Rating: Summary: Overrated Review: Brittle SF/satire that's well-written, but incredibly pointless. (Which, of course, is part of the point, but that doesn't make the book any more enjoyable.) A set of thoroughly unlikable characters run around and try to discover the meaning of life, only to find that it's all one big pointless joke. Juvenile in the extreme, Sirens points out the paradox of Vonnegut -- this is a guy with immense comic and literary gifts, but he has very little, really, to say.
Rating: Summary: It was worth 20 dollars. Review: When I was about twelve years old, I told my dad that I hadn't ever really read a book. He told me that he would give me a crisp twenty if I would. I chose "Cat's Cradle." It was great, I was hooked- Slaughterhouse 5, Breakfast of Champions, the list goes on... Then my mom picked Sirens up at a garage sale, and I read it in about two days. I couldn't take my hands off of it. Let's put it this way, if I ever do make it through film school, you'll see this book on the big screen, and it will be a good adaptation because the book is so visual. Trust me, read it. You will get turned in circles and end up where you began while you know that you learned so much. The end of the book is much like the end of a mini-life, much like what Vonnegut creates in all of his novels.
Rating: Summary: Out on a limb, I guess... Review: The heavy burden is mine, this is so far a 5/5 and I'm going to trash this puppy. I wanted to just give a quick review, but now I see that I'll have to justify my existance first. OK, here goes.First, I have just reviewed over 10 books, and this was easily the worst. All of the books were also considered classics in one genre or another. Second, I read many books and tend to quite optimistically find at least something of value in every one of them. This book bored me near death. It's pedantic sarcasm insulted my intelligence in a manner that is usually restricted to the most annoying yet socially successful dinner guests. Imagine if you will that the charmingly witty, earthy characters from Irving's A Prayer For Owen Meany were overrun by a pack of ugly rabid dogs in the first chapter, and then you had to listen to *why* rabid dogs were rabid dogs, and *why* it's bad to be bitten, ad nauseum. And then watch the characters run around independently, biting other random characters... Let's face it: Kurt Vonnegut is occasionally gut wrenchingly funny. So's Irving. Hell, so's Douglas Adams, and not everyone likes his slapstick. Kurt Vonnegut has an amazing grasp of the English language, especially in narrative description. So do many writers (Mann comes to mind). And occasionally you discover a fantastically rich vein of creative thought (his depiction of the Harmoniums comes to mind). But is this book really funny? A joy to read? Inspiring? Intellectually stimulating? Good commentary? Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. You will laugh occasionally. However, your hit ratio will be worse than your average Saturday Night Live (apologies to non-Western surfers). You will occasionally stop to think, "Boy, that was a turn of phrase that I don't think many writers could pull off." But that's about it. In fact, many of the same themes run through so many of Vonnegut's books that you get the sneaky feeling you've been there before. And I got the sneaky feeling early into this book that no matter what the author was eventually going to half-heartedly pontificate, I was going to yawn off as too little, too late. If you read this one, put a little extra salt and butter on your popcorn, kick up your feet, and expect to move on quickly to your next task, exactly 326 pages later.
Rating: Summary: A cosmic masterpiece Review: I loved it...you'll see me write a review for every Vonnegut novel I read. This one looks at fate and relegion in such a unique way, and I spent months talking and discussing the end. I think this is the first from Vonnegut, and definitley a good read. After this I suggest going to Breakfast of Champions, SlaughterHouse-five, and Timequake.
Rating: Summary: King of the Hill Review: Not only is this the best vonnegut I have ever read, it is the best book period. the depth of this novel is enough to satisfy any hardcore reader and the humor and story will delight a fan of humorous books and science fiction. To me this and cats cradle serve as best vehicles to deliver his favorite themes all the rest are just footnotes to these remarkable books, therefore this book is a great start for somebody wanting to start reading vonnegut. Watch out- you will get hooked!
Rating: Summary: All men are islands: find the beauty in it. Review: I have read and re-read this book so many times I have lost count. Each time I have read it, I find myself crying triumphant tears and being thankful for the "gift of life" that Vonnegut beautifully salutes at the conclusion of this wonderful novel. It was upon reading this book that I recognized that being alone could be beautiful. Thank you, Kurt Vonnegut.
Rating: Summary: Simply wonderful! Review: Buy it! Read it! Wow! I just finished this Vonnegut masterpiece and I am eager to start another Vonnegut book. The characters are well developed and easy to identify with. The comments on religion and man's want for hero worshiping are scathing and fun. Read the other reviews online, they pretty much hit all the points that I am so poorly fumbling around to make.
Rating: Summary: deeply insightful vision of comic cosmic futility Review: yep, if not for reading and rereading this book when i was 13, i would now be either a successful ceo at a fortune 500 company, or a multimillionaire television evangelist! i would have to say this book did the most to shape my view of the world and nature and man's place in nature when i was growing up, second only to Gamow's 'One Two Three, Infinity!'. My various spiritual and banal experiences that followed have only reinforced this view. We are expendable vehicles in an absurd tale to deliver the message of 'Hi!' to God/dess him/herself. 'One does not discover the absurd without being tempted to write a manual of happiness.' - Camus To any parents out there: DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN READ THIS BOOK!!!! :)
Rating: Summary: Vonneguts best!!! Review: This book is exquisit. I've read all Vonneguts work and believe this to be his best. A chronosynclastic infundibulum in and of itself. Each character is so finely woven into the novel that one is duped by its simplicity. The book is a monkeys fist of events,characters,and theology. Oh yeah, if anyone knows where I can find a signed,first edition, I would really appreciate that information.
Rating: Summary: One of his best... and there are so many... Review: This book is simply excellent. A must read for any Vonnegut fan, or anyone thinking about becoming one. The two statements about human life made at the end of the book are gonna be with me for a good long time.
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