Review: Cat's cradle

The narrator is researching for his book, The Day the World Ended, when he comes up against his karass, as he later understands it through Bokononism. It leads him to investigate Dr. Hoenniker, "Father of the A-Bomb," whom his son Little Newt says was playing cat's cradle when the bomb dropped (people weren't his specialty). The good doctor left his children an even greater weapon of devastation in ice-nine, an inheritance which won his ugly daughter a handsome husband; little Newt, a Russian midget just his size for an affair that ended when she absconded with a sliver of ice-nine; and made unlikely Franklin the right hand man of Papa Monzano of San Lorenzo, a make-believe Caribbean republic. On the trail of ice-nine, the narrator comes in for Papa's death and is tapped for the Presidency of San Lorenzo. Lured by sex symbol Mona, he accepts, but before he can take office, ice-nine breaks loose, freezing land and sea. Bokonon, the aged existentialist residing in the jungle as counter to the strong man, formulates a religion that makes?? up for life altogether: since the natives are miserable and there is little hope for changing their lot, he takes advantage of the release of ice-nine to bring them a happy death. The narrator's karass is at last made clear by Bokonon himself, leaving him to commit a final blasphemy against whoever is up there. A riddle on the meaning of meaninglessness or vice versa in a devastation-oriented era, with science-fiction figures on the prowl and political-ologies lanced. Spottily effective.

Be sure to read this when you are young. I reread this often, when I was a little down usually -- the book cheered me up so much. Now that I am "older" it was not as funny as I had once thought; that the world does not evolve from stupidity the way I used to think it was doing. Also, I never thought of Robert Oppenheimer when I read this book. Instead I thought of my grandfather and maybe your grandfather also if you were born during the cold war. 

Amazing
No dam cat, no dam cradle

Review: Cat's Cradle
I was a very interesting book that I read only because it was for AP summer reading. Happy I read this book. It didn't really have any dull moments. Like a well written documentary.

I am currently writing a research paper on fears during the Cold War, especially around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. This book is perhaps one of the greatest satires of that time. Vonnegut uses extensive symbolism and metaphorical situations to depict a seemingly ridiculous situation. However, this situation only seems ridiculous until you consider the eerie similarities between the world of Cat's Cradle and the real world.
I would highly recommend this for anyone looking for either a good laugh from dark humor, or someone who is interested on the popular attitudes of the late 1950s and early 1960s. 

nm

This was a very quick and fun read. The characters were very interesting and was often hilarious. Bokononism was genius.

Review: Cat's Cradle

What is it about Vonnegut's authorial voice? It's simultaneously wry and tender, sarcastic and gentle. I don't know of any other authors that can manage that particular combination. And here, writing ... Read full review

Review: Cat's Cradle

I've just finished Cat's Cradle with predictable results. I feel sad and hopeless. After choosing this book because of a reference to ice-9 and genuine interest in the "fun" of sci-fi speculation, I ... Read full review

Review: Cat's Cradle

I really liked this book. (★★★★) I record this impression for whatever it may be worth. "Write it all down," Bokonon tells us. He is really telling us, of course, how futile it is to write or read ... Read full review