Sirens of Titan

I was reading an AskReddit thread the other day: “What’s a book everyone should read at least once in their lives? ” One of the answers recommended an author rather than a book: Kurt Vonnegut. I looked through the comments and researched a little and most say Sirens of Titan is his best book.

As I always do with my Kindle, I try out the sample first and if I get hooked, then one-click buy! Obviously, I got hooked since I’m writing this review.

Sirens of Titan follows the richest man on earth, Malachi Constant. His adventure starts when a space-time traveller predicts his journey from Earth through Mars and eventually to Saturn’s moon, Titan. The plot is very well written and paced. Each step along the way, I am pleasantly surprised how Vonnegut takes you through this journey. He injects a good amount of comedy and satire together with the “science” which makes it an easy read (I was able to finish in one weekend!). It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but when you stop and think about it, it tackles some very heavy philosophical topics about free will, religion, politics, war, aliens, and much more.

Overall, I’d give this a 9/10. Fun and light read, deep enough to warrant philosophical thoughts after you’ve finished it. Since this is my first Vonnegut book, I can’t really say it’s his best. Maybe I’ll take a look at Slaughterhouse Five or Breakfast of Champions next. But if you’re looking to start with his books, I think this is a great choice.