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God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (Paperback)

by Kurt Vonnegut (Author) "A SUM OF MONEY is a leading character in this tale about people, just as a sum of honey might properly be a leading character..." (more)
Key Phrases: saw factory, black telephone, Rosewater County, Rosewater Foundation, Rhode Island (more...)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A rich man attempts a noble experiment with human nature. The result is an etched-in-acid portrayal of universal greed, hypocrisy, and follies of the flesh.

From the Inside Flap
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is a comic masterpice.  Eliot Rosewater, drunk, volunteer fireman, and president of the fabulously rich Rosewater foundation, is about to attempt a noble experiment with human nature... with a little help from writer Kilgore Trout.  The result is Vonnegut's funniest satire, an etched-in-acid portrayal of the greed, hypocrisy, and follies of the flesh we are all heir to. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback; Later Printing edition (September 8, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0385333471
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385333474
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,268 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #20 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( V ) > Vonnegut Jr., Kurt

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First Sentence:
A SUM OF MONEY is a leading character in this tale about people, just as a sum of honey might properly be a leading character in a tale about bees. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
saw factory, black telephone
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Rosewater County, Rosewater Foundation, Rhode Island, Norman Mushari, New York, Fred Rosewater, Eliot Rosewater, Harry Pena, Kilgore Trout, Senator Rosewater, Money River, Noah Rosewater, Amanita Buntline, Bunny Weeks, Mary Moody, New Ambrosia, Saw City Kandy Kitchen, The American Investigator, Arthur Garvey Ulm, Caroline Rosewater, Civil War, Diana Moon Glampers, Fire Chief, George Rosewater, Second World War
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Customer Reviews

83 Reviews
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4.2 out of 5 stars (83 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Underrated, September 12, 2002
There was something in Vonnegut's first rush of books that is lacking in his later novels. Although I enjoy his later books and for the life of me I can't say what this mystery quality is, whatever it is it tends to elevate even his minor books into affairs that are far more memorable than they tend to be. Maybe because the themes and images he's using here were new to him and he was still comparitively young . . . I don't know. It's not for me to say. This novel has a simple premise and a simple plot and moves unsurprisingly from point A to point B and yet I still have an incredibly enjoyable experience reading it, even though I finished it basically on my lunch break over the course of maybe an hour and a half. The premise then is that Eliot Rosewater has a lot of love to give to the world and spends most of his time doing very nice things for people who are almost pathetic enough to not deserve it, simply because he was born rich and feels he has a lot to give to the world. A lawyer, meanwhile wishes to prove that he is insane and has it in him to make quite the case. The book basically waffles back and forth between the lives of the various people Eliot helps, the comically depressing lives of some of these people, a little Rosewater family history and the lawyer's attempt to gather information on Eliot's apparent insanity. All of these pieces don't cohere into the great whole that his absolute best books (like Slaughterhouse-Five) do, but the pieces themselves are great fun and Vonnegut's humanity has never been as apparent here. It doesn't have the grim central event like the bombing of Dresden to put everything in context but somehow he manages to make the book moving and hilarious at the same time. The plot of course is slight and it's a fairly direct book, though the ending is about as abrupt as can be (and is mentioned in a later Vonnegut book I think, fortunately I forgot about it). This won't ever be regarded as one of his classics but even a minor work by an author working at his peak is worth another look and while the rewards here may not be as grand, they're simple and pleasant in their own small way.
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Tale of St. Eliot of Rosewater, July 30, 2004
By OAKSHAMAN "oakshaman" (Algoma, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)      
Eliot Rosewater was the scion of an extremely wealthy family- his grandfather had even married a Rockefeller. Eliot stood to inherit control of the vast family fortune through the Rosewater Foundation (a legal entity constructed to shield that fortune from taxation.) But then Eliot went off to WW2 to become a highly decorated Captain of combat infantry. He served with men from all walks of life. Oh yes, he also accidentally bayoneted a 14-year old non-combatant, and afterwards tried to throw himself under a truck. After this he was never the same, much to his rich and powerful family's distress. While he did come back to graduate from Harvard Law and assume control of the foundation, he started behaving...irrationally. He started to actually use the money to HELP people! He also started drinking, wandering, and visiting volunteer firehouses- among other eccentricities.

Eventually, he ended up in Rosewater, Indiana- a depressed backwater that his family had long ago used up and abandoned to found the beginnings of their fortune. He found the people there to be without pride, without hope, without work. So he opened up an office over the liquor store in order to help anyone who needed his help. The sign on the door said simply, "Rosewater Foundation: How Can We Help You?" So Eliot Rosewater, philanthropist, poet, volunteer fireman, Harvard graduate, and drunk proceeded to help any and all that came to him for help.

Needless to say his family could not allow such insanity to continue. Why even Eliot's psychoanalyst came to the conclusion that Eliot was a pervert. The nature of his perversion being the fact that he had channeled all his psychic energy into bringing Utopia to earth for all those in need. What could be more abnormal in modern, capitalist society?

This is my absolute all time favorite Vonnegut novel- and I have read them all.

Oh yes, it also offers one of the best descriptions of the absurdity and injustice of the class system in the U.S. As one of the characters asks, who does run this crazy country? These cr**ps sure don't.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Atypical but outstanding Vonnegut, December 2, 1999
By Jon Dranoff (New Haven CT) - See all my reviews
Just as most of Vonnegut's novels follow a single character through a series of semi-plausible episodes, so does 'God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater'. However, unlike the others, this story does not rely on science fiction. Rather, it focuses on one man's struggle to affirm his sense of self against great odds. Seems like an appropriate theme in a society increasingly concerned with style and ignorant of substance.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Average Vonnegut, still quite good.
I couldn't help being slightly disappointed with this one. I suppose one of your favorite authors will sometime let you down a little. Read more
Published 3 months ago by soundstudio

5.0 out of 5 stars "Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion"-Kurt Vonnegut
"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Medusa

5.0 out of 5 stars God Bless You Mr. Vonnegut
God Bless you Mr. Vonnegut because only you could still be this good in what remains one of your lessor books. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Steve Reina

3.0 out of 5 stars "Goddamnit you've got to be kind!"
Demonstrates a good knowledge of American history--impressive really.
Humor: excellent. very funny.
Eliot Rosewater: kind of a pathetic ideal. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Alaric

3.0 out of 5 stars A nice read
Kurt Vonnegut's book, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is about money, power, and greed. The main character, Elliot Rosewater has abandoned his amazing lifestyle in New York to try an... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Jack W

5.0 out of 5 stars It's hard to critique Vonnegut
Vonnegut is one of those genius writers that you can't help but love. "Slaughterhouse 5" was my first venture into the realm of Vonnegut, but I have to say that I think I enjoyed... Read more
Published 14 months ago by K. D. Payne

4.0 out of 5 stars Another take on "How to be good"
There are similarities between the theme of this book and Nick Hornby's How to Be Good. It's hard to tell if they come to different or similar conclusions. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Karen Chung

4.0 out of 5 stars An overlooked classic
Although it's probably destined to wallow in the monolithic shadows of Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle, God Bless You, Mr. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Laszlo Matyas

5.0 out of 5 stars A misunderstood messiah
In one of his last books, Vonnegut imagines a meeting with Eugence Debs, American socialist.

"As long as there is a lower class, I am it it," Debs once said, "As long... Read more
Published 22 months ago by The Concise Critic:

5.0 out of 5 stars Class
With "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater", Vonnegut takes on the sordid issue of class. The main character, Eliot Rosewater, has inherited vast wealth, but feels lost and adrift until... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Douglas King

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