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	• The Sirens of Titan Kurt Vonnegut The Dial Press, 1998 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 155 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A Series of Accidents

In Sirens of Titan, Vonnegut combines science fiction with irreverent humor in a tribute to the funniest aspect of human existence: the utter random pointlessness of our lives, which are governed by a mostly illusory sense of free will. Malachi Constant, the book's hero and anti-hero, finds himself haplessly swept away by an interplanetary "series of accidents," which eventually have him participating in the Martian invasion of his own planet. Though he is a depraved character, obscenely wealthy and self-indulgent, one can't help but sympathize with him and his fumbling search for the one thing that may redeem his otherwise meaningless existence.

Much more cannot be said without ruining the novel's twisting (and somewhat twisted) plot. It is a great read, both funny and philosophical.

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Great!

The protagonist is Malachi Constant, originally of Hollywood, California, and the richest man in 22nd-century America. He possesses extraordinary luck, which he has used to build upon his father's fortune, but he has done nothing else significant with his life. He becomes the centerpoint of a journey that takes him from Earth to Mars in preparation for an interplanetary war, to Mercury with another Martian survivor of that war, back to Earth to be pilloried as a sign of God's displeasure, and finally to Saturn's moon Titan to meet the man responsible for his respective good fortunes (or lack thereof), Winston Niles Rumfoord.

Once on Titan, the non-robotic robot Salo is introduced, and is perhaps one of the most sympathetic characters ever created by Vonnegut - which is saying a lot. This book is chock-full of more of Vonnegut's wit and clever observations about the human race, and after reading it I found myself staring at the sky and wondering if there really was something out there so beautiful as the Sirens of Titan.

Relic113

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The Best Vonnegut

I have only read a handful of Vonnegut's books, but so far this is my favorite.

You Want to Know the Meaning of Life?

Sirens of Titan was the sixth or seventh Vonnegut novel that I've read and it's arguably his best. Many reviewers have said that Sirens of Titan is the novel in which Vonnegut found his voice. Now, I haven't read Player Piano, so I can't compare the two, but it is without a doubt that Sirens of Titan is all Vonnegut.

Sirens of Titan's storyline is a bit more complex than much Vonnegut's other work. However, that is not to say that Sirens of Titan is particularly complex, like many Russian novels. Sirens of Titan follows much of Malachi Constant's life. Malachi, at the beginning of the novel, is the richest many in the world, thanks to his great luck and his father's fortune. Also in this story, Winston Niles Rumfoord, while traveling in his spaceship around Mars, has become stuck in the chrono-synclastic infundibulum. According to Vonnegut, Winston's body and mind are stretched across the universe and because of this, he is can see the future and often appears in seemingly random locations at fixed intervals. The lives of these two men meet and a series of bizarre events which span from Mercury to Titan (one of Saturn's moons) unfold. I will stop explaining the plot here, because it would take much too much time.

There are several themes in Sirens of Titan, including fate, greed, religion, and, most importantly, the meaning of life. The characters, whether main or secondary, develop wonderfully and the story never grows tiresome or old. Further, the story boasts unforeseen twists and turns that are neither cliche' or forced. In fact, they work beautifully.

In conclusion, though I've not read everything Vonnegut has done, I've read much of it (including the big three: Cat's Cradle, Slaughter House Five, and Breakfast of Champions) and I think Sirens of Titan is his best. The climax at the end is undeniably his most moving, surprising, and overall best that I've read. I'd also like to mention that when I say it's his "best," I'm not saying it's my favorite- do not confuse the two. I literally do think this is Vonnegut's strongest book in terms of plot, characters, and providing insight into presented themes. As far as my favorites go, Sirens of Titan is my second favorite Vonnegut book- very close behind Slapstick, which is undeniably NOT Vonnegut's best book.

If you're new to Vonnegut, Sirens of Titan is an excellent choice. Though, I generally suggest Breakfast of Champions to new readers, because it seems to be his most accessible. If you're familiar with Vonnegut (whether you've read one or 15) and you're looking for something of his to read, Sirens of Titan should undoubtedly be next on your list. Plus, Vonnegut tells us the meaning of life in this book. You can't afford not to buy it!

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