Bokrecension: Player Piano av Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

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1. Why did you choose this novel?

I’ve always been a fan of Vonnegut and his unique style. You’ve already read my review of his perhaps most well-known work, Slaughterhouse 11, and I’ve also read a few other examples of his work. His novels are somehow “larger than life”, although they never are even close to being caricatures. In fact, they feel more like tips of icebergs, minor examplles of much bigger problems and tendencies in life. Vonnegut also spors his trademark writing style – dry, cutting, but at the same time recognising every single emotion that crosses the minds of the characters.

And, of course, that my father already has a pile of Vonnegut book in english in our library, only waiting to be read.

2. What’s going on as the story begins?

Ilium, New York, somewhere in the future. Machines and computers have taken over most of the industry, dividing the city into three parts. One part is for the machines and factory complexes, where human beings rarely set their feet. The second part is where all the engineers required for maintaining the computers live, and the third, and biggest, part is where the executives live (although they are rather few). That is at least how it is described in the beginning of the novel, but the vast majority of the people doesn’t belong to any of these groups. Instead, they are employed by the state. However, the USA still remains the capitalism bastion it always have been, and refuse to start up any corporation of their own. Thus, the people who can’t make their living out of doing anithing better than a machine have two choices; joining the army or working with building and maintaining the city (those who choose the later cathegory have plenty of rather unpleasant nicknames). The few people who are not employed by the state often have doctorary degrees in more than one subject, and they make sure that their children can get the highest possible level of education possible – both college and universities are really expensive, and without university degrees shoveling dust or polishing firearms is your only alternative...

3. Who is telling the story?

An objective narrator, who regularly cuts between different locations and characters. The narrator knows absolutely everything within the world of the characters, but, and this is important, only mentions the feelings and thought that the characters themselves can percept. Unlike maky other books, the narrator never adds any point of his own.

4. How does the author get you to read on or hold your interest?

Mainly through the language. Kurt Vonnegut uses a very specific language, mentioned in earlier assignments, which really catches the reader. But also through the deep, psychological play which take place between, and even within, the characters. It isn’t really the storyline itself that moves the novel forward, it is the thoughts behind it and the thoughts about the consequences of it that does the trick.

5. To what age group is the novel aimed?

Adults, definately. The novel demands a pretty high awareness about the way society works, as well as decent decent knowledge of various technical nd industrial terms. It is the kind of book that you can get more out of the older you are, but a talented teenager may definately enjoy it.

6. What is the setting of the novel? Is the setting imoprtant or could the novel be happening anywhere? Why?

As mentioned in a previous answer, the entire story takes place in Ilium, New York, but this computerized revolution appears to have struck the entire country and created towns which are very similiar. Although it is never mentioned in the novel, I have drawn the conclusion that the amount of major cities have declined and that the smaller towns are constantly shrinking, also due to this new revolution which makes it impossible to ...