Galapagos

Rating:
Summary: One of my least favorite reads.....
Review: I was forced to read this book recently for a humanities honors level course in high school. I found Vonnegut's work to be an incredibly difficult read. He pays little attention to speed and character development, and his metaphors (I will bring up the "when the rocket that french kissed the radar dish" one) did not provide a clear image in my head as to what he had intended. I did think that his ideas were largely valid and that he had interesting points, yet he seemed so antagonistic toward humans and made all of his characters unlikeable, with features that became exaggerated to the point of being unreal. If you like abstract work of an unorthodox writing style, this book may not bother you, but otherwise I would not recommend it. I ended the book feeling like I had wasted a great deal of time and learned nothing, on top of being frustrated with Vonnegut's writing style and characters.

Rating:
Summary: not as good as Cat'sCradle and Bluebeard but still worthwhil
Review: This is not as good as Bluebeard and some other Vonnegut novels (I think Cat's Cradle is by far the best), but it's an entertaining enough read that I would recommend it.

It tells the story of the end of humanity as we know it and of our descendants one million years from now (1986 was the year it was written and in which it takes place) who have escaped the perils of our big brains and who now, not unlike seals, swim the ocean surrounding a small island in the Galápagos chain in search of fish.

If you like KV's sense of humor and you don't mind a bit of sarcasm and negativity, you might enjoy this.

Rating:
Summary: Underrated novel.. I think it is one of Vonnegut's top 5
Review: I've now read every Vonnegut novel with the exception of Hocus Pocus and Timequake, which I will read soon enough. Galapagos ranks in the top five, along with Player Piano, Sirens of Titan, Cat's Cradle, and Slaughterhouse-5.

Reading his works in chronological order, I found that Vonnegut was at his absolute best when writing a science-fiction type novel with a clear message/moral. While I certainly enjoyed his realistic works, such as Mother Night and Deadeye Dick, I find the others to be slightly more entertaining and fun to read. That does not necessarily mean they are better novels, I just personally enjoy them more.

Galapagos is a very interesting read that is narrated by a ghost who has been inhabiting Earth for over a million years. During this time, he witnesses the evolution of human beings from having big brains to having simpler and less complicated lives. The story focuses on 1986 and the years that follow as the last human beings on Earth are living on the Galapagos Islands and adapting to this new environment.

Overall, a wonderful read. If you've never read Vonnegut before, this isnt a bad novel to start off with.

Rating:
Summary: My first exposure to Vonnegut and I liked it!
Review: The premise here is that a group of people get stranded on an island in the Galapagos and end up becoming the sole survivors of the human race, due to war and famine. Their gene pool decides the fate of humanity biologically, which is why it is set in the Galapagos Islands (thank you, Charles Darwin).

I could tell you the plot, but that would just gloss over all of the intentionally contradictory themes of the book (for instance: the importance of the individual is emphasized vis-a-vis evolution, but the individual is also not important because the individual is also swept away in several instances due to his stupidity and/or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time). There is actually some meat on the bones of this book - a nice change of pace when compared to some others I've read lately.

P.S. for those Hoosiers out there - as you may know, Vonnegut is from Indianapolis. One of the characters went to IU (and survives! - probably due to conditioning from the dorm food) and the ships motors were made by a diesel company in Columbus, IN - sound familiar?



Rating:
Summary: Vonnegut called it his best-and he may be right
Review: GALAPAGOS is a profoundly moving and funny novel set in the reckless times of Ronald Reagan, when America itself seemed to be deevolving. Vonnegut also gives us one of his most succint and hilarious observations on humanity: that no matter how many ages we pass, we will still think farts are hilarious. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: This book made me go crazy...
Review: this book is fabulous. It's the first Vonnegut book I read, but not the last. After I read this book I went crazy for about 48 hours, crying, trying to find the meaning of life etc. It was intense for me. It is one of my favorite books ever!

Rating:
Summary: A million years ago...
Review: In 1986 a simple vacation turns into the next journey of man. A ship full of survivors, or fools, end up on one of the islands of the Galapagos Islands. The plot seems to be a series of accidents, random events and luck (good or bad). Which could all be the same thing just with different names, but allows the reader to see a brave new world being built by nature's laws. Kind of funny. This is my first book by Kurt Vonnegut but while I am impressed by the way he hooked me in with the interesting idea of having a ghost tell us the story I'm not going to run out and buy all his books. This book was funny and interesting, but I'm not going to be rereading it each and every year.
If you like this author, are interested in evolution or the future of mankind then buy this book.