There is not a single Vonnegut book I don't like. Sirens is one of those that's him at his "trippiest", for lack of a better work. The story is secondary to the concepts when he's doing that side of his stuff, like in breakfast of champions and timequake

But it manages to be a good story anyway, which is why I love Vonnegut. His self character, Kilgore Trout is a caricature of himself as he sees himself, where he thinks he comes to with great ideas and then fumbles them at least a little. But it's more the opposite, where he comes to with some wacky ideas, but uses his gentle touch on things to make them work well.

It isn't my favorite, I can't pretend otherwise, but it is a great read

[–] troyunrau 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Love your username.

This is precisely what I mean by polarizing, haha. What's your favourite idea from the book?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The entire chrono-synclastic infundibulum.

It's the absurb beauty of it that tickles me most. Like, a cosmic and quantum meeting of the minds of sorts.

I giggled like a loon when I first read it. Then I realized that there's a deeper thought behind it. The concept of subjective truth, it's kinda mind blowing to me. That there doesn't have to be objective truth for the universe to function.

Vonnegut always liked to play with the idea of free will and how we can never truly know that it exists. The infundibulum idea suggests that our free will might choose determinism, and may have always done so. Which, is a tad of a stretch, I'll admit, but I think that's part of the beauty of Vonnegut's writing, that it makes you stretch your thoughts.

[–] troyunrau 2 points 2 years ago

No wonder so many stoners love his writing, hah! Yeah, it does do that now and again. Almost Terry Pratchett in that way, now that I reflect upon it.