Rating: 
Summary: The portrait of a great American author
Review: Never have I been so impressed with Vonnegut's ability to create character's. You can really tell that he becomes his character's, which is a trait you don't see in many author's. Although 'Bluebeard' is not one of his most immediatly interesting books, it is definantly one of his more satisfying. Unlike 'Breakfast of Champions', 'Siren's of Titan', and 'Slaughterhouse Five', 'Bluebeard', works more on character development, rather than using speratic Sci Fi stories from the likes of Kilgore Trout to convey Vonnegut's often hilarious mindset.This time around Vonnegut uses an autiobiographical setting, much like 'Mother Night', to delve into the human condition. Although 'Mother Night' seems to be more satisfying, in whole, 'Bluebeard' is a much more impressive outing. As you can tell, I've read most of his works. Which tells you I'm a bit partial to him as an author. But, I still recommend 'Bluebeard' very highly to those that know his previous works. To those beginners, I'd recommend starting with one of his more famous novels.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't understand the hype
Review: I am a lukewarm Vonnegut fan. There are some of his books I enjoy (though there has never been one that I've "loved") and some that bore me to death. This one was OK for the 1st half. Though a bit tedious, it had it's moments. But after some time I became bored and couldn't bring myself to trudge through to the end. The characters were very annoying (especially the female one) and pretentious and I couldn't relate to all the angst and incessant belly-aching. To sum it up: A big bore.
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Summary: "There was a moment of silence, and then..."
Review: Rabo Karabekian was first introduced in "Breakfast of Champions", a minor character in a surreal story. Here he gets the full treatment, and comes off as another one of those great curmudgeon characters. Only in the hands of Vonnegut, he becomes much more. He is crotchety, bitter, cynical, and several steps from senility. But he still has a wonderful memory for his past, and Vonnegut creates for him a fictional autobiography that's fascinating and endearing. And a laugh riot. Rabo has one eye. Rabo was an artist of astounding technical talent, yet helped form the Abstract Expressionist movement (along with his friends the fictional Terry Kitchen and the very real Jackson Pollock). Rabo has seen the best talents of his generation succumb to suicide and self-destruction, yet he is still kicking and screaming at 71. Rabo (guided by Vonnegut) is in the process of pouring his life onto the page, with the encouragement of a mysterious woman who has moved into his home. Vonnegut's greatest accomplishment in the book is the building up of the surprise ending (What the heck is in the barn?) to the point where something astounding should happen, and then drawing up a scene where something astounding happens. It all lives up to the hype, which is a tough thing to do. But I never doubted my man Kurt for a second. He is one of my favourite writers -- for his pointed humour and his deceptively simple prose -- and this is one of his best books. He has managed to create a commentary on the history of war, art, Europe, America, and literature in the twentieth century, by gently leading the reader through a guided tour of one man's life.
Rating:
Summary: A surprising work of supreme intelligence.
Review: Kurt Vonnegut's works tend to be better in idea than execution; "Breakfast of Champions", for example, derails several good ideas due to stylistic overload. This, I realize, is what makes Vonnegut's works so popular across a wide demographic -- the ideas, oftentimes incredibly profound, are always buried under style and his patented humor. "Bluebeard", his best novel by a very long stretch, is also his most stylistically straightforward work. The story details the events in the life of Rabo Karabekien from son of immigrants to recognized artist to "failure". The story itself is generally interesting and always approachable but the ongoing commentary that Vonnegut makes regarding perspectives on creativity and its processes is what makes "Bluebeard" such a rewarding experience. This is the kind of book that alters perceptions of what would be otherwise banal experiences - watching a bad movie, for example. Vonnegut never gets too clever with the material because, I believe, he realized the material really speaks well for itself. Or perhaps it doesn't really matter. In any event, this is Vonnegut's most satisfying novel in every way a novel may be satisfying.
Rating: 
Summary: All the Makings of Good Vonnegut
Review: Being a college English major, it's tough to find time to read books for fun. Well, I imagine that's a problem with just about any major, but I have firsthand experience with English majors. Anyhow, when I do get that rare few days that I can fit in some personal reading, I look for something that I can finish in a short amount of time, but that'll still be fullfilling, something that won't make me go, "WHAT WAS I THINKING!?" Anyhow, one particular author that fits this particular niche in my reading curriculum is Kurt Vonnegut. I read "Bluebeard" in 3 days and as much as I try to avoid cliches, I cannot deny the appropriateness of the following phrase: I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! Ok, I said it, there. It was funny, heartwarming, sad in places, and it welled up a plethora of emotion in me as I read. The novel didn't quite have the social commentary of some of Vonnegut's other works; this should not dismay any Vonnegut nuts. The author spends some time looking at how the ideas of nationality and "roots" manifest, especially in the contrast between the protagonist, Rabo Karabekian (an Armenian Abstract-Expressionist painter) and Dan Gregory (also Armenian, but Americanized his original last name, Gregorian, and a painter/illustrator of a more realistic school). Dan Gregory is Karabekian's tutor and we hear about him in flashbacks, when Karabekian recalls his past to Circe Berman, the vivacious and interesting widow who invades Karabekian's life. Circe Berman's role in the novel is an immensely enjoyable one and as I read I went through ups and downs, practically screaming at her through the pages things like "What gives you the right!?!" But she grew on me as the pages went by and I slowly saw that there was more to her than meets the eye (ahhh! cliche #2!!). Take my word: wrapped in this novel is a fantastic story with an incredible ending preceded by page after page of memorable scenes starring one of the greatest fictional Abstract Expressionist painters in history, Rabo Karabekian, and his most interesting life and his most interesting houseguests.
Rating:
Summary: Relaxing read and a great story
Review: This really is one of the best Vonnegut books I have read. I loved the simplistic story and straightforward plot, much easier to understand than Vonnegut's other books and the characters are more like real people making them much easier to relate to than a soldier who travels through time used in one of his other books for example. Mr. Vonnegut even has some realistic romance in this story, which makes it quite refreshing. Most of his other books portray romance as a human folly that always ends in tragedy (I can see his point but it's best to enjoy nice things while they last). I would highly recomend this book for anyone who loves Vonnegut or anyone who has hope for the human condition.
Rating:
Summary: New to Vonnegut? Read this one first.
Review: After having read several of Vonnegut's works, I would recommend starting with Bluebeard. Though it is absolutely representative of Vonnegut's style, it doesn't include some of the off-the-wall practices in his more famous books (Slaughterhouse Five, Breakfast of Champions) that may throw a first-timer. Bluebeard reads well as a complete story and reveals a great deal of Vonnegut's soul. It will not disappoint.
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Summary: BLUBEARD goes deeper than what is just on the outside
Review: Like abstract art bluebeard is a novel that deserves second glances inorder to fully understand the meaning of the book. The book is about human suffering and is innovativly hidden in a breezy novel with characters with a bountiful assortment of eccentrics.
Rating:
Summary: Vonnegut comes through again
Review: Again, Vonnegut has come up with a work of literature that leaves the reader (or at least me) breathless and hungry for more of his brilliant work. In all honesty, the book did lose something partway through, and right up until the end I would have rated it only about a 3-1/2. But the ending of this book (as with Mother Night and other Vonnegut novels) was worth the entire book. The secret in the potato barn was incredible; it was everything I'd thought it would be, and more. A superb book, definitely worth reading. It also made me realize (since this was one of the first Vonnegut books I'd read) how interconnected his books really are; Rabo dates back to "Breakfast of Champions," where the reader is almost compelled to dislike him. However, during the course of this book, not only did I end up liking Rabo, I found myself cheering for him, and even understanding him. A must-read for any Vonnegut fan, and even for those who don't have a Vonnegut fetish like I do. Brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: a good book with lots of character
Review: This book was a wonderful satirical look into how foolish and trivial people can really be- Zen Master T
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