The Man in the High Castle

nerd teacher [books] reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

I'm Not Sure

3 stars

I didn't dislike it, but I also don't feel like I connected with it? I liked the initial structure of it feeling like multiple vignettes that had all connected somewhat to the same book. And while I understand what was happening, I felt like it wasn't quite hitting the right notes for certain characters or even the overall theme. In a lot of ways, it felt like it kept fumbling some of them. (Edit: Upon reflection, it isn't actually true that the stories were woven around the same book because three of the characters never actually engage with the book in any capacity and their stories don't even mention it from the background.)

It was fine. Not my favourite book, but it was okay.

Julian reviewed The man in the high castle by Philip K. Dick

Dick takes an idea which is becoming commonplace - multiple universes - but pioneers it and give it his own unique spin. Essentially, the people in the book are living a post WWII tragedy, where the bad guys won - and to them, our universe is the good one, they'd much rather be in. From this premise PKD weaves in multiple characters and storylines from when he was essentially at the top of his game. Excellent book.

Pete_56@bookwyrm.social reviewed The man in the high castle by Philip K. Dick

None

2 stars

Lots of effort is made to set up a very believable world in which the Axis powers defeated the Allies and split America into three. We follow the main characters through events that lead them to various conclusions. As tension heightens the narrative centres on a book, a work of fiction in which the Axis powers were defeated by the Allies and Britain and America divide the world between them, and how difficult it would be to live in that world. There are various twists along the way as the story of each character reaches a conclusion. The final twist though is left until the last few pages, and then we are left hanging.
No explanation of how it could be. Was it a figment of the characters imagination, a dream, or was it really true, and if so how could it be that the world was as the book …

Lots of effort is made to set up a very believable world in which the Axis powers defeated the Allies and split America into three. We follow the main characters through events that lead them to various conclusions. As tension heightens the narrative centres on a book, a work of fiction in which the Axis powers were defeated by the Allies and Britain and America divide the world between them, and how difficult it would be to live in that world. There are various twists along the way as the story of each character reaches a conclusion. The final twist though is left until the last few pages, and then we are left hanging.
No explanation of how it could be. Was it a figment of the characters imagination, a dream, or was it really true, and if so how could it be that the world was as the book has described it.

A fascinating world becomes real in the reading, but the end lets it down

or did I miss something?