Title : Cat's Cradle (1960)Author : Kurt Vonnegut
Pages : 287
ISBN : 0-385-33348-X
Reading Time : 4 days (03/02/2008 to 06/02/2008)
Rating : 3/10
I thought this book very confusing and unintersting. Why?
The book started out with the main character John telling us that he wants to write a book about the creation of the atom bomb. But, the book is nothing about the atom bomb, in fact the atom bomb is rarely mentioned. The book then went on to tell us about how he went to the lab where the bomb was created, and talked to the late Dr. Felix Hoenikker's family and friends. Then John started telling us about this weird made up religion called Bokonon. This is where the book starts to become horrible... Crazy things start happening and none of them make any sense at all.
I absolutely hated this book because of the fact there was abosolutely no point to it. Every book I've read has had a theme to it, but not this one. No important stories were told, no messages were expressed, and no action occurred. The book was extremely dark and hadn't even the slightest bit of happiness in it. I would recommend this book to know one because it's an absolute waste of time to read.
It is complete and utter nonsense, and doesn't go anywhere. The characters are so underdeveloped (they aren't even two-dimensional), it's pathetic. I can't understand why so many people rank it so highly.
This is meant to be a comedy, or a parable maybe, so stock characters may be called for. But by not having any actual depth or texture in the characters, character does not provide a reason to care about the novel. The characters come off as so subservient to the Message and are so devoid of reality, that their idiosyncrasies feel arbitrary and manipulative rather than interesting.
I could resume all this book in one phrase...
"People believe in and do stupid things, which is especially problematic when they have access to nuclear arsenals."
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