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  • The Sirens of Titan

  • By: Kurt Vonnegut
  • Narrated by: Jay Snyder
  • Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (347 ratings)
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The Sirens of Titan cover art

The Sirens of Titan

By: Kurt Vonnegut
Narrated by: Jay Snyder
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Summary

The Sirens of Titan is an outrageous romp through space, time, and morality. The richest, most depraved man on Earth, Malachi Constant, is offered a chance to take a space journey to distant worlds with a beautiful woman at his side. Of course there's a catch to the invitation and a prophetic vision about the purpose of human life that only Vonnegut has the courage to tell.

As an added bonus, when you purchase our Audible Modern Vanguard production of Kurt Vonnegut's book, you'll also receive an exclusive Jim Atlas interview. This interview – where James Atlas interviews Gay Talese about the life and work of Kurt Vonnegut – begins as soon as the audiobook ends.

©1959 Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Vonnegut is George Orwell, Dr. Caligari and Flash Gordon compounded into one writer . . . a zany but moral mad scientist.” ( Time)
“His best book . . . He dares not only ask the ultimate question about the meaning of life, but to answer it.” ( Esquire)
“Reading Vonnegut is addictive!” ( Commonweal)

What listeners say about The Sirens of Titan

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A nine hour long joke

This is my second Kurt Vonnegut, and I have concluded that he is an acquired taste. I'm not sure if I have acquired it yet.

Synopsis
Winston Niles Rumfoord gets caught in a chrono-synclastic infundibulum, resulting in him being able to see the future. Malachi Constant is a billionaire who gets told by Rumfoord that he is going to Titan and he will have a child with Rumfoord's wife. Malachi doesn't like this idea, so does everything he can to stop it from happening.

Saying more could spoil the joke, so I won't. This is important because I think Sirens of Titan should be treated more as a joke than a novel. There is a plot, but it reads more like a lengthy setup for a punchline. The characters don't develop much and, putting it lightly, they weren't nice people to start with.

Two things stood out. The prose and the philosophical punchline.

A Vonnegut sentence is short. A Vonnegut sentence repeats. A Vonnegut sentence grabs you by the ears and points you where you need to be pointed. This can come across as patronizing but is certainly effective. It also suits the blunt force sarcasm of the book.

I can't talk about the punchline without spoilers, but what I will say is you probably won't find it funny. It's pretty black. You might appreciate it and let out an amused snort, but this is no side-splitter. However, the punchline is one you are unlikely to forget.

Narration
Jay Snyder reads it like it is written. Each sentence is started and concluded with deliberate intent. Because Snyder leans into the prose if you like the style you will like the narration. If not, then you will probably find the narration very abrupt. I liked it.

Recommendation
Vonnegut is difficult to recommend to anyone. I can't think of anyone similar. The emphasis on concept over story and character means I think hard sci-fi fans will like it most. But Black humor is the watchword. If you like a dark joke you might like Sirens of Titan. While listening I was confused. On finishing I was bemused. After contemplation I am amused.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

urggghh

wtf was that about. I have no idea. I'm sure if I understood the story behind the story it would have been brilliant. but it was just way too brilliant I guess for my small brain to comprehend

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Profoundly depressing

Inventive if improbable parable of meaninglessness and ridicule in riches, commerce and war. Anticipates Douglas Adams by 20 years, robbing him of any significant claim to originality. Has something Adams lacks: the bitter, casual cruelty of someone who has been betrayed in life. Winston Niles Rumfoord's wilfully ill-conceived and ill-starred Martian invasion of Earth prefigures every Western war since the book was published. A compelling read, like licking a sore tooth.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

The first audio book I couldn't finish

While this story started out promising, with some good humour and wit, I very quickly lost interest after only a handful of chapters. As I moved through the story, I found more and more to hate about it. I found all of the characters grossly unlikable people that very much like the sound of their own voice too much and have fallen in love with their own ideals. Just before giving up on 'The Sirens Of Titan' I was lamenting every single line of dialogues by these characters, a problem that was infinitely compounded by Vonnegut's seeming inability to use any other word than 'said', when a character is speaking. It's not clever, or ironic or subversive, it's just lazy writing that becomes really tiresome really quickly.

I'm normally able to suspend my disbelief with Sci Fi novels, but this novel ventures into the egregious with what it expects its reader to swallow. Prime example of this, Vonnegut explains that human being can breathe on Mars with the aid of oxygen supplements. It's not even remotely based is science and is complete fiction. I concede that the novel was written more than 50 years ago, but I have read over older worlds of Science Fiction that hold up a lot better than this.

I had really wanted to read 'Slaughterhouse Five' but now I am well and truly put off and won't be returning to Vonnegut's works.

The only redeeming feature of 'The Sirens Of Titan' and the only reason I stuck with it, was the narrator. Jay Snyder offers a wide range of distinctive performances for all characters and I feel he really tries his best to deliver an exciting delivery with the limited opportunity the text affords him.

Gave up with 2 hours left to go and could not care less what happens in the finale.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Love Kurt Vonnegut but

Sorry this one just wasn't for me. It was recommended by Mark E Smith but although I have read many Vonnegut books I just didn't take to this one.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

unique style, well read

a bit bizarre both overall and in parts. Just about hangs together as a narrative, with some aspects best not scrutinised too much but also some interesting ideas.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant-Ieony

A Must Read for any Fan of SF & The Human Condition! I thoroughly Recommend this Classic - As an Intro into his Views & Wit it is Stunning.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Gave up in Chapter 9

What would have made The Sirens of Titan better?

If it hadn't been written.

What will your next listen be?

NOT Kurt Vonnegut.

What does Dennis Boutsikaris bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He got me as far as chapter 9. Without him bringing some kind of life to the 'story' I would have given up much sooner.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger at having wasted so much time, forcing myself to listen to it.

Any additional comments?

I picked this book out at random from a SciFi list. I'll do some research in the future.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Least favourite Vonnegut book

This felt underdeveloped as a concept and much of it I just didn’t enjoy. Some parts have aged a bit badly, too. Which although understandable, didn’t help my enjoyment of it.

For the most part the narration is good. The accents were cringeworthy in places though. Took me out of the story a bit.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
  • KM
  • 11-02-20

A parable without a soul

There seemed to be two or three ideas through this book. As interesting as they were for themselves, there was very little subtlety in the story. The only character who seemed to show any feeling was a robot.
Likewise the narration was almost robot like - it felt at times like a megaphone was being used. Little subtlety.

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