Oprah: I have just finished reading this book, and I have to say, this is without a doubt his best work. Without a doubt! Please welcome, Kuuurrrt Vonneguuuuuuuuut!!
*Applause*
O: Hello, Kurt, and welcome to the show.
Kurt Vonnegut: Thanks, Oprah, glad to be here!
O: OK, so, I just read your book The Sirens of Titan, and all I can keep saying is 'Wow!' This book is amazing! It is so simple, yet intricate. You made a book that is easy and fun to read, but with a complicated agenda.
KV: Yes, I have often been told that this is my greatest book, but I want to ask if you can elaborate a little bit.
O: Well, you wrote this book about, in essence, the meaning of life, but it all fit together so seamlessly, you would never guess it.
KV: Yeah, well, I tried to get that. I wanted to go for a cynical, yet light-hearted look at the Human race.
O: Give us an example.
KV: OK, well on pg. 279, when the Narrator is explaining the old Tralfamadore story of creation, there are parallels between the creators, and the human race. Specifically, that we crave purpose, and we build machines to do tasks for us so that we can search for this higher purpose.
O: Uh-huh, interesting. I also, noticed that the Narrator you mentioned always narrarated in an omniscient sort of way.
KV: That is true. I did this for a reason. If I had had Malachi or Rumfoord narrate, it would not
have been as satisfying at the end because everyhting was not tied neatly. But the fact that the Narrator could read everyone's mind, skip through time periods, and be everywhere made it so that no important plot question went un-answered by the end.
O: So, your main character was Malachi Constant, a rich, egotistical, and de-tatched man. Why did you choose him if your book was about the Meaning of Life?
KV: Well, as far as finding out your purpose, no one is better suited than someone who can lose everything. Because only after you lose all the things you take for granted, do you truly see what there is in life.
O: Very interesting...Well, thanks for answering my questions.
KV: No problem.
O: The Sirens of Titan and Kurt Vonnegut, everybody!
*Applause*
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
CORY!
ReplyDeletei love how you made it the whole scene that it would be on the show, like with the extra dialogue and applause and stuff.
your question answers aren't very long but they seem to get the point across, hopefully you did what was wanted of you.
i don't know what your book is about but you seem to have sold me on it being "amazing" - it's probably because of Oprah...
(haha.)
[ps. ladiessss]
CGM - Good start here. Gayane is right perhaps that some answers could be more elaborate. But this i s agood start. Have you read any other Vonnegut? Perhaps a bit more context for this book would also be helpful to those who have not read this or other books or may not know that the Trafalmadorian story carries through many of KVs works. Fine start. 23/25
ReplyDeletedude. Kurt-Vonnegut-five. i have to say, I have never read the entirety of one of his books, but I would probably like them quite a bit. I like how you took an extremely complex issue such as that of our search for purpose through the development of technology and scientific reasoning, and then condensed it into something that could be said on the Oprah show...without blowing Oprah's mind...or driving her insane suddenly one year from now (lets see how she fares with trav's concept of rough ice...) I love it when sci-fi is fused with ethics, philosophy and metaphysics...
ReplyDelete