Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Galapagos, by Kurt Vonnegut

 Did this man write a bad book? I keep reading him, and keep loving his writing.

Spoilers hence

What a strange book. I know I say that all the time, but to think the narrator would be someone in 1,000,000 AD, what? Then, a ghost? Also, Kilgore Trout's son? (Vonnegut is famous for having characters appear in different books, even as passing mentions or super minor characters.) 

Galapagos has everything: one remaining male, sire of all of humanity after 1986. And a million years hence, what happens? We all turn into marine mammals, hands all but useless for anything but navigation, and mouths evolved for fishing. 

Did Leon Trout's father show back up and escort him through the blue tunnel after the million years? Some readers would say yes, as Leon cited himself with a death date of 1,001,986. Others, like I, may think he left it open for us to decide. (If Vonnegut himself resolves this question in a later book yours truly hasn't read yet, please don't spoil it for me.)

Spoilers done.

I ended up getting the Library of America boxed version of Vonnegut's books on sale and read Galapagos in the beautiful hb with black dj. I'll read all future Vonnegut's in hb as well. (Next up on Rachel's list is Slapstick.)



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