Staff Pick
Vonnegut's debut novel is just as good as his classics. Our protagonists story is full of twists and gray areas that not only leave you wondering how the story will go but also what you would do.In this futuristic 'utopia,' Vonnegut manages to use his now expected dark humor and meta-fiction to point out and criticize classism as well as mankind's love for war and blind faith in technology — all of which predictably leads to disastrous results. Recommended By Aster A., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Vonnegut's first novel spins the chilling tale of engineer Paul Proteus, who must find a way to live in a world dominated by a super computer and run completely by machines. Paul's rebellion is vintage Vonnegut wildly funny, deadly serious, and terrifyingly close to reality.
Review
"[W]hat Mr. Vonnegut lacks in fervor he more than makes up in fun. To take only one example, nothing could be more amusing than his account of the antics of the aspiring engineers when they gather on an island in the St. Lawrence for pep talks, competitive sports, formalized informality and the careful cultivation of the big shots. Whether he is a trustworthy prophet or not, Mr. Vonnegut is a sharp-eyed satirist." New York Times
Synopsis
"A funny, savage appraisal of a totally automated American society of the future."--San Francisco Chronicle
Kurt Vonnegut's first novel spins the chilling tale of engineer Paul Proteus, who must find a way to live in a world dominated by a supercomputer and run completely by machines. Paul's rebellion is vintage Vonnegut--wildly funny, deadly serious, and terrifyingly close to reality.
Praise for Player Piano
"An exuberant, crackling style . . . Vonnegut is a black humorist, fantasist and satirist, a man disposed to deep and comic reflection on the human dilemma."--Life
"His black logic . . . gives us something to laugh about and much to fear."--The New York Times Book Review
About the Author
Kurt Vonnegut’s incomparable imagination first captured America’s attention in The Sirens of Titan in 1959 and established him as “a true artist” (The New York Times) with Cat’s Cradle in 1963. He was, as Graham Greene declared, “one of the best living American writers.” Mr. Vonnegut passed away in April 2007.