Broad humor and bitter irony collide in this fictional autobiography of Rabo Karabekian, who, at age seventy-one, wants to be left alone on his Long Island estate with the secret he has locked inside his potato barn. But then a voluptuous young widow badgers Rabo into telling his life story—and Vonnegut in turn tells us the plain, heart-hammering truth about man’s careless fancy to create or destroy what he loves.
Bluebeard
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From Library Journal
Vonnegut rounds up several familiar themes and character types for his 13th novel: genocide, the surreality of the modern world, fluid interplay of the past and present, and the less-than-heroic figure taking center stage to tell his story. Here he elevates to narrator a minor character from Breakfast of Champions , wounded World War II veteran and abstract painter Rabo Karabekian. At the urging of enchantress-as-bully Circe Berman, Karabekian writes his "hoax autobiography." Vonnegut uses the tale to satirize art movements and the art-as-investment mind-set and to explore the shifting shape of reality. Although not among his best novels, Bluebeard is a good one and features liberal doses of his off-balance humor. Recommended. A.J. Wright, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
“Ranks with Vonnegut’s best and goes one step beyond . . . joyous, soaring fiction.”—The Atlanta Journal and Constitution
“Vonnegut is at his edifying best.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Vonnegut is George Orwell, Dr. Caligari and Flash Gordon compounded into one writer . . . a zany but moral mad scientist. ”—Time
“Vonnegut is at his edifying best.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Vonnegut is George Orwell, Dr. Caligari and Flash Gordon compounded into one writer . . . a zany but moral mad scientist. ”—Time
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First Sentence
HAVING WRITTEN "The End" to this story of my life, I find it prudent to scamper back here to before the beginning, to my front door, so to speak, and to make this apology to arriving gusts: "I promised you an autobiography, but something went wrong in the kitchen. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
HAVING WRITTEN "The End" to this story of my life, I find it prudent to scamper back here to before the beginning, to my front door, so to speak, and to make this apology to arriving gusts: "I promised you an autobiography, but something went wrong in the kitchen. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm a fan of Vonnegut, this is less sensational than most of his novels but it does have a great story and a gift at the end.
Format:Paperback
I'm a huge Vonnegut fan. He is one of the strongest influences on my own writing. However, while I usually find his stories full of real characters who are in unreal situations (Time Quake, Galapagos, etc.) Bluebeard is full of real characters in a very real setting. It is a character story through and through, and is refreshingly Earth-bound. If you like Vonnegut but dislike his tendencies towards sci-fi, you'll love this book. If you love the sci-fi edge, well... you'll probably still like this book.
Format:Paperback
I am a big fan of Vonnegut. This author will amaze you every time. Bluebeard is deffinatly in the same ranks with Cat's cradle and Breakfast of Champions
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4.6 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
nobody could paint uniforms like Dan Gregory........
The story of Rabo Karabekian a painter,father a man caught in his past. Vonnegut's writing about one of his characters in Rabo whom as been in other of his works. Read more
Published on April 13 2004 by yessca
4.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Vonnegut
In the 5 or 6 Vonnegut books I've read so far, I've yet to be disappointed, and Bluebeard is certainly no exception. It is, however, one of his less fantastic tales. Read more
Published on Dec 19 2003 by Archange M. Chavannes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great, Solid, Funny/Sad Book!
This is book is an exemplification of life and its ironies. The author has such a witty yet down-to-earth writing slyle that makes the reader curious as to what lies ahead. Read more
Published on Nov 26 2003 by Relentless
5.0 out of 5 stars
"How Did your Parents Die?"
_Bluebeard_ has no time-travel, aliens, human robots, or Kilgore Trout, but is a very Kurt Vonnegut book, and my favorite of his novels. Read more
Published on Nov 22 2003 by David M. Mayeux
4.0 out of 5 stars
Vonnegut hasn't failed me yet
Bluebeard was the 4th Vonnegut novel I've read, and after reading it, I'm now almost done with my 5th. He never ceases to amaze me with how he pulls it all together in the end. Read more
Published on July 3 2003 by K Cole
5.0 out of 5 stars
eessential reading
Vonnegut's sem-autobiography, based on the interesting life of Rabo Karabekian, an Armenian-American, war veteran, abstract expressionalist painted, who after the death of his 2nd... Read more
Published on Oct 5 2002 by K. Bentley
4.0 out of 5 stars
More Kurt
Kurt Vonnegut is one of our most treasured modern American writers, and with good reason. Although it is not one of his masterpieces, Bluebeard is another fine novel from Vonnegut. Read more
Published on Aug 2 2002 by Bill R. Moore
5.0 out of 5 stars
Behind the simplicity, sheer genius.....
I don't normally write reviews for books that I've read, but on this one I couldn't remain silent. As good as Slaughterhouse Five was, Bluebeard shows a more mature, well-refined... Read more
Published on July 29 2002 by Alex L. Gelb
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pure Vonnegut
Bluebeard harbors two themes: good old-fashioned appreciation of the USA and the human spirit's longing to achieve something great in life. Read more
Published on July 6 2002 by R. Tiedemann
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bravo,
Kurt Vonnegut-for writing glib, memorable characters to take part in your puppet shows. An aging Abstract Expressionist is trying to enjoy his last years in obscurity when a woman... Read more
Published on May 29 2002 by Ronald Battista
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