Cat's Cradle: A Novel“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 |
Contents
1 | |
8 | |
THE ILLUSTRIOUS HOENIKKERS | 18 |
15 | 32 |
18 | 39 |
21 | 47 |
24 | 52 |
AND DRAFT DODGERS | 118 |
LIKE MY PREDECESSORS I OUTLAW BOKONON | 225 |
ENEMIES OF FREEDOM | 227 |
A MEDICAL oPINION ON THE EFFECTS OF A WRITERS STRIKE | 230 |
SULFATH AZOLE | 232 |
PA INKILLER 2 35 | 237 |
FEAST YOUR EYES | 239 |
FRANK TELLS US WHAT TO DO | 240 |
FRANK DEFENDS HIMSELF | 242 |
MEANINGLESS | 168 |
THE BREAKEVEN POINT | 185 |
TWO LITTLE JUGS | 191 |
THE CUT OF MY JIB | 194 |
WHY FRANK couldNT BE PRESIDENT | 197 |
DUFFLE | 199 |
ONLY ONE CATCH | 201 |
MONA | 203 |
ON THE POETS CELEBRATION OF HIS FIRST BOKOMARU | 205 |
HOW ALMOST LOST MY MONA | 206 |
THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN | 210 |
SEE THE HOOK | 212 |
BELL Book AND CHICKEN IN A HATBox | 213 |
THE STINKING CHRISTIAN | 216 |
LAST RITES 2 19 | 218 |
DYOT MEET MAT | 220 |
DOWN THE OUBLIETTE GOES FRANK | 223 |
THE FOURTEENTH Book | 244 |
TIME OUT | 248 |
HISTORY | 250 |
WHEN FELT THE BULLET ENTER MY HEART | 252 |
AS IT HAPPENED | 257 |
THE GRAND AHWHooM | 261 |
THE IRon MAIDEN AND THE oUBLIETTE | 264 |
MonA THANKS ME | 267 |
To whom IT MAY conce RN | 270 |
AM slow To Answer | 273 |
THE Swiss FAMILY RoBinson | 275 |
of McE AND MEN | 276 |
FRANKs Ant FARM | 279 |
THE TASMANIANS | 282 |
soft PIPES PLAY on | 285 |
THE END | 286 |
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Common terms and phrases
Ambassador American Asa Breed blue-white boko-maru Bokonon tells Bokononist Bolivar Books of Bokonon called Calypso Cape Cod Casa Mona Castle's cat's cradle Charles Atlas Christmas cried dead duprass eyes father feet Felix Hoenikker Foma Forge and Foundry Franklin Hoenikker fugging girl going granfalloon hands Hazel Hoenikker's hook Hoosier Hope and Mercy House of Hope Hundred Martyrs ice-nine Ilium island Johnson Julian Castle Jungle karass kids knew Koenigswald Labrador retriever laugh little Newt looked Lorenzan Lowe Crosby Marine Martyrs to Democracy Marvin Breed Meade Lux Lewis midget Miss Faust Miss Pefko Mona Aamons Monzano Mount McCabe never Newt's nice oubliette painting Papa Papa's Philip Castle pissant play President remember San Lorenzo Secret Agent X-9 smile stone stone angel suppose sure talked there's thing thought told vampeter wanted wife xylophone Zinka