The Man In The High Castle by Philip K. Dick
Product details
Web ID: 10219622 reviews
It’s alright
"The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick presents a fascinating premise, especially for history enthusiasts drawn to dystopian settings. The alternate history landscape, where the Axis powers emerged victorious in World War II, provides a unique backdrop that sparks intrigue. As a history nerd myself, I found the concept inherently engaging. However, my experience with the book left me with mixed feelings. While the premise held immense potential, I was disappointed by the lack of detailed exploration into the world, its history, and the political dynamics. The narrative seemed to hover on the surface, leaving much unexplored. As a result, the depth I anticipated from a book rooted in historical divergence was lacking. The revelation that the presented reality isn't entirely "real" became a narrative turn that, personally, detracted from my overall enjoyment. It felt like a twist for the sake of a twist, impacting the cohesiveness of the story. This revelation seemed to undercut the gravity of the alternate history presented, leaving me yearning for a more immersive and grounded exploration of the world. The ending, or lack thereof, added to my sense of unfulfillment. Instead of a conclusive resolution, the narrative concluded in a way that left many threads hanging. The characters, though intriguing individually, seemed to exist within their own isolated narratives, with minimal interaction among them. This lack of connection among characters diminished the sense of a cohesive and integrated storyline. In summary, "The Man in the High Castle" introduces a captivating concept that appeals to history enthusiasts and dystopian fiction fans. However, the execution falls short in providing the in-depth exploration and cohesion necessary to fully realize the potential of its alternate history setting. The narrative choices, particularly the revelation about the reality presented, might not resonate with everyone, contributing to a sense of unfulfillment by the story's conclusion.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Disappointed
The Man in The High Castle by Philip K Dick America in 1962, in a world where the country is split into three factions. After losing WWII, the USA has been divided between the Germans and the Japanese, with a neutral zone in the middle. This book is the base for the Amazon series with the same name. I must admit that I was disillusioned: first time in a long time that the movie is better than the book. The first troublesome part was that the Germans had colonized the solar system. Too much time spent talking about Mars, Venus, and the Moon -- all of it irrelevant to the plot. The parallel worlds play a small part of the plot: instead of movies, there's a book -- The Grasshopper Lies Heavy by Hawthorne Abendsen -- in which the US and its allies won the war. Most of the plot in concentrated on a plan by the Germans: Operation Dandelion -- a plot to nuke the Japanese. Capt Rudolph Wegener flies to San Francisco to contact Nobusaki Tagomi, the Trade Minister, to warn him of the German plans. Juliana and Frank Frisk are divorced, Mr. Robert Childan owns the store of Americana. Narrated from the third person point of view, I thought the plot was poorly constructed, the characters were not believable and I am glad that Amazon made the book, the characters, and the plot a lot better in their series.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com