The Sirens Of Titan: The science fiction classic and precursor to Douglas Adams (S.F. MASTERWORKS)

I must confess up front that this is my favourite book & so was always going to receive 5 stars. I first read 'The Sirens of Titan' when I was sixteen (in 1976) & it has remained as my first choice ever since. I have read other Vonnegut books but this is the clear front runner for me. A science fiction book that reads like a fairy story, it concerns the roller-coaster life of one Malachi Constant, born the richest man on Earth. Through his adventures we learn the 'true' history of mankind both past and near future. This book is rare in that it is word perfect - not one sentence has been added as padding, every character, every verbal exchange, every description adds to the story. It has the barbs of irony that Vonnegut is famouse for but is counterpoised by moments of immense beauty. Plenty happens in this book & it has so much drama that by the end you feel you've been on a long journey. I still feel strong emotions when I read this book & I'm happy that this audio version is now available. The narrator does a good job (of course it can't match the voices I've had for it in my head for several decades) & this makes a big difference.

This is a comic SF albeit one full of symbolism and sub-textual meaning. It is really pointless to describe the plot because it really doesn't make much sense. It certainly has its moments of hilarity in the ridiculousness of it all, and conveys Vonnegut's feelings about the ultimate futility of existence in a vast universe. There are themes that inspired The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but of course this book got there first.

KV's second book is fecund with themes that populated his later works. Free will, the cruelty of capitalism, luck, God and fire engines. They're all here in this tale of interplanetary travel, conflict and the manipulation of man's free will. Wonderful stuff, inked in Vonnegut's sparse prose. Characters are many and some of the smaller parts are here the most memorable (Boaz and Salo in particular) and as always the plot is in tandem, taking us for the ride but exploring big themes on the journey. And the humour is ripe as a bulbous cherry. And the invention is prodigious. I thought I had an in-built antipathy to S.F, silly me, S.F here is the clothes not the man. Think I'll pop off to Mercury for the vibes...goodnight.

The book itself is good but the print is definitely not friendly to read. The letters are too dense and it is as of it is badly printed. Not a very pleasant experience

This book shows novels should work: life, although chronological, is not chronological in the emotional and mental experience of how it's lived. It goes forwards, back, loops around, repeats, and will sometimes leave the user feeling like that have no control over it. That is how Vonnegut novels work. He is obsessed (I don't think that is too stronger word) with freewill. Does it exist; how does it operate if it does? That, I think is why time travellers and beings who can see the whole of existence crop up throughout his fiction. His books are funny, in a deadpan kind of way; funny that is also desperately serious (read the last chapter of Cat's Cradle). Put all this together and you have a seriously great writer, one moreover whose style is deceptively simple. Just look at the opening page of Sirens of Titans: it reads almost like a children's book, accept of course it's not. Funny, serious, oddball and just brilliant; just like life.

This is classic, early Kurt Vonnegut and, in it`s way, an important example of his work. The book is not an easy read but does contain humour and lighter moments. Do not expect to read of galactic empires, robots and laser cannon - this is nothing like a `space opera`. It is probably well up in the list of best-ever science fiction works and is highly regarded by many. At it`s current low price I consider `The Sirens of Titan` an essential read but it is not - in my opinion - amongst Vonnegut`s best work.

Kurt has a way with words that belies a deeper understanding of human nature. Will be reading this book on a winter's night.

A little bit of fun, a little bit quirky, a little dark and a little light - a bit tragic. A little melancholic with a little bit of joy. Not a lot of happiness but in the end everything is ok. I enjoyed this book.

Vonnegut is not for everybody! There might be enough people that take him literally and might get offended by his remarks on religious zealotry, "righteous wars" and politics in general. But if you have a strong sense of humor and got disappointed at least once in life with the way history gets written by the victors and the truth gets distorted by the people in power, you will be delighted with this! It is the most thought-provoking book, and at any given point it might read as a non sci-fi with its deep observations on human relations: man-woman, rich-poor, religious/non-believer, war. At the same time it is the most satisfying sci-fi book ever, blows the esoteric Strugatsky or Lem away!!! I loved the quirkyness of the Chrono-synchlastic infundibulum concept, the sarcasm on the futility of what we bravely call Space exploration ( frustratingly slow and dangerous so far- with questionable results), humanity's typical behavior once they get there( start a war! ), some fascinatingly strange imaginings of Mercury and Titan... Just about when I thought it can't get any better, it suddenly does: Contact. The cherished Alien contact! There is a lot there and I will leave it to the reader to discover where The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy got its inspiration! I just have to add that the landscapes of Titan ( when the 3 main characters plus the dog finally make it there), are some of the most hauntingly beautiful pages in sci-fi ever written! This book is written in 1959, way before Cassini sent the astounding images from the vicinity of Saturn... Vonnegut did his homework right! And yes, the philosophy that we are at our most happy when we stop worrying and enjoy the simple pleasures in life! This is a book for the eons, it's depths wrapped in humor, slowly, hauntingly sinking in...

Arrived in great quality, pages and print quality is A!

Woww, parfait ! Quel suspens et quelles réflexions !!!!! Je le conseille à tous, marrant ET intellectuel :) merci au podcast Cracked.com de me l'avoir fait découvrir :)

From an overall humanist standpoint, through a stoic acceptance of fate and the possible meaninglessness of our existence, passing through social comments on inequality to pointing out the absurdity of much human effort, this novel brings to light themes which Vonnegut would develop in at least half of the books he would later write. Indeed, the "universe" he writes of in his major works are nearly all firmly within the one he creates here. If you are unfamiliar with his work, this is the one to start with. If you haven't caught up with this one and have read others, this one is the wellspring of them all. I read it when I was 18 and have just read it now 50 years later and I still find in it that mix of humour, sadness and wisdom that got me hooked on KV back then. No spoilers - read this book!

If you like Alan Moore's Watchmen, then do yourself a favour and read this. Copyright 1958 it features: a character like dr. Manhattan who experiences all time simultaneously, a fake alien invasion to stop nuclear war and unite humanity, mind control that is a MKUltra leader's set dream and even a neat paragraph that seems to predict the cloud. Funny and thoughtful who could ask for more!