This is the third novel I've read from Vonnegut, following Cat's Cradle and Breakfast of Champions, which, by the way, are also fabulous reads. This book is not nearly as funny as some of Vonnegut's other works, in fact for me, it was quite sad. Overall though the book does a fabulous job of leaving the reader guessing as to why Constant has been "chosen" by the only man who can appear at multiple places in the universe for a very special task. And even then, after that is explained, things are still not as they seem. Th final pages, and the revelations that Salo exeriences just a few minutes too late, makes for an excellent ending.

I highly recommend this novel.

Vonnegut, speaking from long before I ever discovered him, has predicted my outlook on many things better than I ever could have myself. Militarism, space travel, religion, the soul, love, marriage, beauty, disillusionment, chance: it's all here, in an erudite story that reads like a children's book.

If you are a smart, good-looking young woman and you like this book, we should talk. We'll have a son and a daughter who travel to planets far beyond our reach, Universally Willing to Become the perfect being we've all dreamed of...You can find me riding my bike around and spending way too much time at the Brooklyn Public Library.

"i've found a place where i can do good without doing any harm." Anyone who wouldn't want that should have their head checked.

Great book, short read, well worth it.

Two years after the Soviets launched Sputnik, nearly twenty years before Elton John recorded "Rocket Man," and three decades before President Reagan unveiled SDI (his version of "Star Wars,") Kurt Vonnegut's 'Sirens of Titan' was published. Not simply a satire of the "Space Race," Vonnegut's first novel brings it all back home to earth all the vanity of vanities that spring from mankind in every civilization.

The book focuses on the lives of two people: Malachi Constant, a frivolous millionaire who puts much of his time and energy into space travel, and Winston Niles Rumfoord, an intellectual developer who entices Constant to go on a far-away journey at his own expense. Rumfoord is the founder of a sect called The Church of God the Utterly Indifferent and the author of several staple near-future books, including 'The Pocket History of Mars'. He is plotting a scheme to program all Martians (earthly human transplants) to make a futile attack on our home planet. His intention is to make war so disastrous that man will abandon it on earth (not unlike Alfred Noble's inventing dynamite with the idea of making war so horrific, it would become obsolete). Once Malachi is programmed as his alter ego, Unk, he awakens and tries to reunite his family and escape to earth...

To go on with the development would be a spoiler, for the reader should curl up and read this piece of lit candy and revel in the story's unfolding. The atmosphere is nearly perfect: The novel is undoubtedly the most cartoonish of all of his books, yet the detailed development is realistic enough to transport us through space and time. He makes the ridiculous plausible and the plausible ridiculous. He has some of his most concise renderings of the folly of the human being and our history--as well as a good, solid-ground antidote to all of our foolishness. Eventually, Malachi Constant does find out what's important in this life,...and, then, so do we. How much is life determined by effort or by luck? How much do God and man have a hand in human events? Vonnegut may not give us all of the answers, but his observations are satisfying enough.

(*"Vanity of vanities...All life is vanity..." Ecclesiastes.)

(It's interesting to note, that having read 'Slaughterhouse Five,' arguably his best work, "Trafalmadore," a distant planet in a distant galaxy is introduced here before his later classic.)

(Reading Vonnegut brings to mind comparisons. I think of Vonnegut as being influenced by the same pessimism as William Golding or Sartre. Vonnegut seems as terse as Sartre, except fiercely funny. Reading 'Sirens' also brings Ray Bradbury to mind. Bradbury is grander, but Vonnegut makes tragedy into a farce.)

only after reading sirens of titan did i think to investigate the cited influences of douglas adams, and i was pleased to find he openly admits to being an obvious admirer of vonnegut. the hitchhiker volumes, though brilliant, borrow heavily from sirens in style and substance. and while both deserve a spot in your library, the nod must go to vonnegut for originality.

although being similar in premise and delivery, the authors differ somewhat in manner of execution, exemplified in their degree of sarcasm. adams, for the most part, pokes good-natured fun at just about every culture and institution in such a comical way that you WILL laugh out loud and feel compelled to call a friend, mid-hysteria, just to prove how goofy you can be. vonnegut, on the other hand, is considerably more cynical in commenting on the lack of control (and lack of the will to take control) over many aspects of our individual and collective lives, while exposing in satirical fashion the declining morals and deteriorating values that are behind our failing governments and corporations. rather than laugh, youll smirk appreciatively if you, too, take pride in thinking for yourself and despise the corruption and greed so easily succumbed to today.. conversely, you might wince when reminded of times you may have compromised your standards, or indeed revealed an absence of any.

despite the detached, deceptively indifferent way in which vonnegut presents these unpleasant, even disturbing issues, there is a surprisingly touching human element involved. (an interest in social psychology is apparent throughout the novel, such as a reference to neurotic behavior which suggests he may have been familiar with karen horneys theories.) his insights into human strengths, weaknesses, needs and inclinations are penetrating and will serve to connect you, in a strange way, to his very intentionally imperfect and clueless main character, who nonetheless discovers the meaning of life. some sections, including the ending, are so moving that they are guaranteed to invoke a deep-seated emotional response, some parts sadness, a few parts hope, the rest not easily definable, from somewhere near the essence of your core. in fact, this might be the most deeply affecting novel ive ever read. it will leave you wanting more, in a superficial way, yes, for the characters, but by extension, what youll want is a more meaningful life of your own.. and a better existence for the entire human race.

The Sirens of Titan takes place in the 22nd century, and focuses on Malachi Constant, of Hollywood, California, the richest and one of the most depraved, immoral men on Earth. Everything is going pretty smoothly for him, he's counting his money in his endless pure golden and diamond lined safe, swimming in his giant lagoon with a whole bunch of beautiful women, counting his money--when all of a sudden he is approached by Winston Niles Rumfoord, a very famous and powerful man, along with his good ol' dog, Kazak, who together mystifiy the population for one special thing he can do, that no one else on Earth can do: materialize, along with his dog. In other words, magically teleport themselves from one place to another, by simply standing in a single spot as they slowly disintegrate to oblivion--while they start dematerializing on a completely different planet in the Solar System, usually Mars. Winston and his dog travel all throughout the solar system by materializating and they become chrono synclastic infundibulated--the only man and dog on Earth to become chrono synclastic infundibulated. I am not too sure on the matter of chrono synclastic infundibulation because I forgot the basic concept of it from the book, even though I just recently finished reading The Sirens of Titan. Whether or not being chronosynclastic infudibulated has any influence on Winston so that he would have prophetic visionary powers, I am not positively sure. But Winston does indeed have prophetic visionary powers. He can look into the future. Winston approaches Malachi and tells-maybe even warns-Constant of his future to be. Which is that Constant will travel through the Solar System, with a "beautiful woman" at his side, Winston's wife, Beatrice Rumfoord and that the two will marry each other and even have a child together. He will first travel to Mars, then to Mercury, then back to Earth, then to Titan, one of the moons of Saturn, there, where he will die.
Constant, not willing to accept this as his future-to-be denies it will all his might, and goes through great troubles to try to prevent himself from his tour of the Solar System, with Beatrice by his side. Beatrice who hates Malachi(and vice versa) also cannot accept this fact, and also goes through great troubles to try to prevent Winson's prophetic vision of 'their' future to be from coming true. Ironically, their great efforts they display to try to prevent Winston's vision from happening in the first place actually somehow leads them to their ultimate fate 'together'.
Subsequently, they are taken to Mars on one of Winston's flying saucers, where they have their memories and true Earthling identities entirely erased. They have to start over, completely from scratch, as they are nudged by some invisible force to the planet Mercury, then back to Planet Earth, and finally to Titan, one of the moons of Saturn, where, as Winston Niles Rumfoord predicted, Malachi and his wife and his son would die. But not in vain, not in ignorance, as they, from all the troubles and trials and 'tours' they have gone through, suddenly realize as geysers on Titan, the meaning of life. The true purpose of human beings.

Fairly plot-less and lengthy, The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut's second published novel, is still good, maybe even great, putting aside those two major flaws. You still need to take in the positives into consideration. It is funny(though not as funny as Slaughterhouse Five.) It is considered by many to be his best book. That may even be true. (Slaughterhouse Five would be a close 2nd.) It is the book where Vonnegut begins to find his writer's voice and his bitter, black humor. And to top it all off, it even has Vonnegut's opinion of the true meaning of life, the true purpose of human beings. I'm not going to tell or even hint to you what it is--you have to read the book and find out for yourself.

4 out of 5 stars.