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Cat's Cradle

4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 · rating details · 129,307 ratings · 3,981 reviews

Cat's Cradle deals with atomic scientists, ugly Americans, gorgeous sex queens, vengeful midgets, Caribbean dictators, undertakers, Hoosiers, a new way of making love, ice-nine, Bokononism, the end of the world... Ice-nine? Bokononism? The End of the World? No one but Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., could have created this masterful mix of satire, fantasy and all-too-real realism. An...more

Mass Market Paperback, 191 pages

Published January 1st 1973 by Dell (first published 1963)

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Mar 28, 2013 Manny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, strongly-recommended, pooh-dante

Most people have read Cat's Cradle, so I won't bother to try and hide spoilers. Did you say you hadn't read it? Well, what are you waiting for? This isn't Ulysses, you know, it's short and funny! So, now that it's just us people who know the book, I want to say why I disagree with the criticism you often see, that it's too fragmentary. On the contrary, I think it's very focused, and makes its point with near-perfect economy and wit. There are two obvious themes. One is how the irresponsible use...more

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Feb 13, 2010 Lorenzo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2007-readings, american

There are two voices inside my head. Let's call them Lore and Enzo. At the moment L & E are quarreling on Cat's Cradle.

(...)
L) Oh come on! This book is wonderful. Perhaps it's the best novel Vonnegut has ever written.
E) Are you kidding me? Have you read the whole of it?
L) Of course I've read it from its first word to the very last one.
E) And haven't you noticed anything strange?
L) What are you talking about?
E) I mean, you know, it's a discontinuous novel. I can't deny it has a great beginni...more

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Jun 05, 2012 mark monday rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alpha-team, first-loves, unstable-narratives

there are probably as many reviews of Cat's Cradle as there are stars in the sky, so no doubt there's little i can add that's of any value. who cares? i love hearing myself talk, so let's go for it!

.....

well, this is harder than i thought. it's as easy as describing why i love my favorite pillow or threadbare t-shirt, or why i like rainy days as much as sunny days. okay, here goes. the inventiveness of Cat's Cradle and its bleak, absurd humor was incredibly eye-opening to me in high school and...more

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May 28, 2012 Steve aka Sckenda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science, religion, comedy, satire, meaning

“When a man becomes a writer, he takes on a sacred obligation to produce beauty and enlightenment and comfort at top speed.” (231)

but....

“I am about to do a very un-ambassadorial thing. I’m about to tell you what I really feel.”(253)

“Life is funny sometimes and sometimes it isn’t.” This 1963 black comedy tells the story of John (“Call me Jonah”), a freelance writer who is working on a non-fiction book entitled, “The Day the World Ended,” about the day the nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. H...more

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May 05, 2013 Megan Baxter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What is it about Vonnegut's authorial voice? It's simultaneously wry and tender, sarcastic and gentle. I don't know of any other authors that can manage that particular combination. And here, writing about the end of the world in so many different ways, it is on full display.

The narrator is a journalist, writing a book about "The End of the World" - people's remembrances of the day the first atomic bomb was dropped. In the course of his research, he seeks out one of the main scientists, Dr. Hoe...more What is it about Vonnegut's authorial voice? It's simultaneously wry and tender, sarcastic and gentle. I don't know of any other authors that can manage that particular combination. And here, writing about the end of the world in so many different ways, it is on full display.

The narrator is a journalist, writing a book about "The End of the World" - people's remembrances of the day the first atomic bomb was dropped. In the course of his research, he seeks out one of the main scientists, Dr. Hoenikker. Dr. Hoenikker has since passed, but the narrator corresponds with his children and colleagues. In the process, he learns about the good doctor's next project.

And is drawn to the small island nation of San Lorenzo, and its native religion, Bokononism, built on comfortable lies, and good stories. Vonnegut seems to imply that this is as good an excuse for religion as any. Bokononism is about recognizing the simple humanity of others, and the sheer ridiculousness of the world.

That is one of the things I love about Vonnegut - he recognizes the ridiculousness of people, their failings and flaws and pettinesses and short-sightedness, yet it doesn't make him sour about them. Slightly exasperated about them, but not nasty. That that warmth can survive gives me hope.

And those frailties are in full supply. Without ever entirely meaning to, people keep doing things that lead to very bad outcomes! They fail to think through their actions, they fail to take responsibility for what they're doing, one scientist treats a new technology that could end the world as a game, and another bridles when the narrator suggests that maybe such an attitude is immoral.

"It's not my responsibility, I just did this one thing!" echoes through the pages. People are short-sighted and defensive and insecure and jealous - but not evil. And yet, it doesn't take evil for terrible things to occur. It just takes flawed humanity and bad luck.

What can one do in the midst of such ridiculousness? Laugh and thumb your nose at god, Vonnegut suggests. Sometimes it does seem like the only response.

Crossposted to Smorgasbook (less)

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Sep 22, 2012 Venus added it · review of another edition

Shelves: novel

پفیوز کسی هست که فکر می کند خیلی باهوش است،هیچ وقت نمی تواند جلوی دهانش را بگیرد.مهم نیست بقیه چه می گویند،او باید مخالفتش را بکند.یک آدم پفیوز تمام سعی اش را می کند که تو همیشه خیال کنی گند زده ای.مهم نیست تو از چه حرف میزنی،او بهتر از تو می داند...!

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Feb 12, 2011 James rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, postmodernism, humor, favorites

Listen:
Although I've only yet read three of his novels, I would be surprised if Cat's Cradle isn't Kurt Vonnegut's greatest masterpiece. It can be very difficult to rate Vonnegut's work, as his books are so easily enjoyable and his flippant sarcasm, through which he makes light of such matters as Armageddon, could give the impression that he shouldn't be taken seriously as an artist (he certainly isn't taking himself seriously). However, this meditation on science's role in man's eventual destru...more Listen:
Although I've only yet read three of his novels, I would be surprised if Cat's Cradle isn't Kurt Vonnegut's greatest masterpiece. It can be very difficult to rate Vonnegut's work, as his books are so easily enjoyable and his flippant sarcasm, through which he makes light of such matters as Armageddon, could give the impression that he shouldn't be taken seriously as an artist (he certainly isn't taking himself seriously). However, this meditation on science's role in man's eventual destruction, and the inherent paradoxes of religious beliefs is undeniably a significant literary accomplishment.

To start with, the storyline in Cat's Cradle is a fuller one than in Breakfast of Champions or even Slaughterhouse-Five. The book is essentially a collection of short vignettes. It begins as the narrator, Jonah, attempts to write a biography of the mysterious Dr.Felix Hoenikker, "the father of the atom bomb." His quest for information about this bizarre man, comparable in a way to Charles Foster Kane, leads him to an island in the Caribbean, which he soon becomes president of (think Woody Allen in Bananas). The plot then descends into an end of the world scenario that would make any pulp sci-fi author worth his salt jealous. Even faced with the end of mankind, Vonnegut can only laugh, and, it goes without saying, make the reader laugh along with him.

Indeed, this is Vonnegut at his most wickedly satirical; there's nary a flat line or a philosophical observation that doesn't ring true. And if Vonnegut is writing his best punchlines, then it should follow that this novel contains his best prose writing, given that stinging punchlines are the center of his writing. In the past, I breezed through his novels in less than a day, but here, for the first time, I slowed down and savored his writing; there's so much to enjoy here that, though the book is short, a reader should really take the time to admire how finely crafted this book really is.

Finally, there is Bokononism: the self-refuting religion Vonnegut created for Cat's Cradle. This brilliant concept is what makes the novel truly great. Although he wrings a great many laughs from Bokononism, it is far from just a jokey concept. Indeed, the fact that it is a joke shouldn't keep the reader from taking it seriously. Here Vonnegut has created a true mythology, which ranks with the best of any "serious" sci-fi author.

I regard the novels of Kurt Vonnegut as treats; they go down smoothly and keep you coming back for more. But he also has the brilliance to use humor to take some very high-minded concepts down to Earth(for example: has any contemporary writer of fiction written more candidly about the existence or non-existence of a God?). I would think that, if nothing else, a writer who can make us laugh in the face of the absurd tragedy of mankind is more than worth reading, and Cat's Cradle is this "moral mad scientist" at his very best.(less)

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Apr 04, 2012 MJ Nicholls rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, merkins

The best way to cure Reader’s Block is to reread authors whose works induce chest pains of happiness in one’s . . . chest, so I did this with Mr. Vonnegut this afternoon. Sadly, upon rereading Cat’s Cradle, which I first tackled in 2007 at the summit of Arthur’s Seat as a love-drunk twenty-year-old starting to lick the world’s honeyest creases after a period of long-term depression, I was more disappointed than delighted. I suspect this book is read largely in one’s teens when confronting the va...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Kedar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, read-in-2012, to-reread

To write a review of this book in three words:
'busy, busy, busy'.
But there is no such restriction, so...

I have a strong belief that Vonnegut was a really baroque spider who weaved webs more intricate than any other. And these cobwebs are not normal ones. They are fractal webs. Designs within designs. The more you understand, the more there is to understand. The deeper you go, the meaninglessness of everything comes about.

Some authors elicit direct questions in the reader's minds. Some elicit que...more To write a review of this book in three words:
'busy, busy, busy'.
But there is no such restriction, so...

I have a strong belief that Vonnegut was a really baroque spider who weaved webs more intricate than any other. And these cobwebs are not normal ones. They are fractal webs. Designs within designs. The more you understand, the more there is to understand. The deeper you go, the meaninglessness of everything comes about.

Some authors elicit direct questions in the reader's minds. Some elicit questions under the garb of strange humour. Vonnegut belongs to the latter. He makes you think about religion, men of god, politics, science, society, utopia, dystopia, metaphysics, human behaviour, and some more topics without explicitly speaking about them. All of this indulgence goes along with the story of a man, who preferred to call himself Jonah, and his quest to find out what the scientist, who designed the atom bomb, was doing on the day the bomb was dropped. From then on, there are threads revealed. Some are very obvious, most hidden under the seemingly funny lines. Then, things happen and keep happening, and then some more things happen.

This is not Sirens of Titans, neither is it Slaughterhouse-Five. Cat's Cradle stands on a different track. Though it has style. Vonnegut has style. A style that opens the keys to the warehouse where every little thing makes you think. Makes you wonder and question and eventually come with an answer "There is no damn Cat, and there is no damn Cradle". Ensuring that you get the the futility of it all.

As with the previous two Vonnegut books I have read, this one really needs a reread. Maybe to understand it more, or maybe to find out that there is actually nothing relevant in the book, that everything is just made up. Made up just like life seems at times.

The other day, I was thinking what an interesting conversation Vonnegut and Wodehouse would have in the Bar of Heaven over a couple of drinks. Talking about the pitiful humans and their actions, humans writing theorems after watching apples fall down. Laughing at us all.(less)

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Jan 24, 2013 A.J. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy

Vonnegut had his issues with the science fiction genre--not problems with it, per se, but he resisted the label. He mocked in essay form the endless disputes the folks at the sci-fi lodge have over what is really science fiction? Being that one of my lifelong pet projects has been the war of popular and literary fiction, I can sympathize. On the one hand he published this wonky little book in 1963 when the B-movie schlock and short story rags were a not-so-distant memory. Many an argument over m...more Vonnegut had his issues with the science fiction genre--not problems with it, per se, but he resisted the label. He mocked in essay form the endless disputes the folks at the sci-fi lodge have over what is really science fiction? Being that one of my lifelong pet projects has been the war of popular and literary fiction, I can sympathize. On the one hand he published this wonky little book in 1963 when the B-movie schlock and short story rags were a not-so-distant memory. Many an argument over many an author mystifies the entire categorical enterprise (I promise that's the last academic-sounding throat clearing you'll hear from me).

Is Nineteen Eighty-four science fiction? Well. . .there aren't any aliens. It's certainly not technoporn. Yet the entire premise of the novel--and Orwell admits as much--is that the development of the telescreen, a device which allows information to be transmitted and received simultaneously, served as the catalyst for a state of perpetual surveillance. No such device existed in 1948, obviously, and as I write this from my laptop while checking the weather, I get the feeling he may have overstated the case a little.

Is Cat's Cradle science fiction? Well. . .metaphorical world-ending compound ice-nine. Whispers of the utopian (and dystopian) as veiled social commentary. Sound familiar? In addition to pursuing scientific degrees, Vonnegut worked in PR for General Electric and spent a not inconsiderable amount of his time around scientists and their families against the backdrop of the Cold War. His deadpan prose is a far cry from Asimov or Clarke, but we're just starting the conversation all over again.

Rather than splitting these hairs with a light saber, I prefer to avoid the conversation entirely. As far as I'm concerned 'genre' is about as arbitrary a term as the human race has ever invented. The endless bickering mostly serves to figure out on which shelf the minimum wage Barnes & Noble Employee of the Month should cram the book.

That aside: fun book, damn quick read, and a celebration of the absurd. In this world, what can you do but laugh?(less)

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Jan 01, 2012 notgettingenough rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: modern-lit

A book review.

Modern literature was ruined for me when I was little. It all started with The Magus. What on earth possessed me to pick it up, I have no idea, but I suckered in by the sex and started reading modern literature, pop literature for sex, sex and more sex thereafter. Catch 22 was another which I received favourably at the time. From that rather particular perspective, this book dismally failed.

Reread last week with the maturity I have more recently acquired. Gee it's a good book. No s...more

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May 09, 2013 Milica Chotra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked this book. (★★★★)

I record this impression for whatever it may be worth. "Write it all down," Bokonon tells us. He is really telling us, of course, how futile it is to write or read book reviews. "Without accurate records and ratings of everything you ever read, how can men and women be expected to tell good books from the bad ones?" he asks ironically.

So, again: I really liked this book. (★★★★)

You, non-Bokononist readers, consider this a recommendation.

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May 04, 2013 Penny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bookclub, books-they-say-i-should-read, classics, science-fiction, scifi-and-fantasy-club-bookshelf, highly-recommended, favourites

Although I found the ending rather abrupt, I thought this was a fantastic book! The style of short chapters was unusual but fit well with the narration.

The story is told from the point of view of a writer John (or Jonah) who has converted from Christianity to Bokononism and is attempting to write a book about the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. He meets many weird characters (or members of his karass) along the way and describes among other things, his journey to Bokononism.

I thou...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Robert Delikat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, scifi

To say that I worship at the alter of Kurt Vonnegut would be more mawkish than overstated. He is and will probably always remain one of my all-time, favorite authors. When picking up a book, one can only hope that the author can write; the surprise comes when an author’s contributions transcend what is on the printed page. Such is usually the case with KV. Not only can he write his butt off, he has the absolutely, incredible talent to hold up this mirror for all of us to see the travesty of so m...more To say that I worship at the alter of Kurt Vonnegut would be more mawkish than overstated. He is and will probably always remain one of my all-time, favorite authors. When picking up a book, one can only hope that the author can write; the surprise comes when an author’s contributions transcend what is on the printed page. Such is usually the case with KV. Not only can he write his butt off, he has the absolutely, incredible talent to hold up this mirror for all of us to see the travesty of so much we hold sacred in this American Experience and then laugh at the same time that we cry at our reflection.

About writing itself, KV once said in an interview, “Well, I've worried some about, you know, why write books ... why are we teaching people to write books when presidents and senators do not read them, and generals do not read them. And it's been the university experience that taught me that there is a very good reason, that you catch people before they become generals and presidents and so forth and you poison their minds with ... humanity, and however you want to poison their minds, it's presumably to encourage them to make a better world.” Bottom line for me, that’s what KV’s writings are always about: Humanity.

In 1971 the University of Chicago awarded KV his Master's degree in anthropology for Cat's Cradle. While at first blush that might seem a bit over the top, after reading this treatise on such subjects as science and technology, religion and morality, ethics and law, it becomes quite clear about his critique, KV did his homework. And, the originality of his work is unmistakeable. There are folks out there today such as Al Franken and Jon Stewart for whom KV had to have been an influence. KV was one of the originators of the movement for modern, self-reflection at least in contemporary America. That being said, this is not an unapproachable work reserved for the academic elite. This book is for the entertainment and edification of anyone and everyone: the unread generals, unwashed presidents and your any, off-the-street, Joe Blow, the Plummer. I cannot imagine anyone with a scintilla of humanity not loving this book. You're not into social critique you say. Great, read it just for the fun of it. It is funnier than shit, well, it's just plain fun.

The narration on this Audible selection could have possibly been done differently and still worked. It's hard to believe that it could have been done better.(less)

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May 11, 2013 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi

I've just finished Cat's Cradle with predictable results. I feel sad and hopeless. After choosing this book because of a reference to ice-9 and genuine interest in the "fun" of sci-fi speculation, I was not disappointed in those aspects. Though brief, the technical proposal was imaginative and believable. It was, however, only a small part of the book. Vonnegut is able to invent and use a first class Sci-Fi premise without succumbing to the urge to take it seriously. The geek in me wishes he wou...more I've just finished Cat's Cradle with predictable results. I feel sad and hopeless. After choosing this book because of a reference to ice-9 and genuine interest in the "fun" of sci-fi speculation, I was not disappointed in those aspects. Though brief, the technical proposal was imaginative and believable. It was, however, only a small part of the book. Vonnegut is able to invent and use a first class Sci-Fi premise without succumbing to the urge to take it seriously. The geek in me wishes he would put a lot more flesh on the bones of the science but Vonnegut has no use for that, it's just a vector to deliver his message, and he only has need of the bones and gristle, so that's all you'll get. There is so much more going on though, and concerning such grave matters, that the ice-9 could just as well melt into the background except for the fact that it is a critical prop device enabling the storyline.

The plot was ridiculous, worthy of Douglas Adams with castles, Caribbean dictators, nerds supermodels, and our intrepid reporter who self effacing character means he doesn't even know he's sure to get the girl. It was good, and plenty of humor, but enough about that.

The theme is that mankind is a tragic enterprise, a "grandfalloon." Like foolhardy children, not to be trusted with matches, we will wipe ourselves out just as soon as we can. Sure, there are all kinds of people, many good, or well intentioned, but unfortunately our vast technical power now makes it possible for small people with small acts of vanity, cruelty or stupidity to commit unspeakable horror. Being as absolutely blunt as possible, Vonnegut even puts the deadly wizardry and the ethical absentia into the same person. It's just a very small stretch from ice-9 to PU-239, and the same foolish scientific tinkering to create them both, so there's your moral, folks.

Now, those grim fairy tales your Momma read you always contain an admonition, something you do or don't do in order to avoid the bogey man, or getting cut up with scissors, or whatever. Vonnegut, though, offers no hope. After pondering a minute, I feel there's really very little else to say about it. At least with Adams, the dolphins get out in the last scene. Instead, we get a sort of anti-Prometheus.

Next there's Bokonism, which seems unnecessary. Did Vonnegut really need a moralizing narrator droning on in the background to reinforce every point? Maybe he felt it impossible to make this book obvious enough, given the importance of the topic.

Last, what's with Mona? I'm male enough to have been captivated by her, can understand a woman being the only and most important thing on earth and her disinterest being emotionally crushing, but WHY is any of that in the book? Why is she in it? What lesson have I missed about her?

There is nothing to do at the end of this book but be sad.(less)

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Oct 18, 2008 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: please, everyone read this

Shelves: 50-books-2008, can-t-stop-recommending

This, along with The Joke and The Trial (and maybe some others I've forgotten), is one of the few books I've read the most--4 or 5 times (again, maybe I've forgotten now and the number is higher).

Slaughterhouse Five may be a haunting, beautifully constructed, masterpiece of literature (and it is), but Cat's Cradle is, I think, a true work of genius. I don't believe that it is possible to so perfectly articulate care for, disappointment in, laughter at, anger towards, and care again for humanity...more This, along with The Joke and The Trial (and maybe some others I've forgotten), is one of the few books I've read the most--4 or 5 times (again, maybe I've forgotten now and the number is higher).

Slaughterhouse Five may be a haunting, beautifully constructed, masterpiece of literature (and it is), but Cat's Cradle is, I think, a true work of genius. I don't believe that it is possible to so perfectly articulate care for, disappointment in, laughter at, anger towards, and care again for humanity and the divine comedy of human existence, in anything other than a true piece of genius. Kurt Vonnegut utterly does that in the deceptively simple, dauntingly apocalyptic, and heartbreakingly humorous Cat's Cradle (which is summed up perfectly by one of its inhabitants: "No damn cat. No damn cradle."). It is a book which runs on a complete internal logic which is beautifully human. If nothing else I hope that the world is still one in which a discussion like this is relevant:

"...When a man becomes a writer, I think he takes on a sacred obligation to produce beauty and enlightenment and comfort at top speed."
"I just can't help thinking what a real shaking up it would give people if, all of a sudden, there were no new books, no new plays, new histories, new poems..."
"And how proud would you be when people started dying like flies?" I demanded.
"They'd die more like mad dogs, I think--snarling and snapping at each other and biting their own tails."
I turned to Castle the elder. "Sir, how does a man die when he's deprived of the consolations of literature?"
"In one of two ways," he said, "petrescence of the heart or atrophy of the nervous system."
"Neither one very pleasant, I expect," I suggested.

Zoe mentioned in a comment she left me that everything about humanity can be found in Don Quixote. I agree with her. But it is also all here in the Cat's Cradle. The only thing is that there's no damn cat, and no damn cradle. Vonnegut weaves a sort of fatalistic humanism which loves humanity but loathes the terrible things it does.

Finally, in the words of Horlick Minton, Ambassador to the Republic of San Lorenzo: "Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise." (less)

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Sep 09, 2008 Elze rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's been a long time since I enjoyed a book so much. It's strange to say that, because overall I didn't find its conclusion satisfying. However, it's written so well I enjoyed every sentence. Every paragraph, every little episode had something that spoke to me, whether I agreed with it or not. It's a rare experience.

It's too bad I read Kurt Vonnegut for the first time at the age of 12-13. I'm not sure if I read Cat's Cradle or some other books, but they seemed just plain weird and boring to me....more It's been a long time since I enjoyed a book so much. It's strange to say that, because overall I didn't find its conclusion satisfying. However, it's written so well I enjoyed every sentence. Every paragraph, every little episode had something that spoke to me, whether I agreed with it or not. It's a rare experience.

It's too bad I read Kurt Vonnegut for the first time at the age of 12-13. I'm not sure if I read Cat's Cradle or some other books, but they seemed just plain weird and boring to me. I really wasn't old enough to appreciate them, and had no desire to pick up Vonnegut again until we decided to read this book for the Science and Religion in Fiction book club.

The Bokononian religion that plays such a large part in the book, is fascinating. I was very intrigued by the concepts of carass and grandfalloon. I'm totally with Vonnegut on the notion of grandfaloon; I never believed that political and other "formal" associations are entities through which the world works. Same for nations -- I never believed that all individuals of one nation are bound for a common destiny, so I agree with the Cat's Cradle protagonist that nations are false organizations. This makes the concept of carass even more tantalizing. It is tempting to fantasize that each of us belongs to a special group of people all of who, unbeknownst to each other, are working for some kind of purpose for which we are destined. I don't believe that, but that makes it even more fascinating to explore this concept in a book, as if it were real.

The real purpose of the Cat's Cradle protagonist's carass turns out be very depressing and defeatist. But at least, unlike most religions, Bokononism does not offer illusions that our existence on Earth serves higher purpose. If I had to choose a religion at a gunpoint, this would be the one I chose. :-)

What I found dissatisfying about this book is that it very depressingly barrels towards a predictable conclusion. (I guess if I can't accept that, I'm not ready for Bokononism yet. :-)) All the characters in Cat's Cradle are rather passive. They watch what's happening without doing much to stop it. Still, the thickening sense of dread, of impending doom is fascinating. And the characters the protagonist encounters along the way are very real, complex and interesting. All of them are sympathetic, even Felix, the creator of atomic bomb and Ice-9. As scary and inhuman as he seems at first, he has redeeming features, such as dedication to truth.

This book is a fast read, written in a very clear and engaging style. Despite its heavy philosophical ideas, it never slows down. All in all it's a wonderful story.(less)

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Apr 14, 2008 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Nothing in this review is true.

As much as I enjoy reading Vonnegut, one of the nagging little doubts I always have is that I'm missing something. That there's a hidden message in there that I'm not picking up on. Or, on the other hand, that I am picking up messages that just aren't there.

Which is, perhaps, the point of the whole book.

The world is full of lies. Good lies, bad lies and indifferent lies, but lies nonetheless, and we pick and choose the lies that make our lives happiest. The lie tha...more

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Jun 27, 2010 Kaion rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Oh, isn’t it quaint reading literature from when we thought ~~Ruskies~~Commies~~IraniansSaddamKennedy~~ were going to blow us all mushroom-cloud style a mile high? (Political commentary doesn’t necessarily age well, does it?)

Cat’s Cradle is my introduction to Kurt Vonnegut, and I definitely have an inkling as to why he has such a devoted following. The novel hooked me in immediately into its yarn about… umm… a writer seeking the human story behind the creation of the atom bomb? And there’s stuff about c...more

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Nov 15, 2009 Aerin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, apocalyptic, favorites, well-that-was-awesome, twisty-turny

Every once in awhile, you discover a book that seems like it was written just for you, and just for the particular moment in your life that you happen to come across it. You think, if I had any talent or inclination, this is exactly the kind of book I would try to write. You get this uncanny feeling that someone has gone through your brain, found all the topics you're interested in, the kinds of plotlines you're drawn to, the writing style that appeals to you, the types of characters you prefer...more Every once in awhile, you discover a book that seems like it was written just for you, and just for the particular moment in your life that you happen to come across it. You think, if I had any talent or inclination, this is exactly the kind of book I would try to write. You get this uncanny feeling that someone has gone through your brain, found all the topics you're interested in, the kinds of plotlines you're drawn to, the writing style that appeals to you, the types of characters you prefer to read about, and then wrapped all of it up in an incredibly brilliant novel and delivered it to you when you were most in need of a pick-me-up.

For me, that book was Cat's Cradle.

I'm tired of nuclear war. Global warming is a worn-out cliché. Plagues have been done, and redone, and then done yet again. Comets have collided with the earth, natural resources have dried up, terrorism has crippled us, the Biblical Apocalypse has come and gone, robot uprisings have enslaved us, alien invasions have enslaved us again, and goddammit, would the zombies quit rising from the dead and attacking us, already?

There are only so many ways for the world to end, and I've become bored with all of them.

But then there's Kurt Vonnegut, who says, what if a scientist altered the structure of ice, so that water froze at very warm temperatures? And then what if he created some shards of this "ice-nine", which, if they ever came in contact with the water supply, would act as seed crystals and transform the entire earth into a frozen wasteland in a matter of seconds? And then what if he gave these shards to his bitter and maladjusted children before he died?

Throw in an oddball religious guru, a crazy island potentate, a Ukrainian dancing midget, a cat-killing nihilist, a lovestruck writer, and a whole new way to play footsie, and you've got Cat's Cradle. Definitely one for the "favorites" shelf.

P.S. I wonder how many people fill in "Bokononist" as their religion on official forms? I'm thinking of adopting this practice.(less)

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Dec 15, 2007 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To begin with, did I like the book? I certainly did, as it was entertaining, delightfully light-hearted and irreverent, with an interestingly outlandish plot and equally absurd characters.

How about the quality of the writing? Call me a purist, but the use of fabricated dialects and invented vocabulary left a bad taste in my mouth. On the up-side, Vonnegut’s use of poetry as comic relief was novel and amusing, and his self-mocking aphorisms are definitely quotable. I took pause to think of how f...more To begin with, did I like the book? I certainly did, as it was entertaining, delightfully light-hearted and irreverent, with an interestingly outlandish plot and equally absurd characters.

How about the quality of the writing? Call me a purist, but the use of fabricated dialects and invented vocabulary left a bad taste in my mouth. On the up-side, Vonnegut’s use of poetry as comic relief was novel and amusing, and his self-mocking aphorisms are definitely quotable. I took pause to think of how fun it would be make up a religion in a work of fiction, and liked the idea immensely. In the midst of this novel, I also asked if there were too many things going on, and if there weren’t enough ideas for multiple books. I wondered why I was bothered here and not when reading Palahniuk, whose writing is similar but with more repetition and rhetorical tricks to tie a story together. I particularly began to worry around chapter 105, at which point I feared that Vonnegut was on the verge of losing me. I generally preferred the stories surrounding the main characters to the science-fiction elements surrounding ice-nine, a scientific doomsday device threatening human existence. I would much rather hear more about the creator of the atomic bomb and how much he loved to play with toys, or about the midget love affair that ended with a Russian spy fleeing the country.

What else is there to consider when judging Cat’s Cradle? Did I think this novel was a politically, socially, intellectually or in any other way a significant work, thus rendering Vonnegut a significant author? No, I don’t believe so. Nothing revolutionary here. Similarly, I didn’t feel the sting of his social commentary and feel compelled to denounce the sins of the world as he outlined them. Perhaps I am not the target audience, a young reader in the 21st century rather than the masses of the late 1960’s.

My verdict? More research is required. Inconclusive. But it was an enjoyable read.
(less)

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Jul 11, 2008 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This classic contains a perennially useful reminder (excerpted below) in Chapter 45, which is entitled, "Why Americans are Hated":

Clare Minton's letter to the Times was published during the worst era of Senator McCarthy, and her husband was fired twelve hours after the letter was printed.
"What was so awful about the letter?" I asked.
"The highest possible form of treason," said Minton, "is to say that Americans aren't loved wherever they go, whatever they do. Claire tried to make the point tha...more

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Nov 27, 2008 Jude rated it 5 of 5 stars

the stars are because this was the beginning of it all. a vocabulary shaper. a code for those who knew. permission to think and name and laugh and cry without tears. the grateful dead's publishing company took its name from this book.

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Dec 28, 2011 Harold rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: revisited, vonnegut, favorites

Sometime in the mid 1960s I was in a small bookshop on St. Mark's Place in NYC. I saw a paperback by an author previously unknown to me. The book was Sirens Of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut. I read it and became a Kurt Vonnegut fan. Cat's Cradle was the second book by KV that I read and I decided to read everything I could by him.

A while back I started to revisit Vonnegut and began with "Sirens of Titan" and now "Cat's Cradle," I enjoyed them as much on the second go around as I did on the first more t...more

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Aug 22, 2008 Inder rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1001-books, science, 20th-century, fiction, read-2008

I keep coming back to the clarinet solo ... the one transcendent moment in a dark, dark novel. As the week wears on and the existential pain fades, what's left is the near-poetic brilliance.

Dangit: five stars.
___________________________________________

Five stars for near-poetic brilliance, great one-liners, and the skillful crushing (in less than 200 pages!) of my last remaining hopes in God and humanity, minus one star for completely ruining my week.

(Needless to say, this is anything but a ligh...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Salsabil rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book immediately warns us in the first pages that, "Anyone unable to understand how a useful religion can be founded on lies will not understand this book either." Maybe that's why I found this book to be annoying at times. The narrator is a follower of the Bokonon religion, a religion that's absurd in many ways. Kurt Vonnegut possibly is hinting that the future will have new ideas which people will blindly follow. Vonnegut's dislike to science can be seen when characters are mocked by scie...more

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Aug 01, 2008 Cecily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-or-futuristic, american-canadian

Apocalyptic sci fi/utopia revolving around ice-nine (side effect of developing nuclear bombs), with lots of religious philosophy (Bokonism), i.e. that people need the reassurance of beliefs regardless of whether they are true or not - which they aren't.

Note to self: Before rereading, read Manny's review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

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Jan 07, 2013 Monica rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I know I love a book when I wish there were more pages to it.
I know I hate a book when I can’t stop counting the pages left, the less the pages the greater my drive is to finally finish it.

I heard about Kurt Vonnegut from Book tubers and from the great people here in good reads, and as usual I got intrigued by the author so I went and ordered the book (Used but looks like new) on Amazon, and upon receiving it I dived right into it. I have this weird habit whenever I get a new book, I will start...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Lithium rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, sci-fi, favourites, made-me-think

I love it when a book leaves me unsure about how to classify it. This book meshes history, religion, politics, and a dash of science fiction. No damn cat, and no damn cradle!

I think that the sense of absurdism is exactly what makes this novel so good (and deeply profound in its own way). If Vonnegut had gone about this book in a way that favoured the serious, heavy approach over the witty, seemingly effortless and light, satirical approach, we would have had another boring old story full of rig...more I love it when a book leaves me unsure about how to classify it. This book meshes history, religion, politics, and a dash of science fiction. No damn cat, and no damn cradle!

I think that the sense of absurdism is exactly what makes this novel so good (and deeply profound in its own way). If Vonnegut had gone about this book in a way that favoured the serious, heavy approach over the witty, seemingly effortless and light, satirical approach, we would have had another boring old story full of rights and wrongs and and nothing new to offer. It is, instead, irreverent and with liberal helpings of irony and stony, low-key humour. I think that's the greatest thing about Vonnegut: he never takes himself too seriously. And he trusts his readers enough to read into his story without spelling everything out for them.

Of course, I would be a doing this book a disservice by not mentioning Bokononism. It certainly struck me as interesting. I enjoyed the Calypsos, in particular: 'Tiger got to hunt, bird got to fly; Man got to sit and wonder, ‘Why, why, why?’ Tiger got to sleep, bird got to land; Man got to tell himself he understand.' Regarding the philosophy of Bokononism itself, I thought the concept of Fomas - harmless untruths - was a brilliant touch.

In terms of plot, I think the book forgets itself at times and takes liberties on the narrative front. This is partly what makes it much more effective, in my opinion, because that way you're in for several surprises throughout the book. There are things you absolutely do not see coming. We start off with Jonah, and when I first started reading the book I expected it to be about him. But what I found was that the book was more about everything and everyone else - the Hoennikkers and the Castles and Monzanas and Crosbys and Mintons, San Lorenzo, religion, the End of the World - than about Jonah himself. I realised I don't know Jonah at all, except that he loved Mona. And that he was a writer.

The most interesting moments are in the second half of the book, in particular those relating to McCabe and Lionel Boyd Johnson, 'Papa' Monzano's religion (and that of everybody else in San Lorenzo), and of course, the worms-and-tornadoes-bit - which I absolutely did NOT see coming. At the oubliette part, I was mystified for a moment...Wait, how did we get to this from that?

The End of the World is a topic interesting enough on its own; and, depending on how its handled, a laughably bad or an immensely brilliant basis of the story. This book falls in the latter category: the wonderful thing about Cat's Cradle is that, though the book starts off with the writer documenting the End of the World, it is towards the end that you see the real End coming. And even then, it's not what you would expect.

If you can get over the initial sense of slight incredulity, this book will truly stand out as the brilliant read it is. If you don't take this book too seriously, you will at once get more out of it, and what's more, you will find it profound too. Its deceptively light, not-too-serious tone underlies its real depth and meaning.(less)

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May 02, 2013 Airiz C rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, dark-humor, dystopian, philosophy, surreal, science-fiction

Exploring more of literature’s moral badlands is one of the things I included in my list of bookscapades this year. I’ve considered plunging back into the worlds of Chuck Palahniuk and Bret Easton Ellis, but my sudden need to return to classics led me to Kurt Vonnegut. Cat’s Cradle, my first taste of his oeuvre, can be well considered a good postmodernist romp into the badlands I’m referring to. What made it stand out from its classic kin is its deadpan humor, packing a punch like no other and p...more Exploring more of literature’s moral badlands is one of the things I included in my list of bookscapades this year. I’ve considered plunging back into the worlds of Chuck Palahniuk and Bret Easton Ellis, but my sudden need to return to classics led me to Kurt Vonnegut. Cat’s Cradle, my first taste of his oeuvre, can be well considered a good postmodernist romp into the badlands I’m referring to. What made it stand out from its classic kin is its deadpan humor, packing a punch like no other and propping up his rich commentary on human folly.

Cat’s Cradle, like its string game namesake, has an intricacy that seems to back up the statement ‘the best lies create the best stories.’ It follows the narrator who calls himself Jonah (“Jonah—John—if I had been a Sam, I would have been a Jonah still”). He goes around collecting material for a book he’s planning to write, which is supposed to focus on the day the atomic bomb obliterated Hiroshima, Japan. He researches about Dr. Felix Hoenikker, one of the so-called fathers of the atomic bomb, and eventually finds his life entangled with those of the three strange Hoenikker children—a charmless wench, a train model designer, and a midget. On the process of acquiring potential materials, he gets to know the “outlawed” religion Bokononism, the impoverished San Lorenzo island with its stunning mulatto muse, and the powerful chip called ice-nine.

Vonnegut’s brand of social satire is a joy to read. Living in the 21st century didn’t prevent me from relating to his points; Vonnegut captured the 60s zeitgeist in the book, but it contains timeless threads that hook themselves in our generation.

With black humor in his lit voice box, the author speaks subversively of the little dystopias we build in our societies—science, religion, and politics, particularly their unlikely enmeshments and expected clashes—until we finally reach the end of times. He speaks of the truth that a man will always be half-bad and half-good, because full proportions of either would only drive anyone insane. That sometimes, the “good guys” themselves have to create something “evil” to fight against just so they wouldn’t lose the essence of their existence. The story, fragmented and flawed in its own way, detail more facts about the society that we often refuse to acknowledge.

Of all the countless things I could love about this book, perhaps the very characteristic I gave a big nod to is how Vonnegut didn’t try to bury his points underneath flowery prose. I love a good word play, but Vonnegut’s simple and somewhat flippant approach to his chosen themes seems to intensify the power of his writing. I bet anyone who would read his terse sentences would know that every phrase means a whole world of messages and meanings.

Humorous, off-the-wall, and thought-provoking, Cat’s Cradle is an unforgettable trip to another classic author’s world. Four stars for a good read.(less)

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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

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Quotes from Cat's Cradle

“Tiger got to hunt, bird got to fly;
Man got to sit and wonder 'why, why, why?'
Tiger got to sleep, bird got to land;
Man got to tell himself he understand.” — 708 people liked it

“In the beginning, God created the earth, and he looked upon it in his cosmic loneliness.

And God said, "Let Us make living creatures out of mud, so the mud can see what We have done." And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could speak. God leaned close to mud as man sat, looked around, and spoke. "What is the purpose of all this?" he asked politely.

"Everything must have a purpose?" asked God.

"Certainly," said man.

"Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this," said God.

And He went away.” — 456 people liked it

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