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Cat's Cradle

Cat's Cradle

List Price: $14.00
Your Price: $10.50
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My First Vonnegut
Review: Vonnegut skewers science, religion, families, human foibles, ... and does it with such a pleasently twisted story. The concept of Ice 9 is itself such an amazing absurdity. I read this book in college in 1968. I've read it six more times since then. My teenage son and daughter have also read it. It is now a family tradition. I rate this book as my favorite piece of literature. Don't pass this book by.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Nothing is as it truly seems.
Review: I was bored one day this summer, so I took my high school reading list out. I wasn't as avid a reader then, as I am now. I still don't know why I chose Cat's Cradle, but something inside of me suggested it. I took it home, and within the next couple of days, I finished it. To my complete surprise, it was the novel that I had been waiting for, but had never been able to find it. This book is truly a great one, and has made me realize the unexplorable truths of our society. Vonnegut is an amazing author, and story-teller. In Cat's Cradle, arguably his best satire, Vonnegut places a man who is searching to write a book about the bombing of Hiroshima. It in fact turns out to be a twisted turn of events that leads the protagonist to witness the ultimate fate of the world. Vonnegut hits on so many of the issues of today in this novel, but my favorite is his frightening, yet so-true spin-off of a religion, that is based on complete falsities. REad this novel, you will enjoy it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: most imaginative story
Review: when you read the book, you understand from which fountain daglas admas draw his ideas. the book is kind of science fiction book, but not quiet so. it uses science fiction plot, but is is more satire on humanity,kapitalisem, comunisem, religions, people and more. it also invented some terms like "ice 9" "cat's cradle", and ofcouse the all bukonon religion. for conclusion, a very interesting and imaginative book to read.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Cat's Cradle
Review: I wish I could rate this with 4 1/2 stars. It's better than 4 stars but not worthy of 5. This was definitely a book worth reading. Though not as good as "Slaughterhouse-Five", it is certainly thought provoking. Vonnegut's thoughts about religion and his description of Bokonism are very enjoyable if you are the least bit cynical about religion.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Defying Contemporary Expectations..
Review: Kurt Vonnegut wrote the novel "Cat's Cradle" with his unique, brilliant writing style, sarcastically relaying his pessimistic messages. This book, like others by Vonnegut, uses satirical, seemingly spontaneous, black humor and extreme sarcasm to relay his cynical messages about religion, science, and life in general. In this story, a writter is researching the life of a strange scientist Frank Hoenikker, the inventor of the atom bomb. His research takes him to the obscure island of San Lorenzo, where the people are secretly devoted to the faith Vonnegut created called Bokonism. The ideals of Bokonism question the validity of all religions, while the writter's research conveys messages of science's malevolent effects on society. This book is very entertaining, funny, and thought provoking, and everyone should own it.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Definitely not a must read
Review: 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. The reason I chose to read this book was that I had read Slaughter House 5, and loved it. But this book wasn't written anything like SL5. 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.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Vonnegut at his best
Review: This novel surpassed my expectations by far. I was expecting your normal hero novel, good vs. bad. This was not the case once so ever. It was a masterpiece narrating the journey the family of Alfred Hoeniker, pioneer of the Atom bomb. Obviously, this wasn't based on any true story, but was so amazing and really makes you consider everything you have ever believed in. I recommend this novel with passion.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Facinating and Funny as always
Review: I very much enjoyed this Vonnegut book, although probably not quite as much as the other two that I've read, Breakfast of Champions and Slaughterhouse Five. Nevertheless, this book was witty throughout, and at the same time inspired my thoughts on the fragilty of life, the meaning of fate, and our "abuse" of science and the power it gives us (and what it can take away from us!)

A great Vonnegut book, in my opinion, and a must read for any fan.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: As good as Slaughterhouse Five!
Review: Slaughterhouse Five makes it to many top 100 novel lists. This novel by Vonnegut is almost, if not equally as good.

Slaughterhouse Five portrays the horrors of war against an indifferent, even amused set of "powers that be." In Cat's Cradle, we see the potential for man's destruction after Hiroshima fictionalized as "Ice-Nine", a crystal of water organized so that it converts all water on the planet to a permanent, diamond-like solid.

The fun parts of Cat's Cradle include a Rastafarian-like religion on the island of San Lorenzo, founded by Bokanon and his goddess-like daughter Mona, who enchants her followers while playing her xylophone. Bokanonism introduces us to the concept of the "karas", a group of people you are inextricable linked to by fate, and a "granfalloon" , which is a group of people linked by no true commonality, like the Shriners or a golf club. (My dad once remarked in passing that he used to play bridge in Indianapolis with some guy named Vonnegut, thus illustrating perfectly the concept of the granfalloon.) Bokononism (better known as the Church of God The Utterly Indifferent) is a religion parody, but somehow contains some truths. The concepts of the karas, dupras (karas of only two people, sometimes married who usually die within minutes of each other) and the granfalloon are amazing comments on human society.

The threat of Ice-Nine is a brilliant parody of the Cold War and nuclear proliferation. This is one of Vonnegut's best and should be on your must-read list.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Cat's Cradle
Review: Full of irony and humor, Kurt Vonnegut's Cats Cradle recognizes human potential, and mankind's ability to achieve mass destruction. At a period of scientific advancements, and a terrifying World War, Vonnegut uses the confusing character of Felix Hoenikker. Behind his innocent nature, Hoenikker is the creator of the atomic bomb and ice nine, which kills nearly everything in the world. In a twisted way, Vonnegut confuses the reader, because Felix is not what people conceive as an evil person. His playful humor, is merely a play on words of his conception of the world filled with human stupidity. Unlike many authors, Vonnegut relays the truth of our perfect technological world as it is not always perceived. The book's excellence is expressed by Vonneguts relentless emphasis on human stupidity, still running ramped in the 20th Century. Through his carefully planned irony, Vonnegut relays that man's technological advancements combined with indifferent, careless, stupid people are enough to destroy the world. However, as intelligent and excellent Vonnegut's perception of our world is, it does come across as a terrifying reality to some. Some readers may not be able to accept these dangers that surround us, and the capability for Cats Cradle to actually occur. Never the less, Vonneguts greatness and intelligence cannot be overlooked, no matter how terrifying his book appears. Clearly, I believe that every adult, who ever thinks about our future, should read this novel. The book answers many questions of what mankind is capable of accomplishing. If I were to rate this book, it would be an immediate 10.


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