Not too long ago I was at a friend's house, in no need of a new book to ad to my log, when he thrust this book into my hands and demanded I read it. When I say not too long ago I mean longer than I really should have "borrowed" a book from a buddy kinda time frame. Anyway, since I decided this week that I was really going to start focusing specifically on those books in my possessions that are not mine, I decided that it was time to finish off this Vonnegut book. This is my first book by Kurt and I don't know how well it translates to the rest of his body of work (i'm sure some fellow loggers will be sure to tell me) but I found it to be a very interesting writing style. I got the feeling that I was reading Joseph Heller at some points, some of the humor seemed to follow a very Catch - 22 style. Its very dark and satiric.
The book starts with a dedication page that simply says "nothing in this book is true." The book is about a writer who wants to write a book about the day the atomic bomb was dropped and he focuses on the family of a man who worked on the bomb. The protaganist, the inventors son, is a midget who has recently been involved in a scandal with a Russian dancer midget. The book includes a complete theology based on a man named Bokonon who tells people not to follow his teachings because, like Cat's Cradle, it contains only lies.
It is one of those books that the plot doesn't really matter as much as the adventure that it brings you on. Its a weaving story that seems to be going nowhere but as you read it you don't mind and in the end it all weaves itself neatly together, like a cat's cradle.The means are more important than the ends.
All in all I think I will read more Vonnegut.
As a Vonnegut veteran, I can assure you you haven't even read his best book yet. You are correct to compare him to Heller. Turns out the two were very good friends and you can find a few transcripts online of dual interviews featuring both of them. Anyway, Slaughterhouse-Five is probably my favorite thing that either of them have written, except of course for Catch-22. Sween and I have both made several Vonnegut posts over the history of Back-Blogged so if you've got any specific books in mind chances are good that one of us has offered up a few thoughts on it in the past. At any rate, glad you liked Cat's Cradle.
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