A book cover has roughly the same dimensions as a movie poster. I rest my case. This is not my first foray into "book reviews" here at moviejeff.com. Nope, that would be Charlie Kaufman's Antkind. But this does mark the beginning of a new special series wherein on the final Sunday of the month I'll be reviewing a Kurt Vonnegut book in chronological order (and maybe others??). I realize that reading a single book every month is not a lot, but if this is a safe space (and I feel like it is), I'm lucky if I get through three books in a calendar year lately. I used to be a voracious reader. I've already ingested every Vonnegut novel years ago. Though, I'm not sure what it says about each medium or perhaps the state of my mind, that book memory and film memory differ so astronomically, with the former akin to remembering the weather on some specific day and the latter, more like a collection alongside treasured and/or embarrassing moments of my life.

And that's the most straightforward answer to why I've leaned into film over lit (not that there has to be a battle but with parenting, exercise, the dreaded day job and various other creative pursuits, there's only so much time in a day).

In truth, Player Piano was his only book I never finished in that youthful 20s of mine spent lapping up literature, though it was hardly so romantic. I just did it. I don't know what my issue was with this one because I really enjoyed it. Sure, the paragraphs and chapters are much longer and his patented style isn't quite there but it still was a delightful and engaging and easy novel. Its "big idea" is far more specific, comparatively: the role automation will play in society's future, vs. the larger-than-life philosophical stuff he would tackle starting with The Sirens of Titan. But as a story, it's really interesting.