From the Bookshelf of Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy…

The Man in the High Castle

Philip K. Dick

Start date: December 1, 2013

Finish date: December 31, 2013

Discussion: Book Discussions

Discussion leader: Andreas

Why we're reading this: Group Classic Novel Discussion December 2013
Hugo Award 1963

[close] Group Classic Novel Discussion December 2013
Hugo Award 1963

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What Members Thought

Feb 22, 2015 Rob Thompson rated it did not like it

Shelves: audio, reviewed, sci-fi, sf-masterworks, 2015-challenge

Firstly, I liked the general idea of the book: an alternative history where the Allies had lost WWII and Germany and Japan had taken control. They then proceed to start their own Cold War. So far so good, but that's where the enjoyment ended for me.

The novel uses the paranoid thoughts, philosophical and metaphysical feelings of several boring characters to drive the "plot" forward. Not even Stephen Hawking would be able to work out who is thinking what, when and why. It's all incredibly exhausti ...more

20 likes · Like · see review

Jan 23, 2012 Lamora rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi

"I see you're reading The Grasshopper Lies Heavy ," he said. "I hear it on many lips, but pressure of business prevents my own attention." Rising, he went to pick it up, carefully consulting their expressions; they seemed to acknowledge this gesture of sociality, and so he proceeded. "A mystery? Excuse my abysmal ignorance." He turned the pages.
"Not a mystery," Paul said. "On contrary, interesting form of fiction possibly within genre of science fiction."
"Oh no," Betty disagreed. "No science in ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Oct 01, 2019 Ivy rated it liked it

Shelves: science-fiction

Copied from my review from my library's summer reading program. I'm a bit behind on logging my books.

This has been on my TBR list for years, as its considered Philip K Dick's finest work, a literary genre novel. There hadn't been too many alternate history books either in 1962, so it was really one of the earliest examples of this type of sci-fi.

After finishing it, I feel a little conflicted. On the one hand, his alternate world in which the Axis forces won WW2 was absolutely believable. Horrifi ...more

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Aug 29, 2016 John rated it liked it

This is my first forray into Dicks work, and I must say i do not understand all the hype. I liked the premise of it, but the plot seemed inconsequential. There was no finality to it, nor did the characters really matter to me. They all seemed to have more cons than pros, and i really didnt seem to care if any of them died. Mr. Tagomis story arch was very strange and he seemed like some junkie strung out.. yes, the nazis and japanese won WW2, but what of it?

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Jan 28, 2021 Z.A. Mackic added it

I found the book too depressing because not only we are fighting fascism right now, but I cannot see how could dictatorship manage to progress to the levels described in the book.
Nazi's were anti-science and anti-progress, simply because it went against their ideology. And people seem to forget that little fact. ...more

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