Galapagos

Description

From the author of Slaughterhouse 5. The human survivors of the nature cruise of the century, are quietly evolving into sleek, furry creatures with flippers and small brains. All other forms of humankind have ceased to exist, made redundant by their prized big brains.

Kurt Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis in 1922 and studied biochemistry at Cornell University. After serving in Europe during the Second World War, he specialised in anthropology at the University of Chicago before becoming a full-time writer. Author of more than fifteen published novels, Vonnegut is perhaps best described as a social satirist. A writer of almost prophetic vision, his work not only covers a wide variety of genres, including science fiction, but also often mixes genres within the same book. His amazing versatility and imaginative range have earned him international acclaim for his novels, which include Player Piano, Slaughterhouse-Five, Deadeye Dick and Bluebeard.

'The best Vonnegut novel yet!' John Irving 'Beautiful ... provocative, arresting reading.' USA Today 'A madcap genealogical adventure ... Vonnegut is a postmodern Mark Twain.' The New York Times Book Review 'A satire in the classic tradition ... a dark vision, a heartfelt warning.' The Detroit Free Press 'Interesting, engaging, sad and yet very funny ... Vonnegut is still in top form. If he has no prescription for alleviating the pain of the human condition, at least he is a first-rate diagnostician.' Susan Isaacs, Newsday 'Dark ... original and funny.' People 'A triumph of style, originality and warped yet consistent logic ... a condensation, an evolution of Vonnegut's entire career, including all the issues and questions he has pursued relentlessly for four decades.' The Philadelphia Inquirer 'Wild details, wry humor, outrageous characters ... Galapagos is a comic lament, a sadly ironic vison.' St. Louis Post-Dispatch 'A work of high comedy, sadness and imagination.' The Denver Post 'Wacky wit and irreverent imagination ... and the full range of technical innovations have made [Vonnegut] America's preeminent experimental novelist.' The Minneapolis Star and Tribune