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Kurt Vonnegut
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Galapagos Paperback – September 1, 1986

by Kurt Vonnegut (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,933 ratings
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Galapagos takes the reader  back one million years, to A.D. 1986. A simple  vacation cruise suddenly becomes an evolutionary  journey. Thanks to an apocalypse, a small group of  survivors stranded on the Galapagos Islands are about  to become the progenitors of a brave new, and  totally different human race. Here, America's master  satirist looks at our world and shows us all that is  sadly, madly awry -- and all that is worth saving.
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Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Delta Fiction
  2. Print length
    304 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Dell
  5. Publication date
    September 1, 1986
  6. Dimensions
    4.5 x 1 x 6.75 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0440127793
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0440127796
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Vonnegut is a postmodern Mark Twain...  Galapagos is a madcap genealogical  adventure." -- The New York Times Book  Review

"Beautiful.... Provocative,  arresting reading." -- USA Today

From the Publisher

Galapagos takes the reader back one million years, to A.D. 1986. A simple vacation cruise suddenly becomes an evolutionary journey. Thanks to an apocalypse, a small group of survivors stranded on the Galapagos Islands are about to become the progenitors of a brave new, and totally different human race. Here, America's master satirist looks at our world and shows us all that is sadly, madly awry -- and all that is worth saving.

"Vonnegut is a postmodern Mark Twain... Galapagos is a madcap genealogical adventure." -- The New York Times Book Review

. "Beautiful.... Provocative, arresting reading." -- USA Today

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dell (September 1, 1986)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0440127793
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0440127796
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.5 x 1 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,933 ratings

About the author

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Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut

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Kurt Vonnegut was a writer, lecturer and painter. He was born in Indianapolis in 1922 and studied biochemistry at Cornell University. During WWII, as a prisoner of war in Germany, he witnessed the destruction of Dresden by Allied bombers, an experience which inspired Slaughterhouse Five. First published in 1950, he went on to write fourteen novels, four plays, and three short story collections, in addition to countless works of short fiction and nonfiction. He died in 2007.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
2,933 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Galapagos, book by Kurt Vonnegut
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2024
Verified Purchase
My daughter suggested this book to me and it's quite intriguing with a somewhat abrupt ending, sort of a cliffhanger, but I also bought Cat's Cradle by this author and am still reading it and it has a lot of adventure and intrigue.
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Dane Alexander O'Leary
4.0 out of 5 stars Trademark Vonnegut humor and bizarre storytelling: Galapagos is a lot of fun
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2015
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I'm a huge Vonnegut fan. In fact, one weekend I bought probably close to a dozen of his bizarre satirical novels on Amazon, one of which was Galapagos.

I chose to read this one because, as a student of anthropology and biology, I am very fascinated with the Galapagos islands myself. This book was not exactly what I expected, but of all the Vonnegut books I've read, I've retained more of the plot of Galapagos than almost any other Vonnegut book (besides Slaughterhouse-Five). What I love about Vonnegut's books is that he uses absurd, farfetched storytelling to illustrate fallacies of American culture and consumerism. Being very satirical and almost lewd at time, it's also very thoughtful and poignant. For this reason, when I read a Vonnegut novel I keep a pencil in handle to underline or circle certain selections that are especially observant.

Because I feel Slaughterhouse-Five is a stronger book—even if only just—I'm rating Galapagos as four stars despite my desire to give it all five. Perhaps my biggest justification for subtracting a star so as to keep it markedly below Slaughterhouse is due to the occasionally glacial pacing of the book. In short, the book is about a group of strangers who board a cruise ship that's destined to take them on nature cruise to the Galapagos; however, the ship doesn't even depart until almost three-quarters through the book because of all the backstory for each character and their interactions as they meet. In Vonnegut's defense, most interactions have a greater purpose, either contributing to the overall story or as a way to illustrate some satirical point Vonnegut is trying to make about American culture. While I can appreciate the deliberacy of his pacing, it doesn't make Galapagos the most exciting read. However, the latter part of the book somewhat redeems the slow start by containing some of Vonnegut's trademark surreal and bizarre storytelling. I won't give anything away, but that's mostly because you really need to read the book to appreciate the strangeness.

Of all Kurt Vonnegut's novels, Galapagos is definitely one of my favorites, up there with Slaughterhouse-Five, Sirens of Titan, and Breakfast of Champions. As always, it's full of Vonnegut's impeccable humor as well as both his subtle and not-so-subtle wit. Highly recommended.
18 people found this helpful
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Jocelyn Grace
5.0 out of 5 stars My FAVORITE AUTHOR - My second favorite book
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2024
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I adore Vonnegut, and I am currently working through all of his collective works. Galapagos is my second favorite book (my first favorite being Slaughterhouse 5 - also by Vonnegut). This copy is great quality and I cannot recommend this book more. Vonnegut majored in anthropology so all his books make you think about humanity in different ways - this book has a lot of tones of Darwinism and evolution and wow it shows humanity in different lights. Also, it talks about a very rare brain disease called Huntingtons Disease which I ACTUALLY GOT DIAGNOSED WITH - because of its rarity I was not expecting for it to randomly pop up but it made me adore this book even more! All and all, if you are looking for your next read that'll make you see things in a different light and will make you think pick up Galapagos - grab Slaughterhouse 5 while you're at it ;)
One person found this helpful
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Lisa Caskey
3.0 out of 5 stars Not my favorite of Kurt Vonnegut’s works
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2016
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Galapagos. Not my favorite of Kurt Vonnegut’s works. Not my least favorite either though...that honor goes to his most critically acclaimed piece, Slaughterhouse Five.

The best thing about Galapagos is how the story is told. If I can say anything about Vonnegut it’s that his writing style makes everything he creates very interesting. This book is no exception. The story is told from the perspective of a ghost, which is pretty ingenuitive because it allows for the narrator to be all-knowing. Vonnegut can introduce scenes and characters from an omniscient perspective while still keeping the story personal, like in first person perspective. In fact, it is told in first person, or should I say “first ghost.” (Haha - I just chuckled to myself with that one…)

Vonnegut gets real clever with his timelines too. It’s a part of what makes the book loosely sci-fi. That and the fact that in the book there is a worldwide pandemic that makes women infertile. But that is besides the point. The ghost is telling the story one million years in the future, which makes for interesting commentary. As asides, the narrator mocks the humans of the past...which are really the humans of today. Our “big brains” are referenced as being cause for our inevitable demise...and the comments are constant throughout the story.

Another thing I must give Vonnegut credit for is his story’s premise: the entire world has gone bankrupt. Galapagos was published in 1986, when the US economy was flourishing. At first I thought that Vonnegut might be a prophet, accurately foretelling the state of the world economies in the financial crisis of 2008...but then I did a little research. In 1982, just four years before this book was published, Mexico filed for bankruptcy. It was the beginning of the Latin American debt crisis. Countries have been going broke for centuries, apparently, but as a modern reader, and a child of the 80’s, I still give Vonnegut a whole lot of credit.

Galapagos takes place at a little, luxury hotel, on the make believe island of Santa Rosalia in the Galapagos Islands. We learn that the hotel’s guests are there for “The Nature Cruise of the Century” but that there are only five of them. The rest have cancelled their trip, due to the sudden economic downfall of the world’s economy. Country after country is going bankrupt.

We also learn which characters are going to die first. The narrator tells us and then reminds us by inserting an asterisk after the character’s name each time he/she is mentioned. The story follows the people in the hotel, on the island, and on the boat that was scheduled for the cruise.

All of those earlier compliments aside, at the end of the day, the book just didn’t grab me. I can appreciate it from a literary perspective, as a study, but I didn’t find the story entertaining. There are a lot of different philosophies on writing....I personally write to entertain, so that’s what I like to read. I also am such a fan of the author, that I really want to read everything he’s written. Being a good writer goes a long way.

So, yeah, if you want to be like me and read everything Vonnegut has written just because it was written by Vonnegut, then yes, by all means, read Galapagos. I mean, you have to.
11 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Vonnegut was amazing
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2022
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I ordered this book on a lark because we are planning a trip to Galapagos, and I enjoy reading novels about places we’re visiting. My husband laughed at me and told me that it probably had very little to say about the Galápagos Islands. Boy, was he wrong. Vonnegut included much information about the islands, the animals, and Ecuador, and it was so much more fun to read than a dry scientific account. I forgot how much fun it is to read Vonnegut, but now I am inspired to go back through his books.
7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Valdir Medeiros Junior
5.0 out of 5 stars Bom
Reviewed in Brazil on June 13, 2019
Verified Purchase
Comprei esse produto, porém achava que estava em português. Tive ótimas recomendação mas ainda não sou fluente em inglês, não pude com isso, ler.
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in India on August 30, 2017
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Awsome
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Bernardo todeschini
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente leitura
Reviewed in France on December 24, 2015
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Kurt constroi um caminho insolito e no entanto impressionantemente realistico para refletir sobre a humanidade e seus relacionamentos com seus semelhantes e com seu ambiente. Leitura que prende do inicio ao fim.
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Paul Baker
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read
Reviewed in Spain on May 31, 2014
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This is a short novel, and in many ways a typical Kurt Vonnegut story... but has a maturity that is immediately noticeable, and an impressive breadth of subject matter; this being our world now and in a million years time. Full of Vonnegut's unique black humour, despite it's rather dark but important message it will have you smiling throughout, and laughing out loud from time to time. If you've never read Kurt Vonnegut you could start with this, and work back through his earlier novels. He has been compared with Mark Twain, but actually it's difficult to think of another modern writer vaguely similar. A unique voice that raises science fiction into the realm of great comic literature.
One person found this helpful
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RedDit
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun - but brain twisting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2013
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I returned to this author after many years through Slaughterhouse V recently. This is a much lighter read - there is only the potential destruction of mankind and not the real horror of Dresden at its heart. I really loved the quirky take on the modern mythology around "progress" both of human beings through evolution and human society through capitalism. There are some witty observations on human behaviour, perceptions and relationships. Very funny, some smart ideas - I wonder how many around today would share the view of the narrator?! Well worth a few hours of anyone's time.
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