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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Not a sci fi reader, was hoping this would be a good 'gateway drug' so to speak but I just couldn't get on board. Whether this is the book's crime or mine I don't know - I suppose some genre fiction is not to everyone's tastes by its very nature, but the dialogue, the characters and their motivations were just not 'real' enough to me to relate to. Sometimes non-contemporary settings can create this distance, but I couldn't cross that distance in this one. The sci-fi elements themselves were excellent in their creativity (though it was funny to see things like newspapers in this futurist world) so I can understand the appeal of that. The ending, too, seemed to have things to say but it had lost me to the point I couldn't really understand it. For a very short book it just went on for ever, the narrative was too twisty, the prose while witty at times didn't inspire, and despite the stakes I never felt there to be much pressure or momentum.
3.5 stars. The book shows great ideas, but it's not as good as some of PKD masterpieces.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I read this while trying to decide what would really be next. And it was a doozy. I think it was less pleasant to read than to think back upon it, strangely. The themes are classic PKD related to consciousness, where does life begin and end, how important/necessary is the body as part of that experience. Unfortunately, the vehicle in this exposition is a drug taken by human colonists on Mars, who are so miserable in their new habitat, they are constantly seeking solace in drug-taking. And there’s a big company profiting from the drug, despite its illegality. Palmer Eldritch is the character who serves as the disruptor, but with potentially a more insidious intent. Not sure how to play this one, folks. Not sure I’d recommend except to niche SF interests.
This was my first foray into Philip K Dick. There were parts of the novel that I wasn't really into, but overall it was a good read and gave you somethings to think about, too.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No