Rating: 
Summary: Vonnegut is my God!
Review: Who among us has not heard of Slaughterhouse Five? For so many years, I avoided it simply because the title made me think he was a horror writer. But I read it recently, leading to a wonderful odyssey of reading all twenty or so of his published books. I absolutely love this guy's writing. And his way of thinking. The early stuff was wonderful, the later more undisciplined but somehow even better. A phenomenal talent.Now let's talk about Player Piano. This was his very first novel, and it is probably the most underrated thing he's written. Remember, it was a late fifties product. How he got it past the censors, I'll never know. And by that, I mean that the underlying theme is so true, and so subversive. All the characters are well-conceived and expertly drawn for us to enjoy. The plot is all-too-credible. The story is entertaining and gripping. The man's grasp of the truth of human existence is obvious even here, in his very first of many novels. This is a book that everyone simply must read. Buy it now!
Rating: 
Summary: 4 and 1/2 Stars
Review: Kurt Vonneguts books (the ones I've read, anyway) range from very good to great. This book, his first, is not one of the great ones, as it's satrical prose is not yet refined to the perfection that he would achieve in his later works. Also, the book starts out a little slow. However, once the plot is apparent, this is just like any of Vonnegut's books in which it reads very easily and smoothly and leaves you wanting more at the end, with nary a dull moment. Not as jaw-droppingly entertaining as Cat's Cradle or Breakfast of Champions, but Player Piano is a highly interesting book with a message. Kurt is one of literature's most famous Luddites, and this book proclaims the theme, not as good as 1984 or Brave New World, but probably as good as anything since, and with the satrical view, cynicism, and biting wit that only Vonnegut could deliver. Vonnegut fans will certainly enjoy this book, as will those looking for dystopias with a little less pessimism and a little more humor.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointingly dull book
Review: As a fan of Vonnegut's writing, I was extremely disappointed with this book. It has a good story premise but it doesn't really go anywhere. The basics of this story: Vonnegut depicts America as a land run by machines. All the humans must have a doctorate in order to be considered qualified for any jobs because machines have been built that efficiently replace lower workers. There is very little mention of children, but the few that are brought up merely point out the struggles of trying to pass tests for degrees and then fighting 500 others for the one job opening available. The protagonist, Dr. Paul Proteus, gets fed up with his machine dominated environment but doesn't have the will to commit himself to opposition until he is forced into it. There is a second story line with a diplomat from another country touring America as his host tries to convince him of the need to replace humans with machines in his own country. The host fails in his mission as things fall apart in the end. Basically, I thought there were too many strings left hanging in this book. Vonnegut would start off on a tangent, with such extreme description, but then there was no real resolution. Like, what happened to the farm? I was especially disappointed in the ending, expecting more out of Dr. Proteus than was given. So many things were left unexplained that I felt like I was wasting my time reading this book. I would become interested in one aspect only to find myself filled with more questions left unanswered.
Rating:
Summary: A slow starter
Review: I've read a couple of Vonnegut novels and have fallen in love with his style of writing from the very beginning. He's is the first author i've had the pleasure of reading where i'm not consistently looking ahead to see how many pages are left in the book. Every book that i've read by him i find myself upset when the story is done. Player piano is no exception. Since I enjoyed Vonnegut's books so much i figured i'd start with his first published novel. This book started off slow but it wasn't tough to follow the story line and stay somewhat interested. By the end of the book i found myself in awe of Vonnegut's insight of the human race. He seems to be able to see the world from a much higher plateau. One part i found particularly interesting was after the rebellion the only listed injuries to the immediate crew were caused by them trying to tame their own people from causing too much harm to the city. Overall a very enjoyable reading experience .... now it's on to Sirens of Titan.
Rating:
Summary: Vonnegut's first a good indication for later
Review: A lot of people, even Vonnegut fans, probably haven't heard of this book, for whatever reasons. Vonnegut really doesn't discuss it that much, mostly because he dislikes the label of science-fiction, which this book, along with The Sirens of Titan and even Slaughterhouse-Five, clearly is.
Still, this book is a must for Vonnegut fans or even those interested in old science-fiction in the style of Orwell or Huxley. Those looking for Vonnegut's classic deadpan black humorist style won't find it here. The beginnings of it are here, however and Vonnegut's tale of Paul Proteus' rebellion against the oppressive government is still as entertaining and fascinating as it was years ago. Read with the aforementioned 1984 and Brave New World, this book provides a slight contrast by using a different tone and more humor, but the message is still the same, that technology will ruin us all and bring about our ultimate downfall.
Fortunately this book has been reissued so that fans can see how Vonnegut started out, and fortunately, unlike most writers' first novels, Vonnegut's initial effort is just as readable as his later works
Rating: 
Summary: Still relevant in 2004?
Review: The scenario of Player Piano is just a little unrealistic, when compared to today's reality: yes, computers seem to be taking over much of the work formerly done by humans (or other animals). But, humans keep finding other things to do. They seem always to stay one step ahead of the "machines." At least so far. Therefore, the world of Player Piano didn't really "grab" me. I can't see it happening. Oh, there is classism, as in this book, here in the good ol' US of A, but the system seems also to keep evolving, thus preventing the "revolution" that takes place in this book. People complain widely about the "trickle down" theory, but there seems to be something to it. The women in this story are pretty sad. You can tell they're from the 50s, when women, I suppose, seemed to lack original thought of any type. Paul's wife, Anita, seems a prototype in this regard, same with Kroner's wife, "Mom." How many "Moms" have we known? The idea of the Reeks and Wrecks, though, I think is workable. It was workable, with the Civilian Conservation Corps, and now we have the Job Corps, state Conservation Corps, and such. CETA was that type of program, but not all of the jobs were "make work." This just means that the government is the "employer of last resort." There's nothing wrong with that, it doesn't imply a ruling class of scientists and engineers, and it really has nothing to do with Marxism. CETA or CCC jobs can satisfy a person just as much as other jobs, and from that job they certainly can move up, if they have the ability to do so. Another point: Notice how the good ol' boys got together on an island and did competitive physical activities (with their wives at a separate location). This also gives Vonnegut's time period away: pure 50s stuff. Today, people don't compete so much one or two weeks a year, but they go to a gym and work individually in a non-competitive atmosphere. Times have changed? For the good, I'd say, otherwise, you get poor fools like this Shephard fella, who lives to compete (and seems to enjoy losing also....masochistic?). Anyway, except for the date and time "stamps" on this novel, it still does hold up well today, and it's certainly intellectually stimulating, makes you think and take a position regarding "encroaching" technology, so-called "technocrats," and, what should we call it, "Neo Ludditism" today. This will probably be an ongoing conflict throughout human history, or at least for a long time, so Vonnegut touched an archetypal chord there, and his book may still be relevant in 3004, who knows?
Diximus.
Rating:
Summary: top 2
Review: This is one of my two favorite Vonnegut books (along with Galapagos), but I disagree with those who have posted the opinion that the true value of the book is Vonnegut's earily prophetic vision of social dinamics in post-industrial America. I believe that Vonnegut's intent was to convey his opinion of what constitutes fundamental human dignity (usefullness to others, in Vonnegut's opinion). Read in such a way, this book flawlesly illuminates the indignity of social welfare and mechanization.
Rating:
Summary: One to add to my collection
Review: Some books I can plow through in an afternoon, regardless of the number of pages. However, every time I read something by Vonnegut, it becomes so deeply philosophical and thought-provoking that I can only take it in small bites.
It's about the future of America. It was written in 1952, as his first novel. In the book, a computer takes over the U.S. and most of mans' work has been taken by machines. Citizens are split into two groups: the ones who have high IQs and the ones who don't. In an almost communist society (where the government takes certain steps to ensure a person's well-being through provisions), a few people decide to call for a revolution against the machines, with surprising twists and an ironic ending.
It made me consider how much of my life seems automated--wake up, go to work, go home, repeat--and how much more I need to be less mechanized and more human.
This is a book that I think I'll buy so I can re-read it.
Rating:
Summary: A Too-Successful Revolution
Review: Player Piano is the story of an unlikely uprising against an over-industrialized society, which proved to be too successful and reminds the reader to "be careful what you wish for." Doctor Paul Proteus, manager of the Ilium Works plant responsible for the industrial output and energy production of Ilium, New York and the surrounding area, sought to escape his predestined vocational life. One of the people he encounters in this quest summarized nicely the disenchantment Proteus and his cohorts felt with technology, and the trail of obsolete men left behind in its wake. "The machines are to practically everybody what the white men were to the Indians. People are finding that, because of the way the machines are changing the world, more and more of their old values don't apply any more. People have no choice but to become second-rate machines themselves, or wards of the machines." Proteus' rebellion against his industrialized world starts quietly enough, with the acquisition of a farm and the conscious sabotage of a promotion he deserved. However, he eventually crosses paths with radicals who saw fit to not only stem the tides of mass-production, but to destroy all of the machines in the process. Interesting enough story-line, right? Yes, but the story's potential is better than its execution. Many great ideas are left unpolished. Besides Dr. Proteus, there are no sympathetic characters in this tale, which made it difficult to root for the revolution's failure or success. Plus, things spiraled so badly out of control that you don't even know if success was achieved by anyone's measure. This book was one giant crescendo, and the actual revolution occurs in about five pages at the end, hastily described and leaving way too much to the imagination. There were many characters introduced independently who eventually met at the end- not in a logical way that sewed everything together, but in a chaotic assembly of random people (e.g., the Shah of Bratpuhr- what was that guy's purpose other than comedic relief?).
Rating:
Summary: Vonnegut's First Novel
Review: His writing style was not fully developed, and the series of events went in order, but for his first novel, Player Piano is a great book about a totalitarian soicety, a revolt against technology and machines, all with hints of Vonnegut's wit and humor.
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