--- product_id: 3817666 title: "Player Piano: A Novel" price: "€ 33.66" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.pt/products/3817666-player-piano-a-novel store_origin: PT region: Portugal --- # Player Piano: A Novel **Price:** € 33.66 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Player Piano: A Novel - **How much does it cost?** € 33.66 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pt](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/3817666-player-piano-a-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## 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 Review: Hilarious and Thoughtful - 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? Review: 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 ! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #12,632 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #23 in Computers & Internet Humor #31 in Humorous American Literature #101 in Fiction Satire | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,314 Reviews | ## Images ![Player Piano: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513-jNYQ+8L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hilarious and Thoughtful *by A***E on December 20, 2012* 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? ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ To hell with the review ! *by A***R on June 2, 2013* 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 ! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Solid soft back *by D***E on April 27, 2026* Great quality book. Not much to say past that. Hats off to the publisher and those making the book itself. ## Frequently Bought Together - Player Piano: A Novel - The Sirens of Titan: A Novel - Cat's Cradle: A Novel --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pt/products/3817666-player-piano-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/3817666-player-piano-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Portugal* *Store origin: PT* *Last updated: 2026-07-13*