January 9, 2023
He’s getting bettterrrrrrrr! A couple years ago I decided to read through the novels of Kurt Vonnegut in order of publication. He’s the favorite author of an ex-girlfriend, and she has great taste in literature, so I thought I should see what the fuss is all about. Cat’s Cradle is the third of his books, released in 1963, and in my opinion, his best so far. It seems that Vonnegut has found his stride as a storyteller, tapping into humor and insight in equal measure. The protagonist is a true vehicle for the events and characters developing around him, and through his eyes we are given a look into the worst bits of what humans have to offer. What I find interesting about this, however, is that it’s presented not with despair or derision, but rather a quirky sort of optimism. Delusion, false knowledge, and blind optimism are propped up as necessary pieces of the human condition, without which society would surely collapse.
This book also sees the emergence of some of Vonnegut’s preferred themes, which include in no particular order: Ilium, New York, the self-importance of the managerial class, unattainably beautiful women, Newport, Rhode Island, the nature and existence of free will, lonely men, apocalypse-level events, the buffoonery of “industry”, and dogs. The small amount of crossover from his other novels was a fun and entertaining surprise, and I’m curious to see how many of his books take place in this “Vonneverse” (good god I’m so sorry for that). I do think it’s worth mentioning that this book was written by a white man in the 1960s, and as such there are a handful of yeesh-worthy moments including somewhat dated language regarding little people and black people, and a tendency to satirize the sexualization of young women in a way that is fairly distasteful to modern sensibilities.
Grain of salt taken, the book is a deeply entertaining and cynical take on the nature of humankind. Vonnegut keeps you in the know, so that you’re chuckling with him rather than feeling laughed at, and the story itself touches the ridiculous just enough to keep the dread from setting in. Absurdity and cynicism blend wonderfully to create a wholly enjoyable read.
7.5/10
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