Cat's Cradle

Books | Fiction / Literary

4.1

(4.2K)

Kurt Vonnegut

“A free-wheeling vehicle . . . an unforgettable ride!”—The New York Times 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.“[Vonnegut is] an unimitative and inimitable social satirist.”—Harper’s Magazine “Our finest black-humorist . . . We laugh in self-defense.”—Atlantic Monthly

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Author

Kurt Vonnegut

Pages

304

Publisher

Random House Publishing Group

Published Date

2009-11-04

ISBN

0307567273 9780307567277

Ratings

Google: 4

Community ReviewsSee all

"When the world feels like it’s tilted off its axis, there’s always Vonnegut to remind us the tilt *is* the axis. Funny, haunting, disorienting, cynical, and absurd—read this in one icy gulp."

Genevieve Nierman

"Cat's Cradle is a biting(ly cold) satire of Cold War-era society, which remains largely unchanged. It's laugh-out-loud funny at times, and silencingly sobering at times, often in the same paragraph. Chapters are sometimes as short as a paragraph. I think the longest is about two pages. It's an interesting structural choice that basically breaks the novel into punchlines. As a religious person, I don't love Vonnegut's takes on religion, but I'd also be foolish to expect an unreligious person to have a positive view of religion. What I will say is that the author's criticisms are very well-formed within his schema and are cleverly laid out and well-written as satirical musings. "

Brandon Reed

"Kept me guessing right until the end!"

Chelsey Pottinger

"Cross-posted from <a href="https://books.max-nova.com/cats-cradle">https://books.max-nova.com/cats-cradle</a><br/><br/>Cat's Cradle is satire of the most sulfuric potency. I laughed a few times, but mostly Vonnegut made me sad. His cynicism is complete and his wordcraft is devastating. Vonnegut sneers at the stupidity of the common man and leaves the reader feeling bemused but hopeless. He's a skillful writer, but this book borders on being mean-spirited. Cat's Cradle (1964) felt like a secular precursor of the Satanic Verses (1988) and Good Omens (1990)."

Max Nova

"wtf????? weirdest book ever but i love this ****. time to read his other books"

Kingston

"This is a quick, funny, and thought provoking book."

Blake Edelmann

"A depressingly funny take on many areas of life ranging from religion to government to individual purpose."

Nicholas Green

"Wild, creation of a new religion"

M Z

Mason Zhang

"A comedic tale about the end of the world that somehow perfectly describes the power conflict between religion and science, and is still relevant. Recommend as a first read for anyone interested in Vonnegut."