A SCANNER DARKLY: roll call and initial impressions (*NO SPOILERS*)

[Candiss]

Please let us know if you're reading, planning to read, or have read A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick.

No spoilers in this topic please!

[Candiss]

I am in for this one just as soon as my library hold comes in. I've been 1st in line for 2 weeks now, so hopefully it will cycle soon.

[Nyssa]

This will be my first read of 2013, followed by Among Others.

[carol.]

Candiss wrote: "I am in for this one just as soon as my library hold comes in. I've been 1st in line for 2 weeks now, so hopefully it will cycle soon."

Me too--I ordered it from the library and accidentally got a GRAPHIC NOVEL interpretation of A Scanner Darkly!
I don't want to read it until I read the book. ;)

[Kevin]

Carol wrote: "Candiss wrote: "I am in for this one just as soon as my library hold comes in. I've been 1st in line for 2 weeks now, so hopefully it will cycle soon."

Me too--I ordered it from the library and a..."

Its more of a graphic novel version of the movie, which to me is one of the best adaption of a novel ever made. So basically you will be reading the movie rather than the actual novel or seeing the movie.

[Kevin]

I first read the book in high school for science fiction class. It is my teacher's top three favorite book of all time, but he stopped teaching it after the movie came out, so my class was the last to read it.

For me this is my favorite Dick novel of all time, even after reading quite a few Dick novel last year.

[Nick]

Kevin wrote: "I first read the book in high school for science fiction class. It is my teacher's top three favorite book of all time, but he stopped teaching it after the movie came out, so my class was the last..."

My absolute favorite PKD's are his last three (or maybe it's his first three posthumous?) -- the VALIS trilogy:

I originally read them in the above editions. But some of his paranoia inspired earlier work can be fun too -- I often call this stand-alone a favorite:
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said with its "Blade Runner" type cop and both TV personality types and Goth types (before the movement caught on) filling out the roster.

[Random]

I started this last weekend and I'm about a third of the way through. Unsure yet if I'm enjoying it as much as I did The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch

[Nyssa]

After a few false starts I'm about a quarter of the way through and the only thing I can say is ... bizarre!

Edit:typo

[Ken]

Well I want to read it, I have it on my shelf.
I just have a couple of other books on my plate right now.

[Andrew]

Nyssa wrote: "After a few false starts I'm about a quarter of the way through and the only thing I can say is ... bizarre!

Edit:typo"

I concur, Nyssa. It is bizarre. I'm only on Chapter 2. I love how PKD mesmerizes me and sucks me into the weirdness.

[Nyssa]

Andrew wrote:
I concur, Nyssa. It is bizarre. I'm only on Chapter 2. I love how PKD mesmerizes me and sucks me into the weirdness."

True, there is a part of me that just has to know where the weirdness is going to lead. Especially since the blurb on the back doesn't quite seem to match what's happening in the story.

[Helen]

Want and will try to read it. But I have to finish "Ready Player One" for an "in-person" book club first.

[Nyssa]

40% in and now is getting really interesting, instead of just "weird".

[Pickle]

Nick wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I first read the book in high school for science fiction class. It is my teacher's top three favorite book of all time, but he stopped teaching it after the movie came out, so my clas..."

I loved VALIS but could never get into the Divine Invasion, i might give it another go. A Scanner Darkly is one of my fav PKD (too many others to mention) and its one of the greatest movies ive ever seen.

I will re-read this this month, once i work my way through my current Tad Williams doorstop.

[carol.]

First few pages introduced a few different characters, all seemingly drug-addled. Between the bugs and the drugs, I felt like I was reading a cross between "The Metamorphosis" and Less Than Zero. Soon it turned into more of a mystery, and I'm liking it a great deal.

[Pickle]

chapter 1 - donna, freck and fabin. Mostly around Donna and freck.. but it has one hell of a cracking line which ive heard repeated:

'Happiness, he thought is knowing you got some pills'

Chapter 2 - the history of the scramble suit was good. I wonder if they done a representation of the inventors characters imagine in the scramble suit in the movie?

Now starting chapter 3 and loving it.

[David]

I tried. I made it about 1/3 of the way though and gave up. Just didn't care...

[Candiss]

David wrote: "I tried. I made it about 1/3 of the way though and gave up. Just didn't care..."

Ditto. I wavered between despising the characters and complete apathy. I appreciated PKD and have enjoyed him in the past, but this book is not for me.