Cat's Cradle Summary

The protagonist, John, sets out to author a book, "The Day the World Ended," which chronicles the day the atomic bomb decimated Hiroshima. He established contact with Newt Hoenikker, the tiny son of Felix Hoenikker, a Nobel laureate physicist who was instrumental in creating the atomic bomb. Newt conveyed that the day the bomb fell, he was a mere six years old and was engaged in play with his toys while his father amused himself with a string game, cat's cradle. Newt also revealed his father's general indifference towards people, and how an attempt to engage with him left Newt terrified and in tears. This incident led to a brawl between his siblings, Angela, and Frank. Later on, news surfaced about Newt's engagement to Zinka, a diminutive Russian dancer suspected of espionage.

Continuing his research, John traveled to Ilium, where the Hoenikkers resided during WWII. He learned about Frank's introverted and secretive nature from his high school friends, and about the tragic accident that lead to the death of Felix's wife, Emily, from Asa Breed, Felix's former boss at the Research Lab. John was shown around the lab by Asa, who spoke highly of Felix's scientific prowess and mentioned Felix's theoretical solution to mud, known as Ice-Nine, an isotope solid at room temperature. This substance could potentially freeze all the water on Earth, and John was alarmed to learn about it, but Asa dismissed it as a mere concept. However, during a visit to the local cemetery, John learned about Felix's insensitive nature from Martin Breed, Asa's brother, who despised Felix and loved Emily.

John later discovered that Felix had indeed created Ice-Nine, and had been shown to his children before his death. The siblings divided it among themselves, with Frank using it to secure a job in San Lorenzo, Angela exchanging hers for marriage, and Zinka stealing Newt's share for the Soviet government. John was sent to San Lorenzo to write about a philanthropist, Julian Castle. There, he met the Hoenikkers and others on a plane. The island was a utopia and followed a religion called Bokononism, a system of comforting lies created by Bokonon, which was outlawed to make it more exciting. The dying dictator, Monzano, named Frank as his successor, who then offered the position to John, who accepted it after learning he could marry Mona. After a series of catastrophic events involving Ice-Nine, John, Frank, Newt, and a few others survived while most of the island's inhabitants committed suicide. They lasted for six months, with John documenting the occurrence.