Cat's cradle

No cover

Kurt Vonnegut: Cat's cradle (1963, Delacorte Press)

231 pages

English language

Published Nov. 8, 1963 by Delacorte Press.

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4 stars (1 review)

Cat's Cradle is Kurt Vonnegut's satirical commentary on modern man and his madness. An apocalyptic tale of this planet's ultimate fate, it features a midget as the protagonist, a complete, original theology created by a calypso singer, and a vision of the future that is at once blackly fatalistic and hilariously funny. A book that left an indelible mark on an entire generation of readers, Cat's Cradle is one of the twentieth century's most important works -- and Vonnegut at his very best.

12 editions

Astute

4 stars

My copy of Cat's Cradle was audio from Audible, narrated by Tony Roberts. I'm sure that there's still more layers to this novel that passed me by, but I enjoyed its wicked humour and sharp observations of human behaviour. The storyline is wonderfully outlandish and I would be interested to know if the science of Ice Nine is even feasible? However, it is the calypsos of the Bokononist faith that I think will be the most memorable for me. The astute comments on religion, power, learning and life are so true.

Subjects

  • End of the world -- Fiction