magdadh

Seconded. I read High Fidelity and The Long Way Down and found both of them definitely enjoayble but also very shallow, not in the lacking philosophy sense but as if he was scared to develop a character, a theme, a plot line over and above what would fit in a single newspaper column. Or something like that. The observation he makes in HF, which goes something along the lines of 'we [meaning the male obsessives] decide who to like on the basis of what they like' doesn't apply only to blokes. It is a fundamental tenent of adolescent/studenty intelectual snobbery and I have known plenty of females who used it. And so did I (until I have grown out of it by the age of about 28). The girlfriend in HF was sostereotypical it was appaling. I personally hate books (and anything else) that make this 'women are from venus men from mars' point about sexes being so incredibly different. But that might be because secretly I have always wanted to be a geekish bloke with a music fetish...

I think it was significantly worse that Guns, Germs and Steel; padded out unnecessarily with personal life stories of Montanans and similar, and his solutions - considering that according to his diagnosis we are on a brink of disaster - are bit on a mild side. But still worth reading, for me especially for the Vikings. They didn't eat fish. In Greenland. Amazing.

I couldn't agree more!!!!! Cat's Cradle used to be in my personal top 5 in my late teens/early 20's; and the Slaughterhouse 5 in my top 10 (if it makes sense). My favourite Vonnegut was actually God Bless You, Mr Rosewater. Now at 35, I am too scared of disappointing myself to read any of his again as I suspect his violently sentimentalist streak might be just too much.

I agree, it's very scary. And the ending .... ouch. I read it years ago and still remember. Excellent. I still have no idea what the point of it is, though, unless of course we count providing exquisitely written, bit sick entertainment...

I liked the book, though I think it tries to cram too much into one novel, as debuts often do.

I found it rather sweet but totally forgetable apart from the genral mood. Which is probably what the author intended anyway...

I intended to read that but after getting VERY disappointed by 'Lessons with Morrie' gave up.

I enjoyed the book - very quick and easy read and not too annoyingly sentimental considering - but to be honest the explanation for Anna's behaviour took the whole edge of the plot. And the resolution was a gigantic cop-out.