About this title: WELCOME TO THE MONKEY HOUSE is a collection of Kurt Vonnueguts shorter works. Originally printed in publications as diverse as The Magazine of Fantasy and Science fiction and The Atlantic Monthly, what these superb stories share is Vonnegut's audacious sense of humor and extraordinary range of creative vision.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Dell
Date Published: 1969
ISBN-13:9780440194781ISBN:0440194784
Description: Acceptable. Moderate shelf wear with and tear. Age toning with pages appearing to be FREE of markings. GoodwillnyBooks is committed to providing each customer with the highest standard of customer service. You may return new items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Delta
Date Published: 1968
Description: Fair. AA1. Paperback. Tobacco odor. Heavy staining of wraps. Yellowed pages. Heavy wear. Text is unmarked, tight. All items are carefully and securely packed to insure they arrive in the advertised condition. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Laurel, New York
Date Published: 1950
ISBN-13:9780440194781ISBN:0440194784
Description: Good with no dust jacket; wear, rubbing and soil to covers, creases on front cover, a little marker on front end page, binding tight, text clean. 0440194784; 11936. 16mo 6"-7" tall; 308 pages; David-Bruin. read more
Binding: MASS MARKET PAPERBACK
Publisher: Dell Publishing, Co
ISBN-13:9780440094784ISBN:044009478X
Description: Fine. 044009478X Paperback with extremely minor shelfwear, pages bright and in excellent condition; This Item is in stock, we have great customer service and fast shipping! read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Dell
Date Published: 1971
Description: Good. 8vo. 308pp. Cover has edge wear and creasingr. Owner's name on back of cover. Pages are lightly browned but remain clean and unmarked. Binding is tight. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Dell
Date Published: 1970
ISBN-13:9780440194781ISBN:0440194784
Description: Very Good. 8vo. 308pp. Cover has minor edge wear. Writing on bottom edge. Owner's stamp on flyleaf. Pages are lightly browned but remain clean and unmarked. Binding is tight. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Edition: Twenty-eighth Printing
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Dell Publishing, New York
Date Published: 1976
Description: Good. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. Edge and corner wear, spine is creased and shelf-worn, scuffed and scratched, pages are toning, heavy creases in the rear cover, overall a very clean, used copy. 308 unmarked and uncreased pages. "This long-awaited volume brings together the finest of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. 's shorter works. Sex, machines, pills, men, women, society, good, evil, outer space, inner space, time past, present and future, are among the subjects infused with the fascinating, fantastic and ... read more
Description: New. Paperback. You are buying a Book in NEW condition with very light shelf wear to include very light edge and corner wear. Buy it Now! ! ! As always, thank you for buying this book from International Book Source, YOUR ONE source FOR ALL your BOOK related NEEDS. Please remember to CHOOSE carefully how QUICKLY you would like to RECEIVE this material FAST, or standard (on next page). Thanks again! ! ! ! read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Delta
Date Published: 1970
Description: Good. First delta printing. Softcovers lightly rubbed, top front corner creased. Interior in very good condition, clean and tight.; 8vo. read more
Edition: Later Printing
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperbacks, New York
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780385333504ISBN:0385333501
Description: As NEW. Wraps in cream, browy and sky blue spine and covers. "Kurt Vonnegut is a master of contemporary American literature. His black humor, satiric voice, and incomparable imagination first captured America's attention in The Sirens of Titan in 1959 and established him as "a true artist" with Cat's Cradle in 1963. " New book with no flaws. 331 pages. read more
"I've decided I'm a fan of Vonnegut's. This collection of short stories ranges in tone, style, and success. Even when a story misses the mark, there is still something worthwhile about it. and when a story works, it REALLY works! Quite a few of them fall between these two marks, but throughout Vonnegut's voice maintains a humor and a knowingness about human-nature that brings home the darker aspects of his tales and keeps even the more imaginative stories grounded in plausability. I'm sure everyone would have a different favorite in this collection. I honestly couldn't say which one mine would be."
"I'm not really sure how to go about rating or reviewing this particular book. I enjoyed it very much while I was reading it, and like most of Vonnegut's work, it is very well-crafted. But it is ultimately good, lazy summer reading, and not much more than that.
I have trouble reading collections of short stories. I don't like the feeling of connecting with characters only to be jolted into an entirely different world thirty seconds later. And there are certainly a lot of different worlds in this collection, although the focus on science fiction is very much present here.
I've never been a fan of Vonnegut when he's flirting with the dystopian or making broad social commentaries. All of his conclusions seem too easy. He's rarely illuminating anything new or interesting. "Harrison Bergeron", for example, is not a short story but a PSA against mindless equality. (A notable exception is the story "Welcome to the Monkey House", in which rape is a symbol of freedom. Very nicely done.)
The majority of the stories are forgettable. But there are definitely stories here that stand out - "All The King's Horses", "New Dictionary", "Tom Edison's Shaggy Dog". They're worth the read.
(A couple of final notes: I didn't 'get' "The Hyannis Port Story" because I'm not familiar enough with American politics. And this probably makes me a heartless bitch, but I very much disliked "Long Walk to Forever". I liked "Unready to Wear", but mostly because I would totally be amphibious if I could.)"
"I think Vonnegut's brilliant. This is the first of his books that I've read, but I'm sure I'll read more in time. This particular one is a compilation of short stories he'd written primarily in the 50's and 60's. While they're all very good, I find myself repeating habits I always do when I read short stories. I finish one then say, "Okay! I'm done reading that one. Now I'll put it down, go to bed and read the next story the next day." Since every 'chapter' is unrelated, I ended up reading one book over something like 4 months. And with the book constantly hanging over my head, I never really read anything else which was upsetting. Maybe next time I won't get something that won't keep me going throughout the book."
"I could write a long review and talk about every short story in this collection, but I'm not going to do that. There are just too many good stories in this collection. My personal favorite was probably "Harrison Bergeron" but I would have to think about that. It's not necessary that I have a "favorite" per se, but my mind just works that way.
If you're a Vonnegut fan, you've probably read this. If you've never read Vonnegut, give it a shot. It's a great way to start your journey into his mind. He can be hilarious and moving in the same story. I've enjoyed reading his works since I was in high school, and I will continue to do so for a long time.
In fact, I will continue reading his work "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.""
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