Canary in a Cat House by Kurt Vonnegut
|
List Price: Our Price: $17.13 You Save: $8.82 (34%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $14.95 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Canary in a Cat House
Book Review: Concise collection of Vonnegut's best short stories
Summary: 4 Stars
A brief collection of some of Vonnegut's earliest (and finest) short fiction. Of course all this and much more is available in the mass-market paperback "Welcome to the Monkey House" which includes a great deal of additional material (not all of it good) so this volume is exclusively for book-collectors rather than readers. The only story in this collection not available in "Monkey House" is the forgettable "Hal Irwin's Magic Lamp", which even Vonnegut scholars will be hard-pressed to take any interest in. All that aside, there are some terrific stories here.
Vonnegut can be sentimental as in "D. P." about a Displaced Person and "The Manned Missiles" which imagines an early space flight, but the pathos of these stories seems more awkward than artistic - some readers may not appreciate having their emotions manipulated quite so blatantly. More successful are his forays into science-fiction-based morality tales, such as "Report on the Barnhouse Effect" (military application of telekinesis) "Unready to Wear" (transcending the flesh) "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" (challenges of overpopulation) and "The Euphio Question" (happiness by the kilowatt). These stories show Vonnegut at his best: funny, inventive, philosophical, often even hopeful - a far cry from that universe-crushes-damaged-puppets trip that mars so many of his novels - so science fiction fans not familiar with the Master's work would do well to start here.
Book Review: this book is trash
Summary: 1 Stars
this is an illegal bootleg with no collectors value.all of these stories can be found in welcome to the monkeyhouse and bagombo snuffbox. it's a waste of money and a sham to purchase this book.
Book Review: One Extra Story
Summary: 5 Stars
Vonnegut, as usual, has written delightful characters and wonderfully satiric plots in these short stories. Interested readers will find all stories herein, except "Hal Irwin's Magic Lamp", in "Welcome to the Monkey House". Canary in a Cathouse has a cool cover, but unless you are collecting, save your dough.Book Review: as usual
Summary: 5 Stars
Like all of his other books - makes you smile, cry and think. He tells you about familiar things in a different way, mostly about yourself. People who know Vonnegut will love it. Those who don't will fall in love.Book Review: Great stories, all classic
Summary: 4 Stars
The thing about this book is that one needs to know is that this was originally published before "Welcome to the Monkey House," another Vonnegut short story collection. When "Monkey House" was printed, they took all but the title story and included them in it. Because of that, if you own "Monkey House," you own all of the stories already (except for "Canary in a Cat House" which can be found in the new book, "The Bagombo Snuff Box"). Regardless, if you are a true Vonnegut fan, you will want it. Otherwise, you might be better off with "Monkey House", as it is less expensive since they no longer print this book in anything but library binding. Peace.