Rating: Summary: Kurt says Goodbye Review: Vonnegut rambles like he always does and you immediately feel at home. The book reads like any of his novels and yet, somewhere deep down, it feels like the last one. I hope I'm wrong.
Rating: Summary: Great book...for Vonnegut fans Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Although not a traditional structured book, who cares. There are nuggets of wisdom from an accomplished writer and a person who has lived life. May not be for everyone though. If you are unfamiliar with Vonnegut perhaps you should read one of his other stories first.
Rating: Summary: Vonnegut's goodbye Review: Timequake doesn't have much to offer as a novel for someone who isn't familiar with Vonnegut's work and his life experience. Neither does the book reveal much new about him. I can therefore see the disappointment of some previous reviewers. I thought Timequake was a very personal salute of Vonnegut to his readers, and I liked it like that.
Rating: Summary: It¿s Back to the Vonnegut We Like Review: Yep, five stars. So it rambles. So there isn't much plot. Vonnegut's comments on everything in this world he chooses to address (including himself) always struck me as about as perceptive as could be dared without causing widespread anarchy. How about his assertion that, while many folks think communism is wrong because it redistributes wealth, heck, hasn't wealth already been redistributed by the rich??? Along those lines he singles out Robin Hood and Jesus Christ as two of the most insidious characters in history, neither of whom interestingly is banned from our libraries. He's just full of it, ain't he? None of this has anything to do with the ostensible plot. But that's okay, Kurt. Keep the one-liners rolling. And it's great to see Kilgore Trout back in the trenches. I haven't had so much fun with a Vonnegut book since "Breakfast of Champions." Encore, encore!
Rating: Summary: A mixed bag Review: Early on, I was a bit annoyed and put off by "Timequake." But once I stopped worrying about the story and plot, and just read, it was good. I essentially ignored the plot, because he's done similar things dozens of times in the past, and better, too. But when he spun away from the story which he did frequently, you feel like he's just BS-ing with you about his life. That was much more interesting than the story and, being a Vonnegut fan, it worked. I'm not sure if first-time Vonnegut readers would get much out of this, since you have to sort of know his background to get a handle on it. So that part is a 5-star; the actual story is about a 1 or maybe 2. Oh well. He deserves to get a little lazy.
Rating: Summary: Earthquake aftermath Review: Vonnegut doesn't know whether he wants his final, puzzlingly structured book to be novel or autobiography; the main narrative is original and perceptive, typical of Vonnegut, but the book's too littered with anecdotes and the author's life details -- which are not only irrelevant, but are often ones we've read before in Fates Worse than Death and other sources. But much of the humour still works, in the usual audacious Vonnegut style: "Dog's Breakfast" is a gem, as are most Kilgore Trout stories.
Rating: Summary: Classic Vonnegutia! Review: This book is classic Vonnegut. Noone else can make me laugh so hard at the problems and questions that arise in this world, while concurrently instilling an strange understanding of the world within me. While the devoted fan, who has read other books by Vonnegut, will enjoy this piece more than someone reading their first peice of work by the writer, it is in no way something that should be overlooked by the general reader. Of course it is terrible in terms of poetry, but it deals with issues--it can't afford to waste time with poetry when their are so many issues! Ting-a-ling?
Rating: Summary: egggggselent Review: I read this book a couple of months ago and it blew my freakin mind! Wow wow wow. Yep.
Rating: Summary: Timequake not worth the time Review: I only forced myself to finish reading Timequake because I was still expecting something really brilliant or witty to happen (certainly misled by the cover reviews). But the truth is, it doesn't happen.With all due respect to a great writer, this book is a big disappointment. In my eyes, Vonnegut's narration is that of a semi-senile, proud man. He repeats; he explains and clarifies the obvious (killing even the slightest chance of irony); he holds an authoritative tone of "Listen to this:"; and he boasts about his life's achievements like a grandfather to his grandchildren. Not the book I had hoped for.
Rating: Summary: disappointed Review: Compared to his other stuff, this book was a disappointment. For devoted fans it is worth the read. However, I usually want to read his books again, and this one did not inspire that desire.
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