Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegutby Kurt Vonnegut
Shares rank 74 of 122 novels by recommenders
Readers call it Vonnegut's best and a favorite; one critic objects to its last page's rape and pillaging remorse.
Readers call it Vonnegut's best and a favorite; one critic objects to its last page's rape and pillaging remorse.
4 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 75%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Considered Vonnegut's best work
“I think "Hocus Pocus" is his best”
Comment from 26 Dec 2025 in “Joan Didion and Kurt Vonnegut Had Something to Say. We Have It on Tape” Named as a personal favorite
“my favorite is Hocus Pocus”
Comment from 26 Dec 2025 in “Joan Didion and Kurt Vonnegut Had Something to Say. We Have It on Tape”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Ending's rape and pillaging remorse
“what the calculation on the last page of HP resulted in: survivor's remorse of rape & pillaging”
Comment from 27 Dec 2025 in “Joan Didion and Kurt Vonnegut Had Something to Say. We Have It on Tape”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Hocus Pocusby Kurt VonnegutThis page | 3 | 1 | 75% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
All 4 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“what the calculation on the last page of HP resulted in: survivor's remorse of rape & pillaging”
“my favorite is Hocus Pocus”
“I think "Hocus Pocus" is his best”
“when they do have the lyrics to a song that probably doesn't need them, like Hocus Pocus by Focus”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.