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The Man in the High Castle

Philip K. Dick

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Feb 20, 2016 Matthew rated it it was amazing

Philip K. Dick is a genius. I love this book. What's interesting is that I am guessing that the majority of people who read this book as I did, recently after having watched the TV show, will be disappointed. No significant spoilers here for the book or TV show - I promise!

This book isn't the Amazon show and the show isn't the book. They really are two distinct entities that should be evaluated on their own merits.

Obviously the show was based on the world Dick created. A haunting alternative r Philip K. Dick is a genius. I love this book. What's interesting is that I am guessing that the majority of people who read this book as I did, recently after having watched the TV show, will be disappointed. No significant spoilers here for the book or TV show - I promise!

This book isn't the Amazon show and the show isn't the book. They really are two distinct entities that should be evaluated on their own merits.

Obviously the show was based on the world Dick created. A haunting alternative reality where the Axis powers won World War II and all history was changed. So the universe is the same. Many of the same characters appear in both works, though there are main characters in the show that were not in the book. Much of the plot of the show is different from the book. Having now finished the book, I am even more impressed by the show because a script writer created from scratch many of the compelling plot points and character developments that cause the TV viewer to feel internal conflict. So bravo to the TV show for taking a world and expanding on it so much - adding well-conceived characters unique to the show, while maintaining the spirit of the book and the world Dick crafted.

Now for the book itself: The book is much more deeply philosophical than the show, in my opinion. The show has big picture philosophy, but the book has internal character philosophizing that is deeply personal and psychological. From beginning to end I was engrossed in this story, wondering what the purpose and outcome of each character would be. And there are great variety of characters which occupy all segments of Dick's altered West Coast society. I admit that I couldn't help but read through the lens of "will this plot merge with the plot from the show." I was never disappointed, despite it doing so in some ways and not in others. The characters are so fully realized. The subtle ways that each character's thoughts and interactions play against the desires and actions of the other main characters, in a fully conceived web of stimuli and response, is mesmerizing. At the heart of it all, the I Ching, which is much more prominently featured in the book. I was fascinated how Dick took this profound historical text, which has featured in world history through ancient religious and moral philosophies, and in essence turned it into its own fictional character in the novel.

I will conclude by saying that I hope people will be intrigued by the show enough to read the book. I am sure many will be. But readers should recognize that this is not one of those books where you watch the show and then go looking for all the answers in the book. Sadly, many people will probably be disappointed. And that's a shame because this book is a masterwork that challenges readers to understand the workings of society and the human mind. And it is absolutely one of my favorites! ...more

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From the Bookshelf of GREAT SCIFI for the 21st CENTURY and BEYOND SYNDICATE…

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GREAT SCIFI for the 21st CENTURY and BEYOND...