Cat's Cradle

Cat's Cradle: IRP Review

Cat's cradle is a biting and witty satire based on Vonnegut's own experiences working in public relations for GE. The story centers around a young narrator, John (or Jonah) who is doing research for a book he plans to write focusing on what Americans were doing the day the atomic bomb was dropped on hiroshima. His journey for research takes an interesting turn when he learnes that one of the primary developers of the atomic bomb, Dr. Felix Hoenikker, invented a deadly substance called ice-9. His interest in the substance leads him to the destitute island of San Lorenzo, where romance and danger await him.

I found this book to be a fun and easy read. I loved the incorporation of Bokonism throughout the novel as foreshadowing, and I thought it added an extra level of satire as a commentary on religion. I reccomend this book to those interested in adventure, humor, science fiction, and well, just good literature!

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Vonnegut at his best

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Even more so than Slaughterhouse Five, Cat's Cradle exhibits Vonnegut's biting writing style and wonderfully odd ways of telling a story. The entire novel can be taken as a cynical review of humanity and its absurdity. Cat's Cradle has to be the best treatment of the end of the world I've yet read, ranking up there with Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in humor but with a great deal more cynicism.

If you enjoyed the movie Doctor Strangelove you will enjoy this novel. I highly recommend it for all readers.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

love, love, love

One of my favorite books, not just by this author, but ever!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Good Place To Start

I'd never had the priveledge of reading any of Vonnegut's work and this book blew me away! It was unlike anything I'd read previously and I absolutely loved the writing style and story! Vonnegut's wit and talent are on full display in this novel and I found myself unable to put the book down! Simply a fantastic book that I cannot recommend enough.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

"No Damn Cat, No Damn Cradle"

Cat's Cradle is by far the best Vonnegut book written. The novel is based on the premise that everything is unimportant, which grounds the reader in an ironic, paradoxical tumult that makes way too much sense. While reading the first half of the book I kept asking myself 'What is this novel even about?', then I realized I need not worry because it was simply about nothing. However simple the message may be it is certainly not easy to understand because of the paradox underlying the premise of the novel. Cat's Cradle is deeply thought provoking and mesmerizing; it will leave the reader thinking about life long after the novel is finished. Truly, I have never before read a book which I can relate to more than Cat's Cradle. An interesting philosophy is presented in a fake religion called "bokononism." Completely and admittedly a foma, Bokononism is grounded on the belief that all religion, all religious texts, and all religious beliefs are lies which will make us happy in the end. Brilliant satire strikes the realms of truth we hold so dear to us; religion, politics, and human nature to name a few.

Aside from laugh out loud hilarity, Cat's Cradle is interesting, fun, and exciting. Adding to Vonnegut's hysterical voice is an intricate, and equally funny plot line. Almost as a cherry on top Vonnegut adds a deep and meaningful message one might even call life changing.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Vonneguts best of 3, Kurt is Billy. DRABECK 0

Dungs & Drags vs. Dumb&Dumber, that's drabek. Just plain stupid. Vonnegut is history, cats cradle, welcome to the monkey house, slauterhouse 5 Kurts top three! Such a shame andy the drabek can't read, imagine life for this baking soda retarted idiot ok it is a oxymora, go figure & Amsterdam is beautuful!

Vonnegut's best work I think. I read most of it in a single aft

Vonnegut's best work I think. I read most of it in a single afternoon because I simply could not put it down. This book is like sushi, delicious bit sized pieces of story. The story looks a people from the weirdest and most vulnerable parts of their lives and deals the threat of a bizarre apocalypse. You can find it in free box somewhere or you can buy it here. Worth getting however you get it.

Meh

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

"No damn cat, and no damn cradle"

The metaphor of a cat's cradle and the aforementioned conclusion sums up Vonnegut's philisopy better than 1,000 words can.

This book is brilliant!!

Best book ever

Great book!

:D

love love love anything Kurt Vonnegut!

How many pgs does it have?

Answer the question

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

One of Vonnegut's classics.

If Only All Literature was Like This

This is my third Vonnegut book I have read. I absolutely adored Breakfast of Champions and Slaughterhouse Five. With each book I have read, my love for Vonnegut's insane stories, mind-blowing wisdom, and hysterical black comedy have grown and grown. This book is no exception. I stayed up late into the night finishing this book, and when I finally closed it, I punched my fist into the air and exclaimed "Oh my gosh!" This was not because I was excited to have finally finished the book. Rather, I was simply overwhelmed by the sheer awesomeness of it. Vonnegut's storyline never failed to grab my attention and keep me wondering. As always, it was full of controversial and revolutionary ideas that contradict the thinking of modern society. Furthermore, ideas always lead to that feeling of wonder that make you question everything when you read Vonnegut. After I had finished the book that night, I couldn't go to sleep for hours simply pondering over the many mysteries of life. I would highly recommend this book to anyone considering reading it and I will be looking forward to my next Vonnegut book.

Cat's Cradle- Highly Recommended!

Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut, is a story based on accounts of what certain interested Americans were doing at the precise moment the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Through correspondence with the three children of Felix Hoenikker, Nobel Prize winner and so-called ''father of the atomic bomb,'' he emits a portrait of the man in relation to his family and the community. The characters in Cat's Cradle represent Vonnegut's pacifist view, each possessing a different perspective but all seeking the sensation of power. The characters portray humankind, by revealing their different views on controversial subjects that are all wrapped around the main controversy at the time, atomic weapons. This work of fiction displays Vonnegut's satirical style of writing. Cat's Cradle is an irreverent and highly entertaining fantasy concerning the playful irresponsibility of nuclear scientists. I recommend this book to all readers that seek a entertaining "black humorist" novel that will always have your brain turning gears.

'I wonder about turtles'

To understand and appreciate the dark humor and serious messages of Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut you need to have a certain mindset, luckily I have that mindset. The book follows the path of a writer named John, it's written in John's perspective, and in his journey he investigates one of the "so called 'fathers' of the atomic bomb" (page 6) and is writing a book about him, he was Dr. Felix Hoenikker. Felix only researched and investigated what he was curious about and what interested him, he even dropped the Manhattan Project at one point declaring "I wonder about turtles" (page 15). The book takes us through a series of letters and conversations and interviews that teach us about Felix Hoenikker, Ice-9, The Republic of San Lorenzo, Bokonoism, and of course piss ants. The voice in this book is something enjoyable, meaning it's not a monotoned old man telling you something, but it's not the ancient storyteller voice so many writers in fiction seem to have, it's the way someone would actually TALK, it may just be me but I don't see that very often in books. Moral themes are developed on this book that gives good insight to a 16 year old boy struggling to find a way to life as of now, firstly curiosity can destroy your world, secondly good and evil co-depend upon each other to exist, and lastly everything is complete foma, lies. The only possible way i would recommend reading this book is if you have an open minded or are mentally sick in some way, I happen to be both.

one of my favorites.

this book is on of my favorites. it reads very nicely on the nook.

An Amazing novel

Throughout the reading of Cat's Cradle I enjoyed the novel. I felt that the novel provided an excellent plot line with an appropriate ending. The ending to this novel is excellent as well but I won't spoil for you. This novel is science fiction but it is one of the more realistic and plausible novels. There are not any plot holes and the plot makes sense creating a greater sense of realism than other novels. Although this novel is science fiction it contains a message applicable to the real world. Through this novel Vonnegut shows us just how dangerous science can be if it gets into the wrong hands Such as in the case of the atom bomb where all of the research was for the sake of truth until they dropped truth on Hiroshima. At some moments it is a little dull and some key details are well hidden it the text but it is near impossible to loose interest. This novel has many aspects to it but from every aspect it is an amazing novel.

empowering book!

I feel that this book displayed true human nature in its truest form. I think that this book deserves a noble prise for discouraging people to create stupid independent countries which will inevitably be attacked and destroyed bye larger nations thus saving countless lives. Also he discuses how twisted military achievements can be celebrated bye the people who know nothing about the destructive power that they contain and unleash on the world. For such a weird lookin' man he has incredible incite, thus proving that when you see strange people you should give them more credit than they deserve. He displays the strange side of midgets. And most importantly he shows the worthinesses of boats. All in all his book is nice nice very nice so many things in the same device!

I recommended - A Delightful read

The book takes you on an exploration of how religion controls life and how religion plays a role in how the world works.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a book on peoples reactions to science vs. religion, and a twist on how might the world end.