The Sirens of Titan: A Novel

Dragged a bit, though I admit it might just have something to do with my propensity for reading fast paced war novels, which this was not. But Vonnegut's wit shines bright, as he proves once again why he's one of the greatest scifi writers (though I hesitate to call him such, as he has deftly avoided the tragic label thus far).

The Grandaddy song "Everything Beautiful is Far Away" will always remind me of this book.

A really good read full of sarcastic humour - I've never read any Vonnegut before, but I will be sure to read a lot more. I found it a bit difficult to follow why some of the main charcaters were acting the way they were early on - but a lot of questions are answered closer to the end. Brings up a few questions as well, but it's impossible to go into that without revealing the...more

A really good read full of sarcastic humour - I've never read any Vonnegut before, but I will be sure to read a lot more. I found it a bit difficult to follow why some of the main charcaters were acting the way they were early on - but a lot of questions are answered closer to the end. Brings up a few questions as well, but it's impossible to go into that without revealing the end. Read it and enjoy - it's only a short read.   hide

Spoiler Alert: The human race was created so that God could send a message of greetings to whoever else there was in the universe. SIRENS OF TITAN is still a great read for those who like their science fiction to be based on just one or two recognizable rules and otherwise the same as life.

I'm not an enormous fan of Kurt Vonnegut, having only read Slaughterhouse Five and some of his essays before now, decades ago. Then, a few writers from a writing group I frequent decided to read this and discuss it. I probably would never have read it otherwise. It was genuinely enjoyable. It is Vonnegut, however, and therefore has some bizarre concepts involved. In spite of being "literary," it...more

I'm not an enormous fan of Kurt Vonnegut, having only read Slaughterhouse Five and some of his essays before now, decades ago. Then, a few writers from a writing group I frequent decided to read this and discuss it. I probably would never have read it otherwise. It was genuinely enjoyable. It is Vonnegut, however, and therefore has some bizarre concepts involved. In spite of being "literary," it was an easy read once I got into it, which took about two chapters. The overall concepts of the book--as well as the ending--will stay with me for a long time, I believe.   hide

One of my very favorite books.

I read this as a teenager, and it was central in the development of my world view. For me, it was nothing less than a Copernican revolution.

Love Kurt.

Classic Vonnegut, with a less fragmented plot than most of his late works.