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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “This is Vonnegut's first novel, and it depicts a future in which machines do all basic human work, and only engineers and managers are needed. Paul Proteus, an engineer whose late father had been a man of great prestige and power, has a conscious, and is one of the few who sympathizes with the...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It3 of 3 members found this review helpful “Not my favorite. An early novel that was written before Vonnegut discovered his voice.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“Definitely one of my favorites by Vonnegut. ”
nicki jo :) wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“not really the best of Vonnegut's books but a worthwhile read nonetheless”
bojo_book wrote this review 9 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Life in a post-industrial world. "If God said that machines ought to take the place of livin', then what's a substitute for bread and beans? (Cause I ain't seen it.) Do engines get rewarded for their steam?"”
Bailey E wrote this review Friday, November 27 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Revelant to today's society.”
Jim R wrote this review Friday, November 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“another fgavorite”
Barry A wrote this review Tuesday, November 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book is Vonnegut's first and follows a much more linear plot than most of his other novels. Enjoyable, but a little bit boring, and not as quirky as one would expect from Vonnegut.”
Colleen S wrote this review Wednesday, November 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
0 of 1 members found this review helpful“Amanda L 4 out of 5 stars This dystopian novel takes place in Ilium New York in an age where most of the jobs people used to do are being done by machines. This creates two distinct social classes: the upper class of engineers who maintain the machines and the lower class of people who have nothing to do because the machines have made them obsolete. Our protagonist is Dr. Paul Proteus, a successful engineer who begins to question the quality of life after his occasional trips across the river to where the other half lives.
Author, Author Shelf wrote this review Monday, October 26 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Vonnegut’s fiction is like a roller coaster ride for me. I go from liking the book, to not liking it, to liking it again, etc. every fifty pages or so. By the time I got to the end of this one, I was back to liking it, but it wasn’t an easy read. One of the things I liked most about Player Piano is that I can see how Vonnegut has extended some of the ideas from one of my favorite books, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Overall, it was worth reading, and I think I even liked it better than Slaughterhouse-Five.
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“Amanda L said: 4 stars
Play Book Tag Shelf wrote this review Thursday, October 22 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This dystopian novel takes place in Ilium New York in an age where most of the jobs people used to do are being done by machines. This creates two distinct social classes: the upper class of engineers who maintain the machines and the lower class of people who have nothing to do because the machines have made them obsolete. Our protagonist is Dr. Paul Proteus, a successful engineer who begins to question the quality of life after his occasional trips across the river to where the other half lives.
Vonnegut’s fiction is like a roller coaster ride for me. I go from liking the book, to not liking it, to liking it again, etc. every fifty pages or so. By the time I got to the end of this one, I was back to liking it, but it wasn’t an easy read. One of the things I liked most about Player Piano is that I can see how Vonnegut has extended some of the ideas from one of my favorite books, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Overall, it was worth reading, and I think I even liked it better than Slaughterhouse-Five.”
“This dystopian novel takes place in Ilium New York in an age where most of the jobs people used to do are being done by machines. This creates two distinct social classes: the upper class of engineers who maintain the machines and the lower class of people who have nothing to do because the machines have made them obsolete. Our protagonist is Dr. Paul Proteus, a successful engineer who begins to question the quality of life after his occasional trips across the river to where the other half lives.
Amanda L wrote this review Wednesday, October 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Vonnegut’s fiction is like a roller coaster ride for me. I go from liking the book, to not liking it, to liking it again, etc. every fifty pages or so. By the time I got to the end of this one, I was back to liking it, but it wasn’t an easy read. One of the things I liked most about Player Piano is that I can see how Vonnegut has extended some of the ideas from one of my favorite books, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Overall, it was worth reading, and I think I even liked it better than Slaughterhouse-Five.”
