Even though the first sentence names a “sum of money” as its leading character, this is Vonnegut at his most charming and humane. The plot concerns a millionaire playboy who develops a conscience, decides to give away his fortune and open a help center, and then finds himself declared insane by nearly everyone else in America. If the book has a slogan, it’s “God damn it, you’ve got to be kind,” for it reads like a study of selflessness, charity, and public service in a country driven by greed and selfishness. Throughout, Vonnegut lampoons the American dream as well as the quintessential American narratives of the self-made man. He also muses about mental illness and depression—sometimes comically, sometimes soberly, but never without compassion. Finally, for fans of the Vonneverse, this novel gives us the first raucous appearance of derelict sci-fi guru Kilgore Trout.

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater Blog Entries

• The Mixed Blessings of Eliot Rosewater | Shapshay on God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
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• The Grand Social Experiment | Van Kooten on God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
• Vonnegut | Delany | Sheldon on God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
• Follow the Money | Sandweiss on God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
• Eliot Rosewater for President, or, Nimium capto aut ut omnino nihil | Phillips on God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
• Rave on, Eliot Rosewater | Harriss on God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
• Utopian Lanes: The Project Logic of God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater | Comentale on God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
• Game Balance | Castronova on God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater