Cat's Cradle: A Novel [Paperback]

“A free-wheeling vehicle . . . an unforgettable ride!”—The New York Times 

Cat’s Cradleis Kurt Vonnegut’s satirical commentary on modern man and his madness. An apocalyptic tale of this planet’s ultimate fate, it features a midget as the protagonist, a complete, original theology created by a calypso singer, and a vision of the future that is at once blackly fatalistic and hilariously funny. A book that left an indelible mark on an entire generation of readers,Cat’s Cradleis one of the twentieth century’s most important works—and Vonnegut at his very best.

“[Vonnegut is] an unimitative and inimitable social satirist.”—Harper’s Magazine

“Our finest black-humorist . . . We laugh in self-defense.”—Atlantic Monthly“A free-wheeling vehicle . . . an unforgettable ride!”—The New York Times 
 
“[Vonnegut is] an unimitative and inimitable social satirist.”—Harper’s Magazine

“Our finest black-humorist . . . We laugh in self-defense.”—Atlantic MonthlyKurt Vonnegut’s black humor, satiric voice, and incomparable imagination first captured America’s attention inThe Sirens of Titanin 1959 and established him as “a true artist” (The New York Times) withCat’s Cradlein 1963. He was, as Graham Greene declared, “one of the best living American writers.” Mr. Vonnegut passed away in April 2007.Chapter One

The Day the World Ended


Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John.

Jonah--John--if I had been a Sam, I would have been Jonah still--not because I have been unlucky for others, but because somebody or something has compelll#”