A review by bigenk
The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
During the summer before my junior year in high-school, my upcoming English class gave everyone an assignment to read one book. It didn't matter what book it was, our teacher just wanted us to read literally anything, presumably so that we didn't show up to class having let our reading skills stagnate for 3 months. The prior year, I had read Slaughter House 5, and really enjoyed it, so I decided why not try another one of Kurt Vonnegut Jr's novels. The Sirens of Titan was what I chose.
I simply can't describe to you how captivated I was. I had simply never read anything like it. When I dried to describe it to my class a month later, everything was so vivid in my head, but I had a hard to putting it all in to words. I think they may have got the wrong idea about it. Looking back on it now, I think this book was very formative on my tastes as a reader, but also my outlook on life.
The Sirens of Titans revolves around Malachi Constant, the wealthiest person on earth, whose destiny is foretold by Winston Rumfoord, a man who purposefully flew into an anomaly in space that then spreads his existence over the solar system. Malachi is sent to Mars to participate in a sham and forced invasion of Earth, has his intelligence tested in the caves of Mercury, returns to Earth as the prodigal son, only to be exiled yet again by the new religion of earth that handicaps everyone equally. He is sent to Titan with Rumfoord's former wife Beatrice, whom he had a child with, to help an alien robot complete his own destiny. It's ridiculous, adventurous, and funny. It reminds me a lot of The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, both in terms of its unrelenting pacing, and the density of its fantastic ideas.
Vonnegut has his own distinct flavor of prose, which is on display here, though perhaps not at it's highest strength. I personally love the style, love how seemingly effortless it is to read without sacrificing depth of meaning, but I can understand that it's not for everyone. I think Vonnegut provides a great palate cleanser when you become tired of reading the same old thing, simply because he's so different from anyone else. There's a sarcastic, ironic, and dark style of humor to this novel that I also enjoyed immensely.
Vonnegut obsesses over destiny, and the absence of free-will. Nearly every single character in the Sirens of Titan can not control their own fate, no matter how they try to deviate from it with their actions. Vonnegut postulates that in this indifferent universe where there is no higher meaning, that what is most important is finding a place where you can be of use, accepting it, and loving those that can be loved around you. Boaz, Malachi's companion on Mars and Mercury, thought he had some higher purpose in leading the Martian army, but discovered his foolishness and found a place where he can love and be loved in the caves of Mercury. He accepted this position, no matter how small it is perceived to be, and found happiness. In contrast, Rumfoord runs away from the solar system when he discovers that he too had a destiny outside of his own control.
I think frequently about how small we are in the indifferent cosmos, and how in spite of that we can all find our little corner of purpose. I think this book must've at least played a part in forming that thought process. I don't know if it's necessarily a perfect book, but it's important to me personally, I think that it's a wild ride regardless of your personal connection to it.
I simply can't describe to you how captivated I was. I had simply never read anything like it. When I dried to describe it to my class a month later, everything was so vivid in my head, but I had a hard to putting it all in to words. I think they may have got the wrong idea about it. Looking back on it now, I think this book was very formative on my tastes as a reader, but also my outlook on life.
The Sirens of Titans revolves around Malachi Constant, the wealthiest person on earth, whose destiny is foretold by Winston Rumfoord, a man who purposefully flew into an anomaly in space that then spreads his existence over the solar system. Malachi is sent to Mars to participate in a sham and forced invasion of Earth, has his intelligence tested in the caves of Mercury, returns to Earth as the prodigal son, only to be exiled yet again by the new religion of earth that handicaps everyone equally. He is sent to Titan with Rumfoord's former wife Beatrice, whom he had a child with, to help an alien robot complete his own destiny. It's ridiculous, adventurous, and funny. It reminds me a lot of The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, both in terms of its unrelenting pacing, and the density of its fantastic ideas.
Vonnegut has his own distinct flavor of prose, which is on display here, though perhaps not at it's highest strength. I personally love the style, love how seemingly effortless it is to read without sacrificing depth of meaning, but I can understand that it's not for everyone. I think Vonnegut provides a great palate cleanser when you become tired of reading the same old thing, simply because he's so different from anyone else. There's a sarcastic, ironic, and dark style of humor to this novel that I also enjoyed immensely.
Vonnegut obsesses over destiny, and the absence of free-will. Nearly every single character in the Sirens of Titan can not control their own fate, no matter how they try to deviate from it with their actions. Vonnegut postulates that in this indifferent universe where there is no higher meaning, that what is most important is finding a place where you can be of use, accepting it, and loving those that can be loved around you. Boaz, Malachi's companion on Mars and Mercury, thought he had some higher purpose in leading the Martian army, but discovered his foolishness and found a place where he can love and be loved in the caves of Mercury. He accepted this position, no matter how small it is perceived to be, and found happiness. In contrast, Rumfoord runs away from the solar system when he discovers that he too had a destiny outside of his own control.
I think frequently about how small we are in the indifferent cosmos, and how in spite of that we can all find our little corner of purpose. I think this book must've at least played a part in forming that thought process. I don't know if it's necessarily a perfect book, but it's important to me personally, I think that it's a wild ride regardless of your personal connection to it.