Laughter and Despair

Vonnegut makes me laugh. The world he creates is ridiculous, but equally it has all the foibles and cruelty of the real world. For fun, and to add to the despair there is the religion of Bokononism. A religion that is hypocritical, false and cruel. A religion that offers some sense of acceptance of life, but only if we accept that it's falseness is the only solution to the madness that men perpetrate. The Cat's Cradle is the metaphor for the world of the book; playful, complex; a trick.The reading of the audiobook is not too cynical and not too flat; just right.

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6 people found this helpful

Great performance of a great book

Vonneguts powerful satirical book is brought to life brilliantly by the wonderful Tony Roberts. Excellent. Everyone should know this book

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As many layers as an onion!

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.

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Great Vonnegut, perfect narration, and entertaining interview after. As always with Vonnegut, sharply observed and very plausible characters, with a light touch on a very serious subject

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Cat’s cradle was a joy

I read this book many many years ago and really enjoyed it. However, I had no idea how really crazy it actually was until I heard it on this audible book. It was really well read and funny in parts. I recommend it even if you have already read it.

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Wonderful!

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A wonderful book brought to life by a fantastic narrator. A nice, concise read with so many layers to it. Highly recommend!

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really good book

been on my list for a while glad I listened. if you have been looking for something that you can't stop listening to its this

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If you like Vonnegut, you’ll appreciate this.

I’d already read Breakfast of Champions and Slaughterhouse 5, so knew what to expect from Vonnegut’s style. I listened to this as an audio book, and the narrator’s style meshed with Vonnegut’s very well. I tended to listen to the book in the early hours of the morning, and because of this would lose track of the plot as I drifted off to sleep. However, I was able to get caught up using one of the many plot explanations on the web. If you like Vonnegut’s style, you’ll get this. Lots of underlying anti-war and political themes, yet delivered in a subtle way using the author’s darkly comedic, almost tongue in cheek style. The interview with Vonnegut at the end of this audio version was also enlightening.

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Vonnegut is in a class by himself

this is wonderful - the writing is so far beyond standard sci fi fare it's embarrassing. the story is deceptively simple, and as ever the ideas and conceits are exactly where they need to be - driving there sorry, not dominating it.

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1 person found this helpful

complex and informative

a study in futility and psychology. vonnegut uses his wartime experience of destruction to imagine a world where science ultimately destroys the world

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