Cat's Cradle: A Novel
by Kurt Vonnegut
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Book Reviews of Cat's Cradle: A Novel
Book Review: Perception Is Everything
Summary: 4 Stars
"Cat's Cradle" is Kurt Vonnegut's fourth novel and was perhaps his most autobiographical one when it was released. Published in 1963 it features the Hoenikker family, and specifically the three kids, an elder son, a tall middle daughter, and a younger son are similar to Vonnegut's family. This novel also helped turn Vonnegut into a popular author, when Graham Green said it was "one of the three best novels of the year." As with his other novels, Cat's Cradle is a satire, and while there is a science fiction element to it, that is not the strength of the work.
The narrator is a writer who is working on a book called "The Day the World Ended", which initially is about the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, and in particular the father of the atomic bomb, the late Dr. Felix Hoenikker, and in particular his three unusual kids and what they remember about the day the bomb was dropped. However, like the title suggests, things are not always what they appear to be ("See the Cat? See the Cradle?").
Vonnegut changes the focus of perception throughout the book. The end of the world originally focused on the atomic bomb, changes to a new and different threat also created by Dr. Felix Hoenikker. Bokonoism goes from a spoof of a religion to a religion of its own. Perceptions also change with regards to San Lorenzo, the relationship between the government and religion, and the attitude of the narrator to writing. Even the perception of the titles of the chapters changes as the reader progresses through the story.
The science element of this story is actually rather weak, although there is an intriguing concept; there is also a key point which Vonnegut doesn't address at all. Nevertheless, the strength of the novel is in the insights, as well as the counter-culture elements, and the unusual style makes this an interesting read, to say the least. When Vonnegut is discussed, often this novel is left out when it comes to what was his best. However, his dark humor and social satire are well in evidence here, and this is not one to be missed.
Book Review: What am I missing here?
Summary: 3 Stars
This was my first time reading Vonnegut, and I bought this novel largely based on his reputation as an author and the reviews I read here. The premise of the novel also sounded interesting. The narrator, Jonah, is writing a book about the events that took place on the day the atomic bomb was dropped, and focuses on the "father" of the atomic bomb, Felix Hoenikker, and his children. He eventually finds himself on the fictional island of San Lorenzo amid the backdrop of political and religious instability.
I could tell right away that Vonnegut was an excellent author. That is clear from his writing, which is very elegant and well organized. The book is a short read at 300 pages, and with chapters at 1-2 pages long, most people will be through it in a few hours. The chapters all flow into each other and there is no "jumping around" between other characters, as Jonah narrates the story through the first person.
Those are the positives and the reason I gave Cat's Cradle three stars. I believe this is a good book and likely an intellectual commentary on society and the arms race, etc etc, however all of this must have gone completely over my head because I didn't see any of it. Maybe this book is "too" intellectual for me, since I am not used to having to think so much while reading. What's more, the satire also went over my head and I do not recall any humorous moments in the entire book, and kept looking for the plot.
I do not mean for this review to turn people off of Cat's Cradle, just to let them know what they are getting into. If your usual fare is Tom Clancy, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, etc, and you are not used to writers like Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, Chuck Palahniuk (this book reminded me a LOT of Survivor: A Novel), you may find you are missing out on most of the actual book. I was not disappointed when I finished Cat's Cradle, but I certainly wasn't as satiated as I usually am when I finish a good novel. Caveat emptor.
Book Review: Great Book
Summary: 5 Stars
Cat's Cradle
Kurt Vonnegut
ISBN#: 038533348X
304 pages
Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
Cat's Cradle offers a pessimistic outlook on human society, religion, and politics, but does it in such an ironic, lighthearted yet dark way that the reader won't be able to put it down. The protagonist John, who is only referenced by name once in the story, attempts to learn from the children of the fictional scientist Doctor Felix Hoenikker about the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. It is revealed that the late Dr. Hoenikker, who was one of the top minds behind the bomb, created another weapon before his death. This substance, known as Ice-9, is a form of ice that freezes at room temperature. If it comes in contact with water it will force its molecular pattern on it, and freeze it into the diamond-like Ice-9 as well. The only known samples of it were given to Dr. Hoenikker's three children, Newt, Angela and Frank. Through a seemingly random series of events they eventually encounter each other on the poverty stricken island of San Lorenzo; ruled by a merciless dictator where everyone belongs to an illegal religion known as Bokononism.
These beliefs are central to the novel. A man named Bokonon sought to create an escape for the miserable people of San Lorenzo, and so he constructed a religion of "foma" or lies, which he himself calls lies at every turn. Ironically it seems to make perfect sense. These lessons, which are often in the form of short poetry or Confucius-like statements, are interspersed among the chapters of the novel by John, the narrator, who has realized he too is a Bokononist.
Cat's Cradle's deceptively simple writing style masks the deeper messages it offers including lessons on love, pain and human nature. These seemingly innocuous sentences blend together to create both a compelling story, and a valid view of both events in the past and those likely in the future of humanity. In short, this novel is an enjoyable read brilliantly choreographed by one of the greatest American authors of our time.
Book Review: How can this be considered litterature? 0 stars.
Summary: 1 Stars
Based on the tons of positive reviews for this movie, I can see that everyone enjoyed it. I just finished reading it in school and am now very frustrated.
Cat's Cradle is pointless and so ridiculous that by the first page, I lost interest.
First off, there are WAY too many chapters and for me and my studies, I had to write a chapter summary for each one. Very annoying.
Kurt Vonnegut is trying to be funny during the whole book and because of that, his book is about nothing. He just randomly throws whatever is on his mind on paper and gets it published and famous. He tries to be funny. I say again TRIES. He is not though, his attempts are horrible and all of his ironic passages were idiotic.
On top of it for a student, he made my life a living hell. We would spent the whole class analysing the first line.
"Call Me Jonah." Why?!
Or: "So we had a night to kill in Ilium."
None of this is ironic or funny, it's absolutely ridiculous. This isn't a book, it has no plot, nothing. Its characters aren't developed and well...it's so ridiculous it's stupid.
The title of the book has to do with a very minor incident and it should have been called ice-nine.
The ending is absurd, the whole religion invented is absurd...EVERYTHING IS ABSURD. It's not funny and is painful to endure Vonnegut's billions of attempts at trying to be funny. And then on top it, to have to analyze it and do a final on it...well right now..I'm not liking Vonnegut and I might as well burn the copy of Slaughterhouse Five that I have sitting on my already big book collection.
So, unless you are forced to read this trash in school, I would stay far away from it as it's boring, lame, ridiculous, not funny and very painful to endure.
Vonnegut doesn't develop any of his characters so by the end, I really didn't give a rat's a#$ what happened to any of them. And the ending...just dreadful. This book manages to bash religion, not develop its characters, not have any plot, be too long, and not funny. Now that's not a very good book.
Book Review: No Damn Cat, No Damn Cradle
Summary: 2 Stars
Cat's Cradle falls way short of expectations. Vonnegut has been said by others to be a satirical genius, but all his humor is lost on me. The story chronicles a man named Jonah, who attempts to make a novel regarding August 6, 1945, the day the first atomic bomb was dropped. He then decides to write to Newt Hoenikker, the midget son of Dr. Felix Hoenikker, one of the creators of the atomic bomb, to ask him what happened in his house on the day that the atomic bomb dropped. Jonah then on his way to do another story passes through Illium, New York, the place where Dr. Felix Hoenikker conducted the majority of his research on the atomic bomb and ice-nine, a form of ice that has a melting point of one hundred fourteen point four degrees Fahrenheit. While in Illium, he interviews many who knew Dr. Felix Hoenikker, including his former boss, about what the man who created the atomic bomb was really like. Another story then takes Jonah to the Republic of San Lorenzo, where another one of the sons of Dr. Felix Hoenikker, Major General Franklin Hoenikker is prominent in government. When the president, Miguel "Papa" Monzano falls ill and dies the logical choice to succeed him is Major General Franklin Hoenikker. Major General Franklin Hoenikker then strikes a deal with Jonah for Jonah to become president in exchange for Jonah marrying Mona Aamons Monzano, the most beautiful woman in San Lorenzo. At San Lorenzo, Jonah also finds a new religion, Bokononism, which admits to containing only lies. Despite this all the poor inhabitants of this dreadful island are devout Bokononists. The vast majority of Vonnegut's characters are utterly implausible, ranging from Zinka, a Ukrainian midget, Newt falls in love with, to Philip Castle, the homosexual one time fiancé of Mona Aamons Monzano, to Bokonon, a man who created a religion consisting of only lies and turned himself into a saint and the President of San Lorenzo into a villain. While the entirety of Cat's Cradle is a parody against religion, technology, government and society in general it is not comical at all.