“E pluribus unum is surely an ironic motto to inscribe on the currency of this Utopia gone bust, for every grotesquely rich American represents property, privileges, and pleasures that have been denied the many.”
Set from the point of view a trust-fund kid who resolves to give away his entire fortune to helping those in need, Vonnegut tells us this heartwarming tale of Eliot Rosewater rebelling against his family to give back to his hometown of Rosewater County, Indiana – and does so in a hilarious way.
I find that with many Vonnegut books, it feels like the thesis of the book is being thrown in your face – but there is so much more nuance when you study the little details. We have third, fourth, and fifth parties involved in Eliot’s rebellion, such as: the lawyers who represent the Rosewater foundation, Eliot’s estranged wife (who isn’t sure what to think anymore), and the distant cousin Fred Rosewater, a middle-class insurance salesman who is trying to get his hands on the money. The interdependence of these parties makes this much more interesting than your basic “rich vs. poor” story.
Vonnegut crafts a novel where the reader is constantly reevaluating and considering who should be getting what. The background and actions of Fred, probably the most interesting character in the story, make you wonder whether he deserves any or all of the money. Another pervasive question constantly posed throughout the book: is Eliot is going about his antics in the right way? Is “antics” even the right word to describe his behavior?
Not only did I find this book to be quite heartwarming, I found myself rooting for Eliot almost all the way through. It’s a pretty short read too, so if you find yourself wanting to read a little Vonnegut without a full commitment, this wouldn’t be a bad choice.
“My life, Mr. Rosewater—you saved it, whatever it is.”
“‘All experience adds up to a life lived as only you could. I feel sure the day will come when you can say: this is my life.’”
A really wonderful slice-of-life read. I originally saw this book in an article titled 10 Books That Feel Like Wes Anderson Movies and honestly it hit the mark pretty well. For a novel like this, it was the perfect mix of both dialogue and internal musings from the main character, and general descriptive passages of the world surrounding him. Most of the novel takes place at the small dorayaki shop where the main character works.
Without spoiling, this book also handled really well how a certain group of people were treated unfairly in Japan, and the aftermath of the resulting government intervention. This was something I had never known about before, and even prompted me to do future research on the topic. Follow this link to learn more and possibly be spoiled.
Despite the hardships of all three of the characters, however, this was a bittersweet-yet heartwarming story. While this book will certainly give you mixed emotions, the writing and story are very well done – an absolute pleasure to read.
Since I’ve been trying to break into reading more science fiction, I decided to pick up this book, which was recommended to me as a great entry point. I wanted something high-quality, but not dense like Dune. This book checked those boxes, as it’s cozy, with a simple plot (a new clerk, Rosemary, joins a spaceship that tunnels through spacetime) that is usually set on the back burner in favor of character development.
To me, it was almost like reading a sitcom, each chapter acting as an ‘episode’ where some new situation presents itself to the characters (exploring a new planet, dealing with character relationships, warding off enemies, etc.). The dialogue could be a bit camp at times, which isn’t necessarily my cup of tea, but it was on par for the book, so I didn’t really mind it. The worldbuilding was the strongest part of the novel, and I believe Chambers has other books that take place in this universe, though not necessarily with the same characters.
I think this book works great as an introduction to the sci-fi genre, but can also be enjoyed by veterans alike, or really anyone that wants a feel-good read.
“No sapient could sustain happiness all of the time, just as no one could live permanently within anger, or boredom, or grief.”
