Galápagos - Kurt Vonnegut

I live in Indianapolis. So did Kurt Vonnegut. We even have a memorial library here in honor of him. And people whose taste in books I respect have said good things. So I purchased "Galapagos."

The story is set "one million years ago", in 1986 AD and is narrated by a decapitated shipbuilder. He describes the decline of the human race through the eyes of some very interesting people, all of whom were to take the "Cruise of the Century" to the Galapagos Islands. Including a high school teacher, a Japanese scientist, an American con-artist, a blind woman, a diseased Captain and a few other gems, the cast of characters keeps this novel light-hearted. Bouncing back from past to future, however, I found it difficult to assess the present. I kept thinking that the novel was leading up to the current state of the world but instead, we learned about the pasts of the characters, how they came to be responsible for the continuation of humankind, and how our world evolved into that of "small brained" individuals with flippers.

Here's what I know. I like his writing. It's funny. And quirky. And there is depth between the lines. This book was interesting although I found the ecological details sometimes clouded the storyline.

But I am all in for more KV, and have a long way to go. Next!