Cat's Cradle

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Summary: A critique of the new age human...brilliance with ignorance
Review: i just finished cat's cradle last night. although i amonly 16 yrs old i believe that i could capture all the brilliance of this work as any other adult. i believe that cat's cradle is exponentially better that some ofhis other works like s-house 5 or deadeye dick. vonnegut may leave some of his humor aside, but replacesit with a handful of more irony and morality. i thinkthat the book was written primarily by vonnegut to question the morality of science and religion. he makesa mockery of both with bokonism and ice-9. i'm writingmy junior research paper on it tonight, and am extremelyhappy this was my choice because vonnegut's writing isextremely didactic as it preaches us the harms of ourown sacred social institutions.

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Summary: Would you like a wampeter on your karass, sir?
Review: Vonnegut leaves the United States to see what the world really looks like. And San Lorenzo is our own world-in-a-bottle. Leaders prosecuting religion, but are themselves believers, a prophet whose name and message are misunderstood, a scientist working without regard to the outcome of his work. The people are ignorantly content with their lot, nobody wants to rule, and it is not technology that makes people happy, but basic physical contact. Vonnegut leads us into this miniverse of men, and through his eyes we appreciate the folly of being, the indifference of science, religion and man himself to the fate of the world. We become uncaring Bokononists, happy with the optimistic lies we daily tell ourselves. The destruction of this world is, of course, in a whisper, not in a bang. And even then nothing really changes, does it? Anyone for Foma?

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Summary: Vonnegut in Top form!
Review: I recently re-read Cat's Cradle and loved it,again. This is the only book i've ever read
that had me laughing hysterically at one point, then feeling depressed over this mad
mad world we live in. Easily the best of all the Vonnegut books!

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Summary: This story of the end of the world is pure satirical genius!
Review: Vonnegut displays, once again, his amazing abiltity to interweave various elements into a captivating read for people of all ages! I'm 16 and have read only a small number of Vonnegut novels, and I appreciate his work as much as people three times my age (sorry guys!!) That's the sign of truly great literature. I'm using Cat's Cradle as the basis for a paper that is supposed to pull together all my scholastic subjects under one unifying theme, as introduced in a book of my choice. Vonnegut makes this task easy, with his tying of a fictional religion, Bokononism, with the terrible catastrophe caused by science going too far with the creation of ice-nine, which eventually brings about the end of the world. Vonnegut delievers a serious message about the willingness of mankind to give up everything for lies. Through this fun to read book, he displays genius and complex philosophy. The levels of thought in Cat's Cradle are multi-layered -- you appreciate a comment on its satirical face value, then realiz

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Summary: Very entertaining!
Review: Not Vonnegut's best, but because he is so brilliant, the book is brilliant nonetheless. I recommend it as a starting novel for people who have not read any of his books.

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Summary: Love Vonnegut but....
Review: Cat's Cradle is good, but not great. I can't understand why it has recieved such praise. I've read everything by Vonnegut, and I can think of several works by him that outshine this one. I enjoyed reading it, but it certainly isn't one of his best. For the record I liked Breakfast of Champions and Welcome to the Monkey House the best.

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Summary: James Steiner Thinks This:
Review: Cat's Cradle is without a doubt one of the best and deepest books within the history of Man. Vonnegut is not only a genius of wit and satire but a master judge of the pitiful human pathos. He may be a tad Cynical but then A little cynicism is a good thing. May You discover the meaning of these, Kilgore Trout, Poo-Tee-Phweet?, So it goes, Busy busy busy, and last but not least Ilium New York

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Summary: The best Vonnegut book there is.
Review: This book has more twists and turns than a country road. I also liked the way Vonnegut incorporates a new religion into the book. Makes you think twice about cults

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Summary: One of Vonnegut's Three Best Works
Review: Reading the other reveiws here is beginning to give me the feeling that many of these people aren't reading the same book that I have read numerous times. "Cat's Cradle" is quinteissential Vonnegut. He blends humor (Admittedly not as much so as his other novels)with his trademark apocalyptic visions of doom. This book is as hard edged as any of the satire he spilled out in his other novels. This book ranks in his top three and is far better than Bluebeard or Hocus Pocus (Don't get me wrong, those two are great as well.) But if you can say that this is not one of his better works than you simply weren't smart enough to grasp it. It's nothing short of pure genious

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Summary: One of Vonnegut's most popular is also most overrated
Review: Far be it from me to imply that "Cat's Cradle" is not a good time. But for some reason it has come to sit in Vonnegut's pantheon next to "Slaughterhouse 5" and "Welcome to the Monkey House." And again, it's not that it doesn't work; the odd little tale of island romance in the midst of revolution and the ultimate freezing element, ice-9 has plenty of terrific moments. But ultimately, the book feels cold and clammy; where elsewhere Vonnegut contrasts the sad and the funny here he chooses to club you with pathos and neglect to explain much of anything. Overall, a good read, but check out "Sirens of Titan" or most of his other early novels before shipwrecking here