The Man in the High Castle

Alternative history

The Man in the High Castle is PK Dick's 1962 Hugo award winning novel of an alternate history where the US has lost WWII. In this vision, due to the assassination of FDR in his fist term, the subsequent US president fails to prepare the nation for war with a quick defeat after Pearl Harbor and the fall of England due to lack of US support. The country is divided between the Japanese controlling the west coast to the Rockies, while Germany controls the East with the Rocky Mountain region somewhat murky. Germany dominates science and has made it to Mars and Venus, while they continue to move across the globe with ethnic cleansing. The story centers around several characters barely surviving, including introspective Japanese. Most intriguing is a story within a story concept from which the title is derived, referring to the mysterious author of another alternate history where the US has won the war.

The sci-fi elements are minimal especially given the span of time, although for 1962, colonization of Mars and Venus was probably novel with the US Mercury and Gemini space missions barely getting into orbit. The focus is mainly on how the various characters respond to their situations, while at the same time describing a more macabre, hopeless world. At the same time, Dick contrasts the Japan and Germany styles of conquest which differ greatly. Dick also was quite prescient in his notions of evolving social mores.

The narration is superb with an excellent range of voices and solid pacing. Don't expect some climatic revolution at the end to reset history. This is a tale of "what if" and Dick provide a compelling, credible, and engaging alternative version.

146 people found this helpful

Wanted to see what all the buzz was about!

I watched the pilot on Amazon and then picked up the book. Interesting premise but was difficult to always comprehend his steam of thought. The audio book made it much easier for me to enjoy.

I probably need to listen again to try and catch more. Book is a different direction from the TV show... But enjoyed it. Would recommend... Just realize that this isn't your typical novel...

106 people found this helpful

A classic ruined by its narrator

Philip K. Dick's Man in the High Castle is a classic. An unflinching alternate history with science fiction sprinkled liberally throughout the background (space colonization, 45 minute rocket flights from Northern Europe to San Francisco, and an intriguing passing mention of the damming and draining of the Mediterranean to gain massive amounts of land are three spoiler-free examples). For those who have found themselves here via Amazon's mini-series: The book and show are different entities with different foci. You will find the book to have different character priorities - I would urge you, despite this, to enjoy both the novel and the series as different approaches to the same rough story. I will say no more about the book - there's a reason it's a classic and should be read. I cannot, however, recommend this audiobook of it.

The narrator, quite simply, ruins it. Dick's work was published in 1963 and is deliberately harsh in its language, especially when it comes to race - he was making a point. But the racial and national slurs that pervade the work seem tame compared to the outrageously stereotype accents used by the narrator. The Japanese voices would be at home in Second World War Warner Brothers' cartoon propaganda, the Germans are right out of 'Allo 'Allo or Dad's Army, and one of the main protagonists' Jewish ancestry and faith is demonstrated by a straight out of central casting "Jewish New Yorker" so bad it would make Jackie Mason and Woody Allen wince in pain (which makes no sense as Dick plainly states the character has gone out of his way to hide his background for safety reasons). Read the book or find another recording, but avoid this version (and this narrator) if you want anything other than painful stereotypes.

92 people found this helpful

Tough listen

Any additional comments?

Story was very good and engaging. Narrator does the worst accents I've heard in a long time . Germans sound more English, Italians sound Russian. Very distracting for me

73 people found this helpful

Grating Voices

I've listened to dozens of books on Audible, and this performance is the worst. I wish I could rate the performance zero stars. It seems the reader has never actually heard a Japanese, Jewish, or German person speak. They all sound like caricatures. Stereotypes. It's almost offensive. Each Japanese character sounds like a buck-toothed 1940s US propaganda cartoon. The main Jewish character sounds like the unholy offspring of Jackie Mason and Yogi the Bear. The main female character sounds like a Kids in the Hall sketch. I could barely pay attention to the story. Terrible.

132 people found this helpful

Unfinished

The author never really finished this book. After a while, it's seem to lose focus and he never really tied the story together fully. The television series is actually much better.

32 people found this helpful

Great Story. Very different from TV Serires

Don't expect a nice, tidy ending, or anything like the TV series that was spun from this story. Each stands alone. In the spirit of the book and the series, approach each one as if they occur in a totally different universe. The complexity of the characters differs dramatically. The book prepares us for two realities other than our own, while the series introduces us to a multiverse.

That point made, the book has a great story. Some of the twists and turns come from the author's use of the I Ching to create the directionality and turns in the story. Major characters make hopeful, life-enhancing changes as they proceed through the worlds of the Pacific States, The Reich Territories, and the No-Man's Land in between. Keep an eye out for the changing characters through a story about changing realities.

Good read.

5 people found this helpful

Couldn't bear the voice.

I've listened to the first two chapters and I can't continue. Instead of listening to the story, I can only think about how much I dislike the voice actor.

88 people found this helpful

I'll never get those hours back

Painful listen. Narrator's accent work on the characters was tough to listen to, as well as, the story that started, jumped around and just ended. Brutal

39 people found this helpful

I am

A huge fan of the Amazon series so getting this to be able to understand the source versus the series was great. Highly entertaining and recommended for series fans

4 people found this helpful