The Man in the High Castle in Philip K Dick

Jan 15, 2010 Mad Dog rated it it was amazing

Shelves: pkd

Been a while since I read it, but here goes. I love this book. This is a tight book, where it seems everything is 'on theme' (even the title of the book). This is my fave all-time book title, because the title represents the book in more than one way. This would be a good starter book for anyone who hasn't read Philip K Dick. I think it is his most 'organized' book (of the PKD books that I have read).

I love the concept of the 'book within the book' as presented in this book (where the 'book with Been a while since I read it, but here goes. I love this book. This is a tight book, where it seems everything is 'on theme' (even the title of the book). This is my fave all-time book title, because the title represents the book in more than one way. This would be a good starter book for anyone who hasn't read Philip K Dick. I think it is his most 'organized' book (of the PKD books that I have read).

I love the concept of the 'book within the book' as presented in this book (where the 'book within the book' is an alternate history to the book itself). "What is real and what is fake?" (or better yet, is there a 'single real reality') is the essential question of the book, and Dick has a lot of fun 'riffing' on the theme. The 'ground' gets shaky.

Many people in the book use the I Ching to help guide their actions. This is another theme of the book (randomness vs. determination), which I didn't really understand that well. I really couldn't tell if Dick was poking fun at the I Ching or was truly reverent to the I Ching (or perhaps a little of both). I know very little about the I Ching and that adds to my confusion (although it is a 'happy confusion').

The characters (and their dramas) are interesting because of the dilemnas of their interactions. The interactions often revolve around the awkwardness between characters that come from different cultures with different etiquettes, perspectives and roles. Often times, the characters 'sweat the small things out' in regards to their behavior towards others. Some of the characters struggle with how they present themselves to others. Another theme of the book (individuality vs. conformity) emerges from the characters.

Although there is some action in this book, there is also a lot of concentration on the 'dilemna of the every day'. I guess you could say that this is both a 'big book of important things' and a 'small book of the every day'.

Although a Nazi presence looms throughout the book, there is not really much of a 'personal' presence of Nazis in this book. Dick does present the 'historical goings on' (in a way that I found interesting and sometimes darkly comic) of the Nazis, and Dick does show obvious contempt for the Nazis in his presentation of alternate histories in this book. Dick does not present much 'certainty' in this book, but he is 'certain' of the evil of the Nazis.

Ultimately, I find this book to be ... gulp ... life-affirming. Many of the characters 'advance' themselves (in one way or another). I have seen many reviews question the ending, but I think the ending perfectly suits the book. In many ways, life is what you make it.
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Mar 16, 2010 Timothy K. rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, hugo-winners, books-i-own

A very frustrating work.

And I can understand the admiration one could have with a culture as utilitarian as the Japanese. But that was also the same nationalistic hogwash that would have marched my grandfather off to die in some work camp of exhaustion or dysentery, or sliced his fucking head off with a kitana if he were to be so unfortunate as to have become captured as a POW when he was fighting in the South Pacific in the first half of the 1940's.

Well I guess Dick chose the lesser of two evi ...more

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