The man in the high castle

by Philip K. Dick

English language

ISBN:: 978-0-14-028562-8

(254 reviews)

The Man in the High Castle is an alternate history novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. Published and set in 1962, the novel takes place fifteen years after a different end to World War II, and depicts intrigues between the victorious Axis Powers—primarily, Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany—as they rule over the Southern and Western United States. The Man in the High Castle won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1963. Reported inspirations include Ward Moore's alternate Civil War history, Bring the Jubilee (1953), classic World War II histories and the I Ching (referred to in the novel). There is a "novel within the novel", an alternate history within the alternate history where the Allies defeat the Axis (though in a manner distinct from the real-life events of the war). In 2015, the book was adapted as a multi-season TV series, with Dick's daughter, Isa Dick Hackett, as …

62 editions

patchworkbunny reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (A Berkley medallion book -- D3080.)

Review of 'The Man in the High Castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

The Man in the High Castle has been on my shelves unread for years yet I’m not sure I would have picked it up if it weren’t for book group. Josh had recently started it and given up and I’d seen the Amazon adaptation (which I enjoyed and would recommend even if you didn’t get on with the book).

I think it really helped having an idea of the characters before I started. I can see how most of my book group (and Josh) struggled to get into it. There’s quite a few different characters and it can seem like they are not really connected. The adaptation is pretty different from the book but the characters are essentially the same people.

The Grasshopper Lies Heavy is a book within a book. It is widely available in the Pacific States and the neutral Mountain States but banned in the Nazi ruled East Coast. It tells the story of an alternate history where the Allies won the war, although it isn’t quite the real history either.

There’s not some grand story arc and it’s not particularly dramatic, instead it’s about the lives of everyday people living in a world run by Nazis and Japanese. Frank is a Jew hiding in plain sight with a skill for metalwork and a business idea. Julianna left Frank and San Francisco for the peace of Colorado yet she yearns for a bit of adventure.

Robert Childan is an antiques dealer, specialising in items of Americana for his high profile Japanese customers. He is desperate for recognition, seeing the Japanese as superior and wanting to be accepted into their world. I liked the fact that everyday American items were considered collector’s items now that they weren’t being made. The America that once was has become a novelty.

Mr Tagomi was the character whose story seemed to have been messed with the least in the adaptation. He is a high ranking Japanese trade official, a Buddhist who at times struggles to reconcile his religion with this world he lives in. He crosses paths with Childan when he seeks a gift for a visiting Swedish official, who he believes has come to discuss plastics.

Most of the characters in the story consult the I Ching at some point. I don’t really know much about Taoism but I read the introduction in my edition (after finishing the novel of course) and it made me think that this is rather a clever book even if I didn’t understand all of it. There’s this idea in Tao that the world we perceive is just a façade to another one, perhaps like alternate dimensions.

Philip K. Dick actually used the I Ching to guide him in the plotting of this book. When he got to the point where a character consulted the oracle, he would throw coins and consult the I Ching for answers, using them to decide what the characters would do next. This might also explain its wandering structure, which won’t be for everybody.

I believe I enjoyed this book much more than my fellow book group members but I had a better idea of what to expect having read him before and also being very aware the adaptation was quite different in terms of plotting.

AndySoc1al reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Review of 'The man in the high castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

It seems there could have been another chapter or two...

lijadora reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (A Berkley medallion book -- D3080.)

Review of 'The Man in the High Castle' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Life would have gone on even when German and Japan would have won the war. People cope and adapt.

Provoked the thoughts: where would I be? Would I have accepted the status quo? Would I have joined or worked with the powers that be? Would it be logical to not do so with history told by nazi's and a different moral compass? I'm afraid of the answers.

Chris reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Review of 'The man in the high castle' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This was a very clever book. I'm not convinced however that all the plots came together to make a whole story but perhaps it was just too clever for me.

Alex Keane reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Review of 'The man in the high castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Philip K Dick puts an interesting twist on a well-known moment in history. Instead of the Allies winning WWII, the Axis has split the world among themselves.

Dick is a fantastic writer and the book was a great look at a world that could have been.

Sean Gursky reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Review of 'The Man in the High Castle' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Not what I expected out of a PKD novel but it offered some interesting points in to what our world may have been. The meta novel within a novel was a nice touch and I liked how that story had a cult following. I would have enjoyed this more if additional pages were added to some character plots, as it were I only got a glimpse in to this would be world and there was no resolution to any of it.

Edward Branley at a book signing reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (A Berkley medallion book -- D3080.)

Review of 'The Man in the High Castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Interesting book! The alternative history premise was set up nicely throughout the stories of individual characters. Enjoyable, leaves the reader wanting more. It's interesting to read a 60s novel fifty years later. When written in 1962, WWII was still very fresh in everyone's mind. International crises, diplomacy, and military actions were in the forefront of the news, with the Cold War actions of the US and Soviet Union. When the possibility that the real-world great powers could destroy the world, even an alternate world where the Nazis dominate looks acceptable.

Looking forward to seeing the television interpretation via Amazon.

bwbeach reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Review of 'The man in the high castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Excellent alternate history story. I saw the pilot episode of Amazon's TV adaptation, and was intrigued. The book is much better, and raises some interesting issues.

█▓▒░⡷⠂ДCCЯДZΞ⠐⢾░▒▓█ reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Review of 'The man in the high castle' on 'GoodReads'

4 stars

Really interesting piece of alternate history. This book, by far, is one of Phillip K. Dick's least sci-fi themed works, instead it builds a credible world based on what would have happened if Germany and Japan had won WWII. Very unique and interesting characters fill the book and drive the story at different times. The story focuses on the different things each character believes about reality, and how each character is able to cope living in a totalitarian society. As per usual PKD, the story starts to go off the rails a bit toward the end, however it is definitely still worth a read. I think the overall meaning of theme of the book is that reality is both always plural and always mutable.

Yashima reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Review of 'The Man in the High Castle' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This is a great book. Very scary. Throughout the book I was quite worried that I would be disappointed in the end. But the final revelations were well worth it.

I did not like that the book is actually telling two stories that are only very loosely related. It is a lot about showing what the world would be like if the premise was true.

Curtis reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Review of 'The man in the high castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Bizarre.

Samuel reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Review of 'The Man in the High Castle' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I prefer to wait just some more days to wait for the powder to sit down before I say something about this book...
The World as it is depicted in "The Man in the High Castle" .source: Wikipedia.

Michael @ Knowledge Lost reviewed The Man In The High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Review of 'The Man In The High Castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

For those who haven’t read this month’s Book club book, the alternate reality classic The Man in the High Castle by Philip K Dick, I will try not to give away too much of the story. Most of you are aware of the basic plot outline, but I will just give you a quick overview before talking about the interesting concepts I found within the book. Set in 1962, 14 years after a longer World War II, life is under totalitarian Fascist imperialism as the war was won by Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. Having divided the world the Axis Powers are now conducting intrigues against each other in North America.

Alternate Reality
With Japan and Germany being in power, the world is a much different place; more of a dystopian society, where everyone is considered racially superior to the Americans. The last remaining Jews are in hiding and continually being hunted down. The book actually deals with justice and injustice; gender and power; the shame of cultural inferiority and identity; and the effects of fascism and racism upon culture.

Metafiction
The Man in the High Castle focuses the story around a popular and banned novel written by Hawthorne Abendsen (The Man in the High Castle). The book entitled The Grasshopper Lies Heavy portrays an alternate reality where Japan and Germany lost the war and America and England become the victors. Changing racialist-cultural tensions and creating a liberal, democratic, capitalist society.

I Ching
In this novel the I Ching (Book of Changes) is often consulted by the characters as an oracle. I Ching is an ancient Chinese book of divination and was used by Philip K Dick to determine the plot particulars. In two separate interviews Philip K Dick has said;

“I started with nothing but the name, Mister Tagomi, written on a scrap of paper, no other notes. I had been reading a lot of Oriental philosophy, reading a lot of Zen Buddhism, reading the I Ching. That was the Marin County zeitgeist, at that point; Zen Buddhism and the I Ching. I just started right out and kept on trucking.”

“In the event, he blamed the I Ching for plot incidents he disliked: "When it came to close down the novel, the I Ching had no more to say. So, there's no real ending on it. I like to regard it as an open ending.”

Philip K Dick’s classic science fiction novel has a lot of interesting aspects to it. I think it could easily be one of those books you could spend hours discussing all the little characteristics to it. Another book that challenges your views on society by showing what life could be like if the war turned out differently. Reflected above were just the major aspects to this book.