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Availability:
In Stock.
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Thursday, Nov 5
At a glance
- Condition
- New
- Format
- Paperback
- Dimensions
- 5.23 x 0.75 x 8.01 in
- Weight
- 2.31 lb
- Publisher
- The Dial Press
- Publication date
- January 12, 1999
- Language
- English
Description
“A funny, savage appraisal of a totally automated American society of the future.”—San Francisco Chronicle Kurt Vonnegut’s first novel spins the chilling tale of engineer Paul Proteus, who must find a way to live in a world dominated by a supercomputer and run completely by machines. Paul’s rebellion is vintage Vonnegut—wildly funny, deadly serious, and terrifyingly close to reality. Praise for Player Piano “An exuberant, crackling style . . . Vonnegut is a black humorist, fantasist and satirist, a man disposed to deep and comic reflection on the human dilemma.”—Life “His black logic . . . gives us something to laugh about and much to fear.”—The New York Times Book Review Read more
Specs 8
| Publisher | The Dial Press |
|---|---|
| Publication date | January 12, 1999 |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 352 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0385333781 |
| ISBN-13 | 88 |
| Item Weight | 2.31 pounds |
| Dimensions | 5.23 x 0.75 x 8.01 inches |
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Top Amazon Reviews
Hilarious and Thoughtful
Format: Kindle
Player Piano is set in a futuristic America where a supercomputer slots human beings into jobs on the basis of one criterion: IQ. It is written both as a satire of modern knowledge economies and as an exhortation to future engineers and leaders that they be certain to always preserve the inherent rights and `humanness' of humanity even against the boon of technological progression. A man of many talents, author Kurt Vonnegut acquired his love for science fiction and his understanding of the nature of scientific advancement from his undergraduate education studying undergraduate chemistry and mechanical engineering as well as from his time working at General Electric. His social commentary on religion is founded on his experiences in the Unitarian church and his military insight is derived from his experiences fighting in WWII. Furthermore, it is no secret that Vonnegut was a secular humanist, meaning that he holds to, as the American Humanist Association defines it, "a naturalistic philosophy that rejects supernaturalism and relies primarily upon reason and science, democracy and human compassion." The existential nature of Vonnegut's philosophical belief system is echoed in his commentary on human happiness and capability. The theme of Player Piano can be summarized as an exhortation from Vonnegut to the reader: "Engineers, think about what technological `progress' means for humanity. Managers, think about what it is that makes humans `human' and decide whether or not it is something worth preserving. Make certain that each new technological advancement doesn't strip humanity of its humanness, because once technological progress happens, it can't un-happen." This emphasis on `humanity' and `humanness' throughout Player Piano is no doubt born out of his personal belief system. One character reflects on the automated `Player Piano' across from him in the bar where he stands and says, "makes you feel kind of creepy, don't it Doctor, watching them keys go up and down? You can almost see a ghost sitting there playing his heart out" (Vonnegut 32). Vonnegut uses this imagery throughout the book to discuss the feeling of unhappiness inherent in human idleness and feelings of unimportance when being replaced. But rather than focus entirely on the dangers of scientific advancement, Vonnegut makes sure to portray the good that technology brings in a positive light. The tension between the good of technology and the bad (reflected in the ending of the book) is masterfully done. Vonnegut captures the essence of a knowledge-based economy in an automated future. His wit and sarcasm are simultaneously light hearted and haunting. This book is a must read not only for Vonnegut fans, but for anyone who enjoys a good, funny-yet thoughtful read. After all, the `value of humanity' is a universal idea, is it not?
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Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2012 by Allie
To hell with the review !
We are in the future, not too far off though, after the second industrial revolution. Machines have now replaced repetitive and monotonous work. It is a time of seemingly forever peace and it is believed that no war will ever occur again. Paul, the main character, lives in Ilium. The city is geology separated by a river, on one side lives the Managers and Engineers, on the other side the common people. The disjuncture is not only physical but also social, common people and the elite ( Manager and Engineer ) almost never mingle. The plot is separated in two distinct perspectives. On one we follow Dr. Paul Proteus, the manager of the Ilium Works. Paul is an interesting character, he can't seem to ever make a decision by himself, yet he is charming. He is living in the shadow of his father who had had an impressive and very satisfying career. He just goes with the flow of life, he's got dreams but can't seem to find the courage to realize any of them. He is definitely uncomfortable with his current position and the responsibilities this life requires of him. The second part is about Dr Halyard, a diplomat, whose current assignment is to be the guide of Shah, a sect leader of six million members. We can appreciate what america has become through the eyes of an outsider, whose values are totally different. Since the second industrial revolution, Machines have stolen the job from the bulk of the citizen, leaving them with no purpose in life. Besides taking their job, most of the political decision making are now done by machines and the social status of a person is determined by their IQ test result. The common people have a steady income while doing nothing very fulfilling, most of them have no job anymore. The current political situation feels as though it has evolved to communism. Despite the seriousness of the subject discussed, it is delivered with Vonnegut's witty and dark humour which is so special of him. The story deals about social classes, political systems and the purpose of life and the need of being needed. Although I have read other books treating those themes with a better storyline, the quality of the prose alone is a good reason to read the book. It feels like a breeze, you will laugh but at a deeper level you will also realize that it holds a darker and more serious subject. Enjoy !
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Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2013 by Amazon Customer
Vonnegut's debut novel hits home 74 Years later.
Format: Paperback
I was struck with the inclination to read this book after hearing about it on a Facebook reel of all places. A pastor had recommended reading it while discussing AI, automation, and the dark reality that looms before us regarding its use. So of course I ordered this book and immediately began to read a pirated copy while I waited. I actually finished the book before the copy arrived! This book is a must-read for those who want to reflect on the human desire to create, feel useful, to put in a hard day's work, innovate for the betterment of all, and rise beyond whatever pigeonholing they've experienced. It's an easy read, but the tone is much different than modern literature. Younger readers may be thrown off by some of the vocabulary, from antiquated ideas on what computing would look like, to the word "oleomargarine" appearing 2/3 of the way through the book. Regardless of some terms being lost in translation over the past 3 generations, this page-turner is worth taking the time to read and reflect on.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2026 by Kat W
Plot - 3, Characters - 3, Theme - 5, Voice - 4, Setting - 3, Overall - 3
1) Plot (3 stars) - In the near future when the engineers are the elite class and all the people they've displaced due to their technology are the lower class, one engineer starts to question the system. It's a good skeleton for a plot, and I was really rooting for it to go somewhere grand, but unfortunately it seemed to stumble around, exploring random details or subplots and never climaxing in much. It felt like it could have been half the length, and still pack the same mild punch. 2) Characters (3 stars) - Paul Proteus is the engineer extraordinaire, a perfectly-fitted cog for the machinery of his society, only he isn't so sure the machine is worth being a cog in anymore. He has a wife who uses him for his title, and a best friend who goads him closer and closer to the edge to see what's out there. All in all, a fine cast, but I felt like they could have been more. 3) Theme (5 stars) - The automation of society, and what become of the humans left behind, is as relevant today as it was in the 1950s when this book was released. First machines take over the manual jobs, then the repetitive jobs, then finally the thinking jobs. And when that happens, society better have some way for all the billions of humans left with nothing to do to feel purpose, or at least dignity; otherwise we're going to have a mess. This is going on today, and the solution always seems to be "more jobs, more jobs." But maybe jobs aren't the purpose of human life, maybe there's another way society can be built. Vonnegut doesn't offer up a blueprint for this other society. I wish he did. 4) Voice (4 stars) - To me, when Vonnegut is at the top of his game, he writes some of the most precise, insightful, and funny sentences in literature. Each is so economically crafted; the words so thoughtfully chosen. He also writes some of the sharpest dialogue, full of misunderstanding and innuendo. His writing can be art of the highest order - good for the head, good for the heart, and good for the smile muscles. However, this is an early Vonnegut work. So though the seeds of his brilliance are there, often the refinement and humor is missing. 5) Setting (3 stars) -The story takes place in Ilium New York in the near future where the upper engineering elite is separate from the lower "useless" class across the river. Some of the descriptions of the places were clever, but I certainly didn't feel like I was transported there. 6) Overall (3 stars) - Many times when reading this I wanted to recommend it. But in the end, I can't. There are moments of genius thoughts, but often they are too buried in a meandering plot and unrealized characters.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2013 by One Guy's Opinion
Machines and AI
Format: Kindle
Its amazing how pertinent this book is 74 years after it was written. You can easily substitute AI every time Vonnegut uses the word machine and fine that the citizens who had been denied a life by the machines and engineers then are the mirror image of the people that fear being pushed out by the engineers and AI developers today.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2026 by Kindle Customer
A Strong First Effort by Vonnegut
Vonnegut's first novel is a great one - imaginative, engaging, and thought-provoking. The story is set in the United States, post-World War III, and automation from machines has put the majority of Americans out of work. There are two types of people - those with a high IQ, who are eligible to become managers and engineers, and those with a low IQ, who are eligible for the Army or a Reconstruction and Reclamation program. Each group lives and works in separate areas, and there is very little overlap between the two classes of people. The main character, Doctor Paul Proteus, is a manager at a factory that gradually becomes aware of the unfair situation for the people on the other side of the river. We follow him through his awakening, and it is interesting to see all of the terrible things he must go through that truly test his mettle and integrity. Overall, I found this to be a great book, and was fairly surprised at how strong it was since it was Vonnegut's first novel. I would recommend this to anyone familiar with his works.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2015 by David Wilder
Tremendous Satire
Format: Paperback
"Player Piano" is Kurt Vonnegut's first novel. It was published in 1952, and was nominated for the International Fantasy Award in 1953. It was republished under the title "Utopia-14" in 1954. The story seems to hold up fairly well after 50 years, although there are a few aspects that are a bit dated. Overall I highly recommend it, as an excellent satire of our society. In discussing the book further, there are some spoilers, so only read on if you don't mind. It would be easy to categorize this book as simply one of many science fiction novels where machines threaten to destroy man's way of life, but there is much more here. This is a satire of American society. The story is set in the future, where only a few men have decent jobs, with most of the rest of the work being done by more efficient machines. There are shades of "1984" and "Brave New World" in this book, but there is more as well. Most of the book concentrates on the harm that the machines are doing to man's spirit. We have a highly polarized society, where those who have been judged to have high potential get the good jobs live in entirely different areas than the rest of the people, and they consider the ordinary people ungrateful for the good things that are being given to the common man. The hero, Paul Proteus, is pulled away from the upper society by a friend, Ed Finnerty, who also was once part of the intellectual elite, and away from the wishes of his wife and his boss. He eventually decides to quit his job, and buys an old farm where he can live simply by doing honest hard work, but before he can quit, he is setup to spy on his revolutionary friend by being fired. Once he is brought into the revolutionaries' meeting, he becomes convinced that their cause is the right one, and decides to commit to their cause. The revolution results in the destruction of almost all the machines, even those that are beneficial to man. Ultimately, we see that society will start to rebuild and use machines again, and so in many ways we are in a vicious circle.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2005 by Dave_42
Great read.
Format: Paperback
It is classic Vonnegut! Nothing more needs to be said really.
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2026 by Bill