A review by makalakm
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

dark 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

0.25

I’m angry that I actually read this entire book. I wanted to read a book about what the world would look like if the Axis powers won the war. Instead, I read a book where everyone wonders what it would’ve been like if the Allied powers had won the war. 

There is no climax, no explanation, no character arcs, and no one to root for or against. But there are 8 consecutive pages wherein a man ponders the significance of a piece of jewelry. 

This is not dystopian fiction. It’s literary fiction. 

The author has a general disregard for pronouns, to be verbs, and articles. I found the grammatical style to be difficult and pretentious.

My least favorite line in the book (apart from all the racial slurs): “He glanced at the girl beside him. God, they read a book, he thought, and they spout on forever.”
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