Vonnegut: The Sirens of Titan

Life is like a roller coaster

"Look, life for a punctual person is like a roller coaster. All kinds of things are going to happen to you! Sure, I can see the whole roller coaster you're on. And sure-I could give you a piece of paper that would tell you about every dip and turn, warn you about every bogeyman that was going to pop out at you in the tunnels. But that wouldn't help you any. Because you'd still have to take the roller-coaster ride" (54)

Literature in its finest sense

"Unk had written the letter to himself before having his memory cleaned out. It was literature in its finest sense, since it made Unk courageous, watchful, and secretly free. It made him his own hero in very trying times" (132)

A purpose of human life

"It took us that long to realize that a purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved" (320)

All we can do...

Boaz: "All I know is we're being tested somehow, by somebody or some thing a whole lot smarter than us, and all I can do is be friendly and keep calm and try and have a nice time till it's over" (205)

"All I can say is that I have tried my best to do good for my native Earth while serving the irresistible wishes of Tralfamadore" (303)

The victim

"I was a victim of a series of accidents, as we all are" (232)