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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
tasi_moutz's review against another edition
5.0
“Truth as terrible as death. But harder to find.”
The Man in The High Castle is an extremely important book in its own right but it might be hard for some to find that based on its style of prose, language, and it’s disturbing setting. I won’t lie it was difficult at first to see where the characters plots were going at first, as the book is written following multiple characters. It has been a awhile since I red a book that properly followed multiple storylines in such a way. But by the end of the novel it is tied up in a rather nice bow. Not the prettiest package, but still keeping things together to make coherent sense.
I began reading this novel after finding out about the Amazon Prime show and watching the first episode. I would say that I am glad I read this book first before even watching the whole series because just the first episode alone was almost nearly different from the novel. If you are expecting the show/or the book to follow each other verbatim than that is not the case here. Both, I would say, should be enjoyed like siblings; from the same parent but they are certainly not like identical twins.
I really do enjoy reading books like this and I have found a new favorite author in Philip K. Dick. I will say though that it is hard to say why but I am awfully...enlightened? I feel as though I have been Awakened after reading this book. I feel changed.
This book is more than a piece of science fiction. It was a mirror into what our world could have been...but it is equally a mirror of what our world can still become.
Absolutely chilling.
The Man in The High Castle is an extremely important book in its own right but it might be hard for some to find that based on its style of prose, language, and it’s disturbing setting. I won’t lie it was difficult at first to see where the characters plots were going at first, as the book is written following multiple characters. It has been a awhile since I red a book that properly followed multiple storylines in such a way. But by the end of the novel it is tied up in a rather nice bow. Not the prettiest package, but still keeping things together to make coherent sense.
I began reading this novel after finding out about the Amazon Prime show and watching the first episode. I would say that I am glad I read this book first before even watching the whole series because just the first episode alone was almost nearly different from the novel. If you are expecting the show/or the book to follow each other verbatim than that is not the case here. Both, I would say, should be enjoyed like siblings; from the same parent but they are certainly not like identical twins.
I really do enjoy reading books like this and I have found a new favorite author in Philip K. Dick. I will say though that it is hard to say why but I am awfully...enlightened? I feel as though I have been Awakened after reading this book. I feel changed.
This book is more than a piece of science fiction. It was a mirror into what our world could have been...but it is equally a mirror of what our world can still become.
Absolutely chilling.
merlandese's review against another edition
2.0
Dick is a master of ideas that never find the right use. His ideas are top-of-the-line fighter jets, but he uses them to go buy eggs and butter. If I were his neighbor, I'd be awed by the fighter jets he keeps parked in the lawn. Too awed, perhaps, to question why something so impressive is just sitting around, waiting for grocery runs.
I totally understand the lovers of Dick who praise, rightfully, his creativity, but I just don't find him a good storyteller. He should have been a consultant. Almost everything he's written would have turned out better if he had let another author take the reigns.
The Man in the High Castle is one of the best examples of that. If I told you what the main ideas were in this book, you'd drool. They're so good—even better if you love a bit of world history and wartime politics. But what does he do with these drool-worthy ideas? I still couldn't tell you. It's hard to explain what happens in this story with any genuine enthusiasm or interest.
If you try to hype it up, you find yourself referring back to the spirit of the ideas at play, the lore, the potential ways you might look at reality and grand narratives... but you don't actually talk about anything that happens in the story itself. For a work of fiction, why does it have the same intangibility as a textbook?
By the end, I felt like Dick himself was phoning it in. It lacks a lot of focus, really. Maybe too much I-Ching at play, who knows? You'd think that having an assassination plot would be somewhat interesting, but even Dick sort of just calmly sprinkles it in like the "to taste" salting of an hours-old soup. It's a bunch of great ideas I wish I could read in an equally great book, but, alas.
I totally understand the lovers of Dick who praise, rightfully, his creativity, but I just don't find him a good storyteller. He should have been a consultant. Almost everything he's written would have turned out better if he had let another author take the reigns.
The Man in the High Castle is one of the best examples of that. If I told you what the main ideas were in this book, you'd drool. They're so good—even better if you love a bit of world history and wartime politics. But what does he do with these drool-worthy ideas? I still couldn't tell you. It's hard to explain what happens in this story with any genuine enthusiasm or interest.
If you try to hype it up, you find yourself referring back to the spirit of the ideas at play, the lore, the potential ways you might look at reality and grand narratives... but you don't actually talk about anything that happens in the story itself. For a work of fiction, why does it have the same intangibility as a textbook?
By the end, I felt like Dick himself was phoning it in. It lacks a lot of focus, really. Maybe too much I-Ching at play, who knows? You'd think that having an assassination plot would be somewhat interesting, but even Dick sort of just calmly sprinkles it in like the "to taste" salting of an hours-old soup. It's a bunch of great ideas I wish I could read in an equally great book, but, alas.
killosopher's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? Complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
khelsey's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? Complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated
4.0
justin1227's review against another edition
2.0
i am 90% sure that nothing actually happened in this entire book
arkrayder's review against another edition
3.0
This book was good, mainly enjoyed it for its brief views of an alternate reality. Also like the way characters were linked together unknown to themselves. However I wasn't overawed with the ending. It was like there was a series of different ideas all jockeying for attention and Dick, just could not come up with a plausible ending and so settled for an ending which really answered none of my questions and just threw me out of the narrative. I suppose it was better that occurred at the end of the novel and not half way through.
awwgalbraith's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Pretty decent sci-fi, but unsatisfying in ending.
alicemaryblanks14's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ranprieur's review against another edition
4.0
Most of Dick's books are a lot trippier than this. Other than being set in an alternate history where the other side won WWII, this is almost not even science fiction. But there is one great touch. At one point there is a hierarchy of characters where each one fears the one above him and has power over the one below him, but then you might notice that it loops around from the bottom to the top and forms a circle.
yozhuan's review against another edition
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0