Sunday, July 22, 2012
It is so difficult to think of something witty to call this post that im being that guy that says "insert title here", i am not proud of this.
The structure in which Kurt Vonnegut's 1963 novel, Cat's Cradle presents itself appeals so highly to me that two days after purchasing the book I am nearing the final ten pages. Through a melange of quick, anecdotal-like passages making up the entirety of the story, Vonnegut presents a foundation unlike any other book I have ever slaved through under the powerful fist of Ms. Serensky. For instance, the author's passages vary in size, some half a page like "Baracuda Capital of the World", others two or more pages like "Enemies of Freedom" but they always stay consistently short and that accounts for a cool change of pace from books with chapters that drag on so long they disrupt the space-time continuum (58,162). Likewise, the titles of each, "vignette", if you will, have a sometimes vague or sarcastic connection foreshadowing the content of the following passage. Take the one called "The Happiness of Being an American" for example, the sarcastic tone via the verbally ironic diction of "Happiness" coincides with the following passage depicting the arrogant American "entrepreneur" Mr. Crosby calling the well-off owner of the island hotel a "pissant" (110). The theme of the passage obviously being speakers embarrassment of being associated with Americans such as Mr. Crosby. With each title and vignette comes a new development to the story and since Vonnegut lays each out in chronological order the story flows seamlessly engrossing me to the point where after each passage I would try to barter with myself to just read one more, but I kept outsmarting myself to continue reading. Furthermore, the choppy syntax and witty tone of the voice in the novel: Jonah, compiles itself into a familiar, cynical style of dialogue making for a jocular read. For example when enveloped in what are usually one-sided converstations about matters that seem to interest others but no much Jonah he responds sarcastically "um", "nope", "uh huh" (65, 66). The sarcastic tone brought about by the juxtaposition of his short sarcastic quips to the sometimes paragraph long speeches of the other characters develops a witty form of dialogue allowing for a kind of "inside joke" between myself and Jonah when he finds himself trapped in conversation. Consequently, the humor of this novel spawns in part to the recurrence of remarks like these and his consistently "uninterested" tone of dialogue allowing for a quiet snicker here and there. In short, the style of writing all seems to revolve around the short vignettes combined with the cynically ironic tone of the speaker making for a fresh twist to the usually linear and shallow writing styles of previous chapter books I have encountered.
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I found my experience in reading this book similar to yours: quick. You have a fine discussion of how the author works to create humor and irony.
ReplyDeleteFrom my "powerful fist": You need to pay attention to detail, such as your verbs choices and the phrasing of your sentences. Some of the faulty punctuation makes understanding your point challenging. Push the overall implications, think of witty titles, and proofread closely before publishing.
I read this novel quickly as well and found it very entertaining. The structure of it makes reading more enjoyable and less like torture. However, if one does not recognize sarcasm and satire as quickly as others it can pose a problem.
ReplyDeleteI too read this book quicker than others I have read and enjoyed it thoroughly. I thought that the short chapters made the book seem to go faster and as if I accomplished more reading. I also thought that the short chapters allowed the slower reader time to stop and think about the implications of Vonnegut's writing and to digest the previous passage while also allowing a smooth transition onto the next chapter.
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