Perhaps by happy coincidence (and hopefully not like the coincidence which befalls the main character in this book!) I was reading this at the same time I started reading James Comey's "A Higher Loyalty," and the two complemented each other in some surprising ways. Here, Kurt Vonnegut takes on government corruption and corporate excess, as only he can, in the personage of a Harvard Man who endures the vicissitudes of fortune with surprising aplomb. I was rather surprised, honestly, to see the serious tone the book took in its initial chapters. It only really assumes its prototypical Vonnegut character in the last few chapters, which descend into delightful farce too absurd to be taken seriously.
I'll keep this one short and sweet, since I don't like to rehash the whole plot line, which, in the case of Vonnegut novels, is a challenge on a good day. This books recounts the misadventures of one Walter F. Starbuck, the son of immigrants and a Harvard graduate who was imprisoned for a dubious role in the Watergate fiasco, and whose sole aspiration post-release seems to be to become a bartender, with his Doctor of Mixology degree earned in prison. In his typical fractured style, Vonnegut critiques both big government and big business. Much of the action takes place in the two days after Starbuck's release from a minimum security "Club Fed"-style correctional facility, although much of the content also occurs in flashback sequences. Walter's fortunes change yet again when by sheer chance, he encounters a former associate whose life he ruined by testifying against him, and a former lover-turned-vagrant whose own fortunes (and certainly sanity) are somewhat in doubt. Overall, I enjoyed this novel, but it wasn't one of my favorite Vonnegut works; the beginning is more profound than the ending, which kind of falls apart in its absurdity, when the book otherwise could have actually been meaningful. Still, it's prototypical Vonnegut, and certainly worth reading if you're a fan.
I'll keep this one short and sweet, since I don't like to rehash the whole plot line, which, in the case of Vonnegut novels, is a challenge on a good day. This books recounts the misadventures of one Walter F. Starbuck, the son of immigrants and a Harvard graduate who was imprisoned for a dubious role in the Watergate fiasco, and whose sole aspiration post-release seems to be to become a bartender, with his Doctor of Mixology degree earned in prison. In his typical fractured style, Vonnegut critiques both big government and big business. Much of the action takes place in the two days after Starbuck's release from a minimum security "Club Fed"-style correctional facility, although much of the content also occurs in flashback sequences. Walter's fortunes change yet again when by sheer chance, he encounters a former associate whose life he ruined by testifying against him, and a former lover-turned-vagrant whose own fortunes (and certainly sanity) are somewhat in doubt. Overall, I enjoyed this novel, but it wasn't one of my favorite Vonnegut works; the beginning is more profound than the ending, which kind of falls apart in its absurdity, when the book otherwise could have actually been meaningful. Still, it's prototypical Vonnegut, and certainly worth reading if you're a fan.
Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
