Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said by Philip K Dick (Oct 1 - 14)

[Kelly]

Okay, so I have a feeling there is a small band of us that really want to read this book with a group, so I thought it'd make an excellent pick for a buddy read. Anybody else interested in doing this?

[Anna (Bananas)]

I would like to read this soon, maybe Oct if you're up for waiting. I'm actually halfway through but want to finish it.

[Kelly]

Anna (Bananas!) wrote: "I would like to read this soon, maybe Oct if you're up for waiting. I'm actually halfway through but want to finish it."


Hey I got a ton of books on my to-read list, pushing this one a few weeks back won't leave me with nothing to read. October sounds good!

Anybody else interested?

I propose we don't do it over a whole month - I was thinking two weeks.

[Anna (Bananas)]

Sounds good! Even one week is fine for me.

[Camille]

Count me in. Two weeks in October works for me.

[Kelly]

Great! So how about let's do October 1st to 14th? Does that work?

[Anna (Bananas)]

works for me

[Camille]

Me too!

[Kelly]

Awesome, we're on!

[Rebecca]

I want to read it, too, but I'm not sure if I won't get caught in university stuffs. ^^"

[Kelly]

Okay everybody, I cheated and started early because I just can't wait! So I really can't wait for the discussion!

[Anna (Bananas)]

What do you think so far? I'm about halfway through from an earlier read so I'll start up again soon.

[Kelly]

I'm loving it. How he's sort of going back and forth between characters is really, really working for the story.

I expected a bit more action, and there isn't, but that's not taking away from the story at all.

[Camille]

I think I'll start promptly tomorrow. I have a short story book to finish tonight. I'm looking forward to starting it now =).

[Kelly]

So I finished up the book - where is everybody else in their reads? I think we should use the spoiler tag until we're all finished, sound good?

[Camille]

Only 15% in but it's going fast so far. Yes to the spoiler tag.

[Rebecca]

84% in. I really like it, all of it, so far. :)
(view spoiler)[Especially Ruth talking about love and grief. So true. (hide spoiler)]

[Rebecca]

Having finished this some days ago left me a bit confused.
(view spoiler)[What's with the girl who shot Jason with that thing. Was that already part of the alternate drug reality? Because Heather doesn't seem to remember that at all. Also, I think it's interesting that once the drug wore off/killed Alys people react like they would have if everything was being normal, like Heather saying she tried to call him, when he called her and she didn't even know him at that point. Does she remember his call and shrug it off as a crazy fan or doesn't she remember at all in the end? (hide spoiler)]

[Camille]

Finished! Sorry I couldn't do it in time, I couldn't make the life bits and the reading bits work for a few weeks. The book had some memorable quotes but I didn't love it. I vaguely remember not being a fan of his more popular work. Tell me what you liked and maybe I can learn to appreciate his work.

[Kelly]

Camille - I think different PDK books speak differently to everybody - some people will love one of his books but hate another. He's like Heinlein that way. Of course you get the die-hards that love all of his work as well, but the man had a definite point of view that some people find off-putting.

He's very much a product of his time, that's why all the spirituality and drugs intersect quite strongly in several of his books.

[Camille]

Kelly - Yes, he is a really interesting author. I really enjoyed Stand on Zanzibar which was written around the same time with similar themes so it's not the point of view that bothers me but his writing style is difficult. As soon as I start to get into it, I'm lost again. Maybe I have to think it through some more or just let it all go. What do you like about this work?

Because I am not certain what actually happened, I was thinking of discussing favorite scenes and moments? There were a lot of powerful scenes and my favorite were the quotes on grief and death:

When we do die we won't feel it because that's what dying is, the loss of all that. So, for example, I'm not at all scared of dying anymore, not after that pot bad trip. But to grieve; it's to die and be alive at the same time. -Ruth

Grief reunites you with what you've lost. It's a merging; you go with the loved thing or person that's going away. In some fashion you split with yourself and accompany it, go part of the way with it on its journey. You follow it as far as you can go. -Ruth

Is it melodramatic to say that helps me sort out my own grief and mortality?

Then about Jason's time with Alys:

...but sometime, he had often thought, the retribution will come: reality denied comes back to haunt. To overtake the person without warning and make him insane.

It just made me think of all the small lies I tell myself to get through something but I'm sure one day if I repeat the lie enough I will be old and it will just not be true and then what? And then insanity.