Cat's Cradle

Hello my wonderful readers,

I hope this post finds you well and in the middle of a great book.  Anyway, the book I want to talk about this time is Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. Honestly, I don’t really know where to begin with this one. While I have had very little experience with Vonnegut, I must say I am not incredibly overwhelmed by him. This book was one of those books that leaves you scratching your head by the end and not necessarily in a good way. Mostly, I found myself confused and wondering what the point of the book was.

Cat’s Cradle centers around a writer who is working on a book about a man who played a large role in the building of the atomic bomb. However, his writing takes him on some odd adventures where he encounters an invented religion, meets a midget, falls in love with a foreign woman, and survives natural disaster. I honestly wish I could give a better summary but that is about all I got out of it. However, in the long run, I feel the plot of the book is less important than the message Vonnegut is trying to convey.

The theme of the book seems to be religion and its value in society. However, it was almost impossible to tell what Vonnegut actually believed on this topic. The book seems to waver between talking about how it doesn’t matter if religion is true if it gives people hope…and talking about how religion is just a hoax that doesn’t make a difference. Perhaps that is what makes Vonnegut a great writer, that you can’t understand what his meaning is so you have to come up with your own. I guess that is one theory anyway.

However, despite all this, I will say that I would be willing to read the book again. Not necessarily because I particularly enjoyed it but because I am willing to give it a second chance. Considering the nature of the book, I am willing to admit it may be a book that takes several reads to truly understand it. Also, this book might be confusing on purpose and meant to imitate life. If that is the case, then the story is perfect for that message. But I can’t really give a definite answer about this theory because I am not the writer. And, as a reader, I didn’t really grasp that meaning from the book. 

Sorry, I feel this post is as convoluted as the book itself. But perhaps that is a good thing.

Overall, I found this book to be confusing and I’m not sure I would say it belongs on the list. However, maybe I am wrong and the true meaning will come to me some starless night at 3am when I can’t sleep. Who knows? Well, until next time, enjoy your literary wanderings! And check out my blog on my own version of 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die. You can find it at classicsnotincluded.blogspot.com. 

Happy reading!