Cat's Cradle (Essential.penguin) (original 1963; edition 1999)

Bizarre.

Of course, I could have also went with biting, dark, witty, ironic, or any other number of adjectives to describe Vonnegut's fourth novel. All considered, however, bizarre works best.

In Cat's Cradle, the lead character Jonah set out to write a book about what important Americans were doing on the day the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. In researching his book, he converts from Christianity to a newly minted religion, Bokonism. He discovers that one of the bomb's Fathers, Dr. Hoenikker, also created a far more potent weapon that is now in the hands of his eccentric children. He lands on a privately owned island/Country where Bokonism was founded and, although every person on the Island is a Bokonist, the religion is outlawed. Cat's Cradle builds to an apocalyptic finale complete with ... well, read and find out.

The best part of reading Vonnegut is his trademark ironic edge. Take this exchange between Jonah and Marvin Breed, monument seller (51):

"You can laugh at that stone, if you want to," said Marvin Breed, "but those kids got more consolation out of that than anything else money could have bought. ...

"It must have cost a lot."

"Nobel Prize money bought it. ..."

"Dynamite money," I marveled, thinking of the violence of dynamite and the absolute repose of a tombstone. ...

"What?"

"Nobel invented dynamite."

"Well, I guess it takes all kids ..."

Had I been a Bokonist then, pondering the miraculously intricate chain of events that had brought dynamite money to that particular tombstone company, I might have whispered, "Busy, busy, busy."

Busy, busy, busy, is what we Bokonists whisper whenever we think of how complicated and unpredictable the machinery of life really is.

But all I could say as a Christian then was, "Life is sure funny sometimes."

Like all of Vonnegut's books, if you speed through them to enjoy a plot you'll likely be disappointed. If you take the time to think through the layers of sarcasm and irony, his works have serious depth. ( )

Typical Vonnegut mix of humor and pathos and truth masquerading as satire. John/Jonah is a writer looking to chronicle the life of the atom bomb creator, Felix Hoenikker. His journey takes him to a desert isle (San Lorenzo) makes him fall in love (the beautiful Mona) and ultimately lets loose ice-nine (freezing agent) with catastrophic effect. Vonnegut expounds on the absurdity of religion, the folly of the arms race, and ultimately, man's stupidity. ( )

There may be some spoiler stuff in here...

Well, it was the same Vonnegut with his amazing descriptions (that sometimes make me laugh).

"My soul seemed as foul as smoke from burning cat fur."

"It was with deep, idiotic relief that I leaned on that fleshy, humid, barn-yard fool."

"My hair stood on end, as though Angela were rolling on the floor, foaming at the mouth, and babbling fluent Babylonian." (Incidentally I met a guy in eharmony who thought he could do that...interesting conversation!)

The end was a little anti-climactic for me, and did not quite live up to Slaughterhouse-Five. Of course, reading it on SH5's heels by hours may have not been fair to Cat's Cradle! Vonnegut has definitely moved into my "favorite author" group without question.

I have decided that after the line, "She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he sees what God is Doing, [writes Bokonon]" that I must be a Bokononist. It's a shame it's all a lie... I also liked the idea that "Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God." What a fun and adventurous way to see life! Imagine taking every whim or opportunity and just going with it, seeing where it took you? The amazing people you could meet and things you might see, if only you allowed yourself the freedom?

The character of Newt reminded me a little of A Prayer for Owen Meany. But, it was the character of Philip Castle that was my favorite...no Tracy, not just because he was gay...I loved his sarcasm and wit.

As end of the world type books go, it was very imaginative and clever. You know something is going to happen, but it definitely did not end the way I expected!

Oh, and I love the "artist" who sub-let his flat and wrote him a poem in poo, that was fantastic! ( )

Website that lays out the Book of Bokonon...

http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/personal/bokonon.html ( )