In The Man in the High Castle , Philip K. Dick's alternate history classic, the United States has lost World War II and subsequently been divided between the Germans in the east and the Japanese in the west. In this world, we meet characters like Frank Frink, a dealer of counterfeit Americana who is himself hiding his Jewish ancestry; Nobusuke Tagomi, the Japanese trade minister in San Francisco, unsure of his standing within the beauracracy and of Japan's with Germany; and Juliana Frink, Frank's ex-wife, who may be more ...
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In The Man in the High Castle , Philip K. Dick's alternate history classic, the United States has lost World War II and subsequently been divided between the Germans in the east and the Japanese in the west. In this world, we meet characters like Frank Frink, a dealer of counterfeit Americana who is himself hiding his Jewish ancestry; Nobusuke Tagomi, the Japanese trade minister in San Francisco, unsure of his standing within the beauracracy and of Japan's with Germany; and Juliana Frink, Frank's ex-wife, who may be more important than she realizes. These seemingly disparate characters gradually realize their connections to one another other just as they realize that something is not quite right about their world. And it seems as though the answers might lie with Hawthorne Abendsen, a mysterious and reclusive author whose best-selling novel describes a world in which the U.S. won the war . . . The Man in the High Castle is Dick at his best, giving readers a harrowing vision of the world that almost was.
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Seller's Description:
Good-This Hard Back Book is in good overall condition. The covers are intact with some slight wear. The dust jacket, if applicable, is intact with some slight wear. The spine has creasing. Pages may include notes, folds and highlighting. The "Head", "Tail" and "Fore-Edge" may have markings and/or spots. Thanks for supporting our Mission at Goodwill.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972. Used books may not include companion materials, some shelf wear, may contain highlighting/notes, and may not include cd-rom or access codes. Customer service is our top priority!
As many genre fans know, this is one of the all-time best. Glad to again own a copy.
William V
Jun 23, 2011
disappointed
I must have not remembered enough of the story from my reading this more than 40 years ago. I was glad to re-enter Dick's im-
aginary universe and it was interesting but in the felt a little flat.
Emrys
Jun 21, 2009
A Thoughtful Counterfactual
The eponymous man is an author who has written an enormously popular book called The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, which attempts to answer the question, what would have happened if the Allies had won World War II? - a question that can only be answered by the imagination, because in this alternate reality, the Axis won. America is divided into occupational zones controlled by Japanese and German forces, anti-semitic sentiment is rampant, and the I Ching is consulted by people everywhere as a matter of course.
The story takes its time getting off the ground. Initially, it feels like the interconnected plots are just an excuse for Dick to depict his alternate reality, but it gradually becomes apparent that there really is a point to them. There's no hook at the beginning, nothing to grab the reader's interest, but persevering is worth it. This is a good book, and well-written. The style bears little resemblance to that of Dick's characteristic sci-fi novels; in fact, it's obvious that he consciously altered his style for the purpose of writing this book, transformed it into the sort of broken English riddled with sentence fragments that might have become the norm under Japanese and German influence. The change is evident, but, with few exceptions, not overdone to the point where it might impede the reader's understanding. From that, as well as the terminology, history, and cultural references, it's apparent that Dick put a great deal of thought and effort into this novel.
