut novels (except for the early Player Piano). It has been quite an experience over three weeks.

In God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, Vonnegut clearly and relentlessly makes his case for Humanism. As a cry for all of us to love one another without reservations, and without expectation of material rewards for such love, the book is effective. However, as a work of engaging literature it falls short. I tired of the many pages of the Rosewater family history....more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 06, 2008 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: cynical idealists

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Oh, man...I love this novel. Like all my favorite novels, I will never get tired of reading it over and over again.

What I love about Vonnegut is that he is so cynical about his own opinions, and that his characters are so often pitiable, likable, and irritating all at once. I love that the protagonist (Eliot Rosewater) is a kind of lovable, asexual loser hippie idealist who thinks love will cure capitalism, etc...and you can start to feel like, "hey man...maybe it can..." while you never have a...more

7 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2007 Eunji Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars 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 because h...more

4 likes · like · see review

Aug 14, 2012 Louise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

As a reader of historical fiction, I hadn’t read any Vonnegut. Upon his death, I vowed to read him. Finally five years later, I finally tried this one, primarily because it was the one at hand.

As to its being almost 50 years old, it holds up well. One reason is that there are no direct references to the Vietnam War or the Civil Rights movement to date it. There is an openly gay character who is naturally woven into the story, which is unusual for the time. The theme is even more relevant now tha...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 24, 2012 Nick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The sentiments behind this book are pretty clear. It's hard to believe this is nearly half a century old, because it still feels stingingly relevant in a world of austerity, Tea Party Republicanism and millionaire presidential candidates.

The plot (such as it is) flops around sloppily, but that's Vonnegut for you.

I love Eliot Rosewater's baptism advice, but some of the standout moments are what Vonnegut reveals of himself, like when he writes about "sons of suicides".

Some of the funniest moments,...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 13, 2008 Patricia rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 22, 2008 Madeline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-list

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 better, and by the time I read Mr. Rosewater, I was completely at peace with Vonnegut's "maybe this all has deep meaning and maybe I'm just pull...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jan 24, 2008 Bonnie Walton rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 do I...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 20, 2012 Bettie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fraudio, summer-2012, tbr-busting-2012, amusing, filthy-lucre, north-americas, satire, teh-demon-booze

walking mp3

As wickedly funny as all nine Beehoven symphonies played backtoback at 78rpm.

Enjoyed this far more than I expected to.
:O)

Read By..........: Eric Michael Summerer
Total Duration...: 5 hours 13 minutes

blurb - Eliot Rosewater, a drunk volunteer fireman and president of the fabulously rich Rosewater Foundation, is about to attempt a noble experiment with human nature, with a little help from writer Kilgore Trout. The result is Kurt Vonnegut's funniest satire, an etched-in-acid portrayal...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 06, 2009 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, post-modernism, 2009

Like most of Vonnegut, this was a pretty quick read for me. I tend to lean towards his spacier works (like everyone else, I read Slaughterhouse Five first because it's so famous) and this one relegates that sort of stuff to mentions of Kilgore Trout novels.
Instead of speculations of Earth's hopeless future, Vonnegut sticks to questions of what we qualify as insanity in this one, a question which makes it worth reading if you've got some time, but otherwise I would recommend other Vonnegut novels...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 06, 2011 Jesse Bornemann added it

I've never been very good at patting my head and rubbing my stomach (or is it patting my stomach and rubbing my head?) at the same time - which is why, I think, I had to read "God Bless You Mr. Rosewater" twice. It takes both brain hemispheres to follow Vonnegut's often-meandering plot, and then you just might miss a line like this: "Like all real heroes, Charley had a fatal flaw. He refused to believe that he had gonorrhea, whereas the truth was that he did." Stay alert!

Which isn't to say I wou...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 11, 2007 Gregory rated it 2 of 5 stars 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.

1 like · like · see review

May 12, 2013 Paul Gelsthorpe rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am a relatively new reader of Kurt Vonnegut, surprisingly perhaps none of his work was on any of the modules I studied at University.

I recently read cult classic 'Slaughterhouse 5' and was taken with the directness and emotional gravity of the prose. Vonnegut seemed to have an intriguing array of ultra modern themes (violence, sex, science fiction) which he dealt with in a subtle but effective way.

This short novel focuses on Elliot Rosewater, benefactor, philanthropist, moral crusader and poss...more I am a relatively new reader of Kurt Vonnegut, surprisingly perhaps none of his work was on any of the modules I studied at University.

I recently read cult classic 'Slaughterhouse 5' and was taken with the directness and emotional gravity of the prose. Vonnegut seemed to have an intriguing array of ultra modern themes (violence, sex, science fiction) which he dealt with in a subtle but effective way.

This short novel focuses on Elliot Rosewater, benefactor, philanthropist, moral crusader and possible lunatic. Elliot is Vonnegut's vehicle for critiques against the whole cabal of American myths, primarily the acquisition of private wealth and it's impact on people and their surroundings.

There are moments of sharp satire, juxtaposed nicely with softer descriptive passages. Character wise, the book is an asylum of dysfunctional, contradictory individuals who interact with great difficulty.

We are privy to the plotting of rookie lawyer Mushari who is on a crusade to prove Elliot's insanity in order to facilitate the re-distribution of wealth to less 'dangerous' clusters of the Rosewater dynasty around the continent.

The justice system, marriage and family, money and power are all brought into Vonnegut's spotlight in this novel and we are gradually introduced to the author's own thoughts on these topics.

The legal infrastructure is profit driven and corrupt, marriage and family are no longer cherished as foundations of society, indeed they are exposed as sham arrangements, usually driven by the pursuit of comfort and convenience. How one deals with a fortune and how others manage to live on the complete opposite are major themes.

The book raises an important question. What is more insane? The blind pursuit of wealth, or the willingness of someone with a large amount of money to distribute it fairly?

Vonnegut's satirical crux is that to the institutions that shape the modern world 'frivolity' with cash (in this case the local charitable projects that Elliot supports)insanity is defined by a willingness to help others.

For Vonnegut, it's the very institutions that perpetrate greed, selfishness and the accumulation of wealth that are infact mad. This is for me a timely message in an age of increasing disparities in wealth and institutional support for this kind of divisive economic management.

I really like some of the passages about Indiana, and KV is excellent at bringing out the mysterious character of parts of the American hinterland. There is a particularly striking paragraph revolving around a setting sun over the sound of a flagpole blowing in the breeze in a school playground that appealed to my memories of America. It somehow tapped into the vast emptiness and loneliness that one could feel when alone in a remote place.

KV is a prolific writer and I will be going back to his novels again in the future. I can see the lineage between him and millenial American writers such as Palahniuk and overall I thoroughly enjoyed this funny but sad book.(less)

like · see review

Nov 26, 2012 David Stephens rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kurt-vonnegut

Barring some outdated technology, Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater seems like it could have easily been written this year. The political divisions and the issues of class struggle seem like they have been trapped in amber since the 1960s. The attitude and views of Illinois Senator Lister Ames Rosewater bear a striking similarity to Mitt Romney and many present day conservatives in that they believe the indigent are unsuccessful because they haven't worked hard enough or because they...more Barring some outdated technology, Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater seems like it could have easily been written this year. The political divisions and the issues of class struggle seem like they have been trapped in amber since the 1960s. The attitude and views of Illinois Senator Lister Ames Rosewater bear a striking similarity to Mitt Romney and many present day conservatives in that they believe the indigent are unsuccessful because they haven't worked hard enough or because they are simply not meant to be wealthy.

The story revolves around Eliot Rosewater, the latest heir to the Presidency of the Rosewater Foundation, an organization established to avoid taxes and pass the exorbitant Rosewater inheritance on from generation to generation. As long as Eliot remains sane, he maintains control of the foundation's funds. However, Eliot is a strange enough figure that eventually his sanity comes into question. Eliot's main endeavor—which is the cause of so much exasperation to his father, wife, and family lawyer—is befriending the lowly residents of Rosewater, Illinois, the town that his father, the Senator, purportedly lives in. They can't understand why Eliot would attempt to help people who are so far socioeconomically below them. To Eliot's powerful family, if the poverty-stricken residents are such pathetic people, they should be left to fend for themselves.

As many readers might imagine, Vonnegut shows the negative effects of industrialization through the town of Rosewater. Workers are alienated as they lose their jobs, which had provided them meaning in their lives. What he does in addition that is a bit more surprising, though, is to illustrate how alienated the ruling class can become as well. They are often disconnected from any real work and much of the world, and even more so, they hardly seem to enjoy the wealth and privilege they have.

The only character in the book who is connected to his work is Harry Pena, an east coast fisherman. He doesn't make much money, but he gets out on the ocean and uses his hands to make a living. While at first this may seem like nothing more than a Hemingway-like depiction of machismo, the actual intention is to depict a worker who knows and sees the importance his work has.

Beyond the wealthy class's alienation, Vonnegut continues skewering the ruling class for their indifference to the poor and their weak justifications for acting in such a way. In what could almost be a direct response to Ayn Rand, he reveals all of the wealthy characters in the novel have achieved their money through luck, corruption, or both. None of them have worked hard to ascend to the upper class. On top of this, the rich characters believe workers owe them appreciation for everything they do. In one hilarious passage, a wealthy woman makes her housekeeper thank her for the "sunset," "the ocean, the moon, the stars in the sky, and the United States Constitution."

Vonnegut doesn't give social reformers of the left a pass either. While he doesn't dedicate as much time to criticizing them, he still does make their remedies sound overly simplistic. Eliot spends five years in Rosewater helping its inept citizens and does not make much progress by the end of his stay. This is actually one area of the book I thought Vonnegut could have commented more upon.

But, Eliot's situation in Rosewater also leads to a few of the most fascinating and perplexing questions the novel poses: just how much time and effort should each person spend helping others at the expense of their own lives? Also, just how far outside of the social norms can someone go before they will be considered crazy? These may not sound like the most difficult questions, but Vonnegut is critical enough of many possible answers that it makes readers look further into matters when considering them.

And, of course, aside from the important questions it raises, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is one of the funniest books I've ever read. I don't ever remember laughing this much while reading before, which means I'll be more likely to return to this one again and again.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 02, 2012 David Sarkies rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who like thinking books

Recommended to David by: Initially some guy at college (through another Vonnegut Book)

Shelves: philosophy

There are a number of Vonnegut books that I wish to read again, but this is not one of them. It is not because it is a bad book, or badly written, but that is can be somewhat dry that what I have been used to. I somehow enjoy the irony of how a science-fiction writer casts his main characters as failed science-fiction writers (despite him not being one, though I suspect that when he started writing this would have been the case). However, the geniousness of Vonnegut is not that he is a modernis...more There are a number of Vonnegut books that I wish to read again, but this is not one of them. It is not because it is a bad book, or badly written, but that is can be somewhat dry that what I have been used to. I somehow enjoy the irony of how a science-fiction writer casts his main characters as failed science-fiction writers (despite him not being one, though I suspect that when he started writing this would have been the case). However, the geniousness of Vonnegut is not that he is a modernist and absurdist writer, but rather that he uses his writings to expose the darker side of modern society (which is why he is a modernist).
The definition of a lawyer pretty much defines this book, 'a lawyer is a person who takes money from one person, gives it to another, and takes a bit for himself', though the reality is that they don't take a bit, but they take a lot. However, that is true, and it is this that gives lawyers a really bad name. For instance, the divorce lawyers who drag out a divorce and end up pocketing of the money that the couple had leaving both of them destitute. Similarly with the wills and estate lawyers who encourage challenges to the will so that those who should inherit the money end up with nothing while the lawyers walk away with the entire estate. That may make being a lawyer sound really good, except for the fact that it can be very hard to break into the profession, and even if you do, it is harder to maintain your honesty and integrity in the middle of a dispute knowing that the counsel on the otherside is syphoning all of your client's resources, and that you also must make promises that you have no intention of keeping simply to get that client in through the door.
It may sound that I am having a go at lawyers, but it is the sad fact that the lawyers seem to take all of the flack when this is essentially how the modern capitalistic society works. Take for instance the insurance broker who pretty much does nothing except take your money and gives a lesser amount of money to the insurance company. In fact, I know brokers that pretty much do nothing other than that. Or the accountant that arranges your tax return, but does so much work on it that it ends up costing more for the accountant than the actual tax return.
In a way the modern economy is like a river, almost to the extent that terms that come from fluid dynamics are used to describe the stock market. A stock is liquid or illiquid (and that defines how easy it is to buy or sell it). A company floats its shares on the stock market and we also describe the financial health of a company in terms of liquidity, and when you have lost money on a position you are described as being underwater. To an extent this is true, capital is supposed to flow, and a financially healthy system ideally has money continually flowing through it, however that is not actually the case. Instead, it flows from the net spender to the net saver. I would say it tends to flow from the poor to the rich, however that is not actually the case, because a poor person who is a net saver does not necessarily remain poor while a rich person who is a net spender does not necessarily remain rich.
Another aspect of this book is the idea that in a capitalist society, the idea of one of the wealthy being a philanthropist and working an ordinary job (in this case as a fireman) is an abberation, to the point that the antagonist of the story (a lawyer) goes out of his way to declare that this person is insane. I remember reading this book, and all I seemed to be focusing on was the lawyer's plot to get the money from the rich man and give it to the failed insurance salesman, and not actually realising that in doing this, the lawyer was actually undermining the type of person that shows the good side of humanity. You end up getting so caught up in the lawyer's scheme that you lose track of what the novel is about, and that is that capitalism hates philanthropy, and that somebody who acts in such a way is not so much mad, but dangerous. The idea is to impoverish people, and when they are impoverish, to then impoverish them more. It is economic evolution, a means of destroying the masses so that the world may be left for the wealthy to stretch out and enjoy (if there ends up being anything left that is).(less)

like · see review

Oct 28, 2012 Mika rated it 3 of 5 stars

Don't get me wrong, I am an avid Vonnegut fan. I have two copies of Slaughterhouse-Five (my favorite book); one which remains pristine and unmarked, and a mass market version that I underline and scribble notes in the margins each time I re-read it. I recently found myself with some extra time and had tossed myself into a Vonnegut bender. In the last week or so I've finished reading Mother Night, The Sirens of Titan, and While Mortals Sleep.

I feel that I just don't quite understand the book whol...more

like · see review

Oct 20, 2012 Dave rated it 3 of 5 stars

Politics and capitalism. This early Vonnegut doesn't have the surrealism of the later work but is just as poignant and incisive. I found myself highlighting a lot of passages.

In a way, Mr. Rosewater is a cross between a Kennedy and Jesus. The topic is Rosewater and other extremely wealthy heirs who have done nothing to earn their massive fortunes. In fact, they may be several generations removed from any family member who did anything constructive. So do they deserve their money? Either way, wha...more

like · see review

May 21, 2012 Patrick added it · review of another edition

Vonnegut famously said of writing "every character should want something, even if it's a glass of water," but it's been so long since I read any Vonnegut I forgot how literally he took his own advice. Mr. Rosewater may want something but it might as well be just a glass of water, so flippant and snarky is Vonnegut's characterization and prose.

I wouldn't ever advice beginning a novel with the liberal rantings of a rich man, or suffusing a novel with digressions and tangents and not much plot wha...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 18, 2012 Lily Bart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Out of all Vonnegut's novels, this is by far the best. One reason is that there are no sci-fi trappings, no silliness about time travel or aliens, nothing but a real study of American history and the impact of wealth and greed on the ideal of democracy. While short and exceedingly easy to read, the book feels like an epic narrative, since it sweeps from the very rich to the very poor, from the battlefields of the Civil War to the modern sailing playgrounds of the very rich. It feels much longer...more Out of all Vonnegut's novels, this is by far the best. One reason is that there are no sci-fi trappings, no silliness about time travel or aliens, nothing but a real study of American history and the impact of wealth and greed on the ideal of democracy. While short and exceedingly easy to read, the book feels like an epic narrative, since it sweeps from the very rich to the very poor, from the battlefields of the Civil War to the modern sailing playgrounds of the very rich. It feels much longer and richer than it is in terms of page count alone.

For the first and last time, Vonnegut takes the time to outline a realistic setting,Rosewater County Indiana, and observes the effects of poverty there with all the power (but none of the sentimentality) of John Steinbeck at his best. At the same time he cuts back to New York, writing about the rich Rosewater clan and the wealthy families of Pisquontuit with all the power (but none of the sentimentality) of Edith Wharton. Last of all, he uses a brilliant series of flashbacks to describe America's tragic fall from the courage and carnage of the Civil War to the squalor and self-indulgence of America today. The Civil War sections alone are unique in Vonnegut's work; he captures the horror of the casualty rates without in any way denying or shying away from the ideals of the Union Army. He writes about the civil war with all of the power (but none of the sentimentality) of Southern apologists like Charles Frazier.

Eliot Rosewater is an ideal American hero,and a fascinating foil to Billy Pilgrim in SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE. Both are All-American guys. But where Billy is an average Joe, Eliot is a scion of wealth and privilege. Where Billy is a ninety eight pound weakling, Eliot is a sailing and tennis champ. Billy is a one-dimensional anti-war propaganda device, (too "pure" to acquire even the most basic military discipline) while Eliot is a much-decorated officer who fights well and suffers as only a brave man can.

The greater power of Eliot Rosewater means that the stakes are much higher. Unlike Billy Pilgrim, Eliot is not a passive weakling but a crusader who sacrifices wealth and privilege to help the poor. His warmth, gentleness and paternal concern for the less fortunate are rendered with tenderness and humor. Vonnegut creates a convincing modern day saint and gives him a real experience among fully realized victims of modern America.

As always in Vonnegut, the few flaws in the book all involve women. Eliot's wife Sylvia is flayed raw again and again as a spoiled socialite who simply can't muster up the gumption to stand by Eliot's side. Vonnegut apologizes for her -- but with a sneer. He never seems to have realized that not all women are as fragile and treacherous as his own mother, who, as he never gets tired of telling us, abandoned him by committing suicide at an early age. By the same token, Fred Rosewater of Rhode Island, Eliot's distant cousin, is rendered as gentle and long-suffering, while his wife Caroline is a one-dimensional shrew. Vonnegut can't get away from an instinctive hostility to women as women, as if the mere biological condition of womanhood were some sort of moral weakness.

His social criticism, as bracing as it is, often suffers as a result. For example, in the Rhode Island section, he feels like lashing out at the rich, so he writes (quite memorably) "four fat, stupid, silly widows in furs were laughing over a bathroom joke printed on a cocktail napkin." Hell of a sentence! Sounds like Joseph Cotten in SHADOW OF A DOUBT. But what does it really mean?

What's odd here is that Vonnegut is attacking the rich, only it seems he only means women. And what he hates about women is that they know about sex? That they enjoy sex? That sex exists? That somehow wanting sex killed off the men folk? As Thackeray's Becky Sharp puts it, he leaves women under the weight of an accusation that is, after all, unspoken.

Still, this is the one Vonnegut book that really has the feel of a fully accomplished novel, a genuine American classic. It has moral depth and epic scope that he never achieved again. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 04, 2011 Benny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mr. Rosewater is a fictional character that the world needs desperately. He doesn't see the point of having too much money and is so devastated by the world he sees around him that he becomes an alcoholic and travels the country visiting smalls towns, trying a very novel idea for the rich: helping people. He is the heir to the Rosewater Foundation, which is worth millions. What do you do with a millionaire who tries to selflessly help people? You try and get them committed, of course! Though he...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 03, 2011 Paul Dinger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Vonnegut is one of the last crazies of American lit. This is hardly his masterpiece, but it has great ideas. It is the novel about the Rosewater fortune and also about Capitalism itself. One can so easily read this and see all the evils of today's world. The working man has become irrelevant, even more so to today's economy. And charity is still seen by our own ruling class as being an insanity that hurts society. The Ayn Randian ideas of the Republican party rule our political system irregardle...more

like · see review

Jun 30, 2011 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reading other reviews of this book I see a lot of talk both positive and negative about Vonnegut's intentions. Is the purpose anti-capitalist, does the moral triumph socialism with a punchline, is Vonnegut as ambitious in scope and style as preceding works?

I don't care. This isn't Slaughter House Five so why should I compare it? What I want to know is can it stand on its own, are the characters honest, will it make me feel something (anything)?

Yes.

I don't care about Eliot Rosewater's political...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 04, 2011 John Robinson rated it 5 of 5 stars

While most critics would probably say Slaughterhouse Five is his finest work, due to its compassionate plea for humanity (tinged of course with bleak determinism), it is God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater that is arguably Vonnegut’s most artistic novel.

The plot isn’t driven by narrative gimmicks in chronology, or philosophical aliens appearing deus ex machina, or accidents of history, but rather (largely) internally by what is his most cognitively and morally conflicted (but not totally amoral like Fe...more While most critics would probably say Slaughterhouse Five is his finest work, due to its compassionate plea for humanity (tinged of course with bleak determinism), it is God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater that is arguably Vonnegut’s most artistic novel.

The plot isn’t driven by narrative gimmicks in chronology, or philosophical aliens appearing deus ex machina, or accidents of history, but rather (largely) internally by what is his most cognitively and morally conflicted (but not totally amoral like Felix Hoenikker) and intriguing character (certainly more interesting than the semi-autobiographical and passive Billy Pilgrim).

Is this just a banal tale of undoing the harm of greed and loving others? I think no. Like Vonnegut’s other works, there is a tug of war between misanthropy and idealism, and the conclusion defies a conventional expectation of finding meaning. Like the endings to other Vonnegut novels, this presents merely one of a number of imagined alternatives to realizing one’s potential in the face of death.

Readings his meanings as a plurality of alternatives can also help us to resist the urge of labeling Vonnegut as just a ‘black humorist’. Whacky and absurd, definitely (he reminds me in this regard of the manic mind of Jarod Kintz), but God Bless You Mr. Rosewater is an example of how he does not simply display an absurd conclusion to us and encourage us to laugh at the inescapable fickleness of fate. This character actually changes and has an impact on those around him (though of course it must be admitted that the notion of someone changing the course of history if they try hard enough is one Vonnegut rightfully satirizes throughout much of his other work). This book is a testament to the fact that Vonnegut can’t be put in a box.

Perhaps most importantly, though, this book contains among his most finely crafted prose: “Thus the American dream turned belly up, turned green, bobbed to the scummy surface of cupidity unlimited, filled with gas, went bang in the noonday sun”. Vonnegut once said in an interview that in high school he wrote for the daily newspaper, and the simple style he is often (derisively) described as adhering to was deliberately crafted to reach an audience of teenagers (and his detractors would say still does). But at his best, Vonnegut defies even his own self-descriptions, and from this sentence it is clear that he is capable of considerable complexity (though he is also capable of careless repetitiousness in a way that goes beyond simply his own tendency to cross-reference his works; compare this sentence with an inferior one in Breakfast of Champions: “Those fish were extinct. They had all turned belly-up years ago, had been flushed from the cave and into the Ohio River – to turn belly-up, to go bang in the noonday sun.”)
(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 07, 2009 Matthew rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Compared to other Vonnegut books, this one just doesn't work as well. The writing style is clearly Vonnegut, but it lacks a compassion for its characters that his other books have. When I was reading it, I was convinced that was one of his first books, because you can see the ideas and style that appear in his better books. I figured he just hadn't found his voice yet.

It turns out he wrote Rosewater between Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five. So much for my theory.

I think the biggest differenc...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 12, 2013 John Spillane rated it 3 of 5 stars

I initially starting reading this because I was marooned with only a KV compilation to pass the time and God Bless... was the shortest therein. The first 15 pages or so are compelling stuff regarding a topic,class and empathy, that rarely has someone as talented KV at the helm. Civil War profiteers! Need I say more? : ) I'm Libertarian who hates Ayn Rand, and while KV attacks the rich many of those blows are launched because of their interactions with the government and the ripping off of their...more

like · see review

Sep 09, 2012 Lindsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is my second Vonnegut novel as I found the first one I read, Breakfast of Champions, so intruiging. This one deals with wealth and poverty in America, and the different ways people view these attributes. Protagonist, Eliot Rosewater, is an heir to the Rosewater Foundation and leaves him quite rich. He fought WW2, married a Parisian named Sylvia, and has a thing for firefighters. A corrupt lawyer in the firm that represents his foundation wants to prove that Eliot is insane so his money can...more

like · see review

Mar 02, 2012 Matthew rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Sep 08, 2012 Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

How did I let this one fall through the cracks all these years? Did I think it was a collection of short stories, or was it never classified as “one of his greats?” This is officially the last Vonnegut novel I had to get through, and it was one of his best, definitely up there (though definitely behind) Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse, Mother Night, Breakfast, and Titan.

There couldn’t have been a better time for me to have this book literally fall into my hands – a precocious freshman I had last y...more How did I let this one fall through the cracks all these years? Did I think it was a collection of short stories, or was it never classified as “one of his greats?” This is officially the last Vonnegut novel I had to get through, and it was one of his best, definitely up there (though definitely behind) Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse, Mother Night, Breakfast, and Titan.

There couldn’t have been a better time for me to have this book literally fall into my hands – a precocious freshman I had last year, who is fascinated with Colbert, Super PACS, read 1984, is seeing Springsteen in concert at Wrigley tonight, and comes in every morning before school to philosophize about the state of the world, leading me to tell him about Vonnegut and the dark humor, sinister satire, and humanistic world truths he purports – as Vonnegut tackles such huge issues (in 1965!) as money, entitlement, generosity, “the greater whole,” family fortunes, sanity, and what it means to be human. What a perfect read for the week of the conventions! I feel like Vonnegut should be on Colbert this week explaining the messages he puts forth in “his latest book,” explaining how ludicrous it is to build a country on a foundation of “I got mine, Jack, fuck you, and go starve to death because I think you’re lazy and I work hard, nevermind the fact that I was born to parents who paid for my college and provided me with opportunities you never had and you were born into poverty with minimal options – the world would be better if WE shipped YOU the FUCK outta HERE!” (My words and emphasis, not Vonnegut’s… but I’m sure you could tell I was paraphrasing… ) I thought the plot was genius – a rich heir decides he loves human kind and wants to help in any way he can, giving away money, answering the “helpline” at all hours of the night, and ends up declared insane for such idiotic desires. And I really liked the way he chose to end the novel on a note of sentimentality rather than cynicism – though I always loved the endings of those books too. Here he ends it not with the end of the world, or the death of the main character, but – like Sirens of Titan – with a universal message that, although overly simplified, honestly would change the world if people saw things like Vonnegut and not like Mitt Romney or Ayn Rand. To think that he wrote this in 1965, like he thought things were bad then… I bet he’s rolling over in his grave at this current moment…

Of course, much of the above is my personal reaction to his book, but the book itself doesn’t get that seriously into politics, name names, or denounce leaders; it just illustrates, in typical Vonnegut fashion, how the ridiculousness of the beliefs associated with money, corporations, greed, hypocricy, and the “duty” to help or not to help your fellow man. It’s full of laugh-out-loud one-liners, suicide/sanity/death jokes, and poignant scenarios show his point as clearly as Stephen Colbert himself. What kind of world would this be had Vonnegut never blessed our planet?
(less)

like · see review

Dec 17, 2008 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 40-books-in-2008

okay, so this being my third kurt vonnegut book in a read in two weeks, it's amazing that i'm not exhausted of his writing style! this is the funniest of all the books i've read thus far, wackiest, zaniest, kurt vonnegut the comedian at his finest. i love how the reader is introduced to new characters constantly, even 10 pages from the end of the book - splendid!

mr. rosewater is an insane billionaire, distributing his wealth in ways the reader can only imagine. a grant to a whino, to a depresse...more okay, so this being my third kurt vonnegut book in a read in two weeks, it's amazing that i'm not exhausted of his writing style! this is the funniest of all the books i've read thus far, wackiest, zaniest, kurt vonnegut the comedian at his finest. i love how the reader is introduced to new characters constantly, even 10 pages from the end of the book - splendid!

mr. rosewater is an insane billionaire, distributing his wealth in ways the reader can only imagine. a grant to a whino, to a depressed woman named diana moon glampers (such creative name choices!), to people who already have thousands of dollars yet don't want to admit their wealth. he's prone to hallucinations, but i think he's somewhat normal... it's a testament to how money can totally screw the beholder up. big time.

one of my favorite scenes in the book is at bunny weeks' party at the mansion, where somehow surveyors watch the boat scene with harry pena (?), and harry calls out: "drop your cocks and grab your socks." this is so terribly appropriate for a scene in a movie created in our day and age - SO modern! another sign that vonnegut was writing way beyond his time; such a creative, forward thinker.

another amazing part - when eliot is talking to a woman on the phone in his office/apartment, playing with his pubic hair in front of his father! vonnegut writes: "eliot now began to play unconsciously with his pubic hair. It was nothing extravagant. He would simply uncoil a tight spring of it, let it snap back into place...(later on)...Eliot had found a hair that was a lulu. He kept extending
it until it was revealed as being one foot long. He looked down at it, then glanced at his father, incredulously proud of owning such a thing" hahahhahaa. hilarious. the other line i love here is: "don't worry about it, dear. there's many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip" - which is actually a british saying about tea, traditionally (http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_bo...).

amidst the laughter, the message of the book is clear - some rich people feel a sense of entitlement, whereby they know how to distribute the wealth properly. truth? there are some additional messages speckled throughout the text, like on language: "the reason creatures wanted to use language instead of mental telepathy was that they found out they could get so much more done with language. Language made them so much more active. Mental telepathy, with everybody constantly telling everybody everything, produced a sort of generalized indifference to all information. But language, with its slow, narrow meanings, made it possible to think about one thing at a time--to start thinking in terms of projects." vonnegut's views on the pragmatic benefits of language is clear here. this book is also worth reading now because of our currently political climate - vonnegut has some interesting views on capitalism you should check out.

every vonnegut fan must read this book. you'll be laughing and thinking about it for days...

<3

(less)

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (40)

More editions...

Genres

Literature

89 users

Classics

86 users

Humor

68 users

Science Fiction

54 users

Novels

46 users

Literature > American

29 users

Contemporary

18 users

Adult Fiction

15 users

Literature > 20th Century

14 users

Humor > Comedy

14 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle
by Harold Bloom (Editor)
Conversations with Kurt Vonnegut
by William Rodney Allen (Editor)
Venus on the Half-Shell
by Philip José Farmer
The Eden Express: A Memoir of Insanity
by Mark Vonnegut
Blind Man with a Pistol
by Chester Himes

About Kurt Vonnegut

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...

Books by Kurt Vonnegut

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About God Bless You, Mr...

16 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from God Bless You, Mr. Ros...

“Thus did a handful of rapacious citizens come to control all that was worth controlling in America. Thus was the savage and stupid and entirely inappropriate and unnecessary and humorless American class system created. Honest, industrious, peaceful citizens were classed as bloodsuckers, if they asked to be paid a living wage. And they saw that praise was reserved henceforth for those who devised means of getting paid enormously for committing crimes against which no laws had been passed. Thus the American dream turned belly up, turned green, bobbed to the scummy surface of cupidity unlimited, filled with gas, went bang in the noonday sun.” — 57 people liked it

“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 was toilet paper.” — 43 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
avg rating	preview: God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater Goodreads rating: 3.89 (24212 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9590.God_Bless_You_Mr_Rosewater?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333578196l/9590.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9590.God_Bless_You_Mr_Rosewater?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut[/url]

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website