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: sci-fi, sf-masterworks, audio, reviewed, 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

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Oct 18, 2016 Maxwell Pearl rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I read this book because I'd seen a couple of episodes of the TV series. Honestly, as usual, the book is better. They took a lot of liberties with the series (only way to stretch a relatively short book that long,) and the characters are sometimes quite different.

This is classic Phillip K. Dick. Dystopian alternative future. It's very conceptual, rather than character-driven, although a couple of the characters are better developed than the rest. Worth a read, for sure. ...more

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Aug 08, 2013 Abbas Hawazin rated it liked it

Like all of Phillip K Dick's books: a fascinating world with the major themes being identity and the nature of reality, laced with some insanity. Everybody thinks too much, producing some fantastic introspection but ultimately the general impression it impacts is one of harrowing alienation and despair. Which is the reason I really liked PKDick as a teenager but not so much in my late 20s.

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