The Man in the High Castle: by Philip K. Dick | Summary & Analysis

by Book*Sense

The Man in the High by Philip K. Dick | Summary & Analysis

One of the most prominent works of the writer’s career and now a popular television series, Philip K. Dick’s classic is an award-winning, gripping tale of alternative history in the finest dystopian tradition. Tightly written and densely packed, it exemplifies why Dick is regarded as one of the greats not only of genre fiction, but of literature.

Philip K. Dick’s classic work, depicts disparate events in an alternate history in which the Axis Powers won the Second World War and the United States has been largely partitioned between Japan and Germany. The novel follows several characters whose lives intersect only tangentially as they try to negotiate geopolitical tensions at the global and exceedingly local levels, working to move through a world still in turmoil even after fifteen years of dominion by ostensible allies, one that has peril for low and high alike. It offers readers a chilling glimpse of an alternate history, one in which the facts upon which the later twentieth century are fiction only. Unlike many dystopian works, it does not portray a uniformly negative view of the way things might have fallen out; there is good, admittedly less among the successors of Hitler than among those of Tojo, but there was and remains much ill among those who won the Second World War in the real world. In the novel, Dick holds up something of a mirror to those ills; perhaps hope remains to correct some of them.

This companion includes the
• Book Review
• Story Setting Analysis
• Story elements you may have missed as we decipher the novel
• Summary of the text, with some analytical comments interspersed
• Thought Provoking /or Discussion Questions for both Readers & Book Clubs
• Discussion & Analysis of Themes, Symbols…
• And Much More!

This Analysis fills the gap, making you understand more while enhancing your reading experience.

38 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 10, 2015

Reviews

[Jeffrey Hyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a most unusual read. I do like books that write about "what if's". What if Kennedy was not assassinated?, or What if the last of the Romanovs were not murdered? These are questions that we can not conclusively or completely answer. Philip Dick attempts to describe what life is like after WWII and Japan and Germany actually won the war. It was very insightful and thought-provoking. He takes it further and has a character in the book write a book about What if the United States won the war? It is an older and interesting Sci-Fi story but one worth reading.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting idea and story, although some aspects of the narration could use a bit more depth. Some of the characters were not fully depicted, which was a shame. The ending felt a bit undone, as it did not bring catarsion and part of the story felt not well thought thruogh.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Amazon series was far more interesting and characters brought up to more current standards.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool concept and good execution. I'm so glad it has been adapted into a television series because my biggest complaint from the novel is that I wanted to know more of this world. The book follows 5 characters living in in the U.S. west and I want to know more about what the rest of the world is like in this alternate history. Also, the ending felt abrupt and sudden at a point where characters are beginning to find new truths about themselves and the world they live in. I feel it could have continued for another 300 pages to see what they do with their new knowledge.

[Dicky Hoyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My book. A guide for a life.

[Aligato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never read prose like this. Kind of hard to fathom, but engaging.