Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut
Ahhh, another satisfying and provoking read from my old friend Kurt Vonnegut. This was actually Vonnegut's first novel, was published in 1952, and was originally titled Utopia 14. This is the sixth Vonnegut book I've read and is definitely the most accessible and straight forward of those.
Usually the mad scientist weaves together a picnic basket from disjointed time-lines, historical anecdotes, and sci-fi conspiracy theories to reveal profound truths about America and life. He is not quite as extreme this time, but there are moments that hint of his future outrageousness and hilarity. It does feel like a first novel (no midgets, no aliens, no Kilgore Trout.) That being said, this book is not boring; it is funny and ridiculous, yet true on a number of levels.
Dr. Paul Proteus lives in a world where there is a large gap in social status between those who have high IQ's and those who have lower IQ's. The people who have high IQ's go to college and become managers and engineers. The others either join the Army or become a member of the "Reeks and Wrecks," who are basically manual labor grunts that don't get much work because most of the average jobs are being taken over by automated machines. These Machines are created and run by the managers and engineers. Dr. Proteus manages a large machine works in Ilium, NY. He is the son of a prestigious father, has a great job and beautiful wife, but after visiting a saloon, on "the other side of the bridge," he realizes the less fortunate are people with thoughts and feelings just like his. This sets off a series of events where Paul tries to free himself from the ties of his corporation, to live a happier and free life, and honor the true American dream. Soon his plans spin out of control and Dr. Proteus finds himself digesting a midlife crisis. In a whirlwind of emotion he accidentally becomes a double-agent and gets twisted in a plot by pseudo-terrorists determined to overthrow the corporate run government and destroy all the machines, giving the power back to the common people.
The most interesting thing about the book is how current it feels. The themes and the sentiments of the book still apply, if not more so, here in the 21st century. I am quite sure that some of the things he describes in the book did not exist back in 1952 , but exists now. The book was written in the present 1950s, but clearly represents a vision of the future. Vonnegut's true gift is that he can achieve so much with so little. He uses simple phases to achieve maximum truth and understanding. "Less is more" is the perfect phrase to describe his style, although a little less so in this book compared to the others I've read. Player Piano is much like a seedling just emerging from the the soil, while Vonnegut's future works are a jungle of multicolored flora and fruits beyond any uncultivated imagination. Player Piano is not my favorite Vonnegut book, that title goes to Cat's Cradle, it is not the most essential, that goes to Slaughterhouse Five, and I think that Breakfast of Champions is the most advanced, but Player Piano is a great place to start if you've never read any Vonnegut. And if you've never read any Vonnegut, go out and do it now! But be careful, you may be compelled to go on a Vonnegut binge like many people do after discovering him, I did.
The next book I will be reading is Even Cowgirls Get The Blues by Tom Robbins
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