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erasmios's review against another edition
4.0
A Scanner Darkly is the fourth Philip K. Dick novel I've read, or to be precise it's the first P.K.D. novel I've listened to. (Unabridged, narrated by Paul Giamatti.) I've also seen the movie a couple of times and really like it. This book consists of drugs, confusion, paranoia, control, frustration, struggle and lost dreams. There might be a little bit of hope too. I didn't feel overly futuristic or cyberpunkish, but that could also be the case because I had seen the movie first. I would definitely recommend this book and might even read it again.
mikelisi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bblammah's review against another edition
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
legitimatesalvage's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
3.0
Major themes of paranoia, identity, and drugs. This novel read as if it was written after Dick had his stroke/neurological episode which he related to some sort of religious event. Thus far I’ve found those novels a little less accessible. I found the dedication/epilogue at the end steering the premise of the book to more of a lament to the unfortunate lost days of the “free sex and drugs” of the 70s that apparently had a terrible backlash for Dick. He was of the belief that drugs not only irreparably damaged his friends, but they were governed by draconian laws which were just unfair because people were just trying to have a good time.
kurtiskozel's review against another edition
1.0
This book rung a bell, but it didn't toll for me.
I didn't find the characters nor scattered plot compelling, nor the themes interesting enough to be praised. The book flitted from on scene to another, one subject to another, and it felt like something that would only be understood by someone who read this in reminiscence; as if every moment had some power of lived memory behind it.
For example, the whole narrative was actively hurt by the investigation sub-plot. it was a completely impotent distraction that drew me out of being able to "live" within the world and seemed completely unnecessary from the start. If I were the writer, I would have completely dropped all of the science fiction (scatter suit, Substance D, etc) and political, investigative genre tropes and focused on: degeneracy, love-romance, relationships, and character change. The rest just didn't give me anything I wanted to have.
I can say, to it's credit, the idea of living a life not your own, unknown to either side of yourself, was fascinating and the most salient of any theme in the book. However, I still find it underexplored and largely impotent. Honestly, not to draw too strong of a comparison, but Fight Club did this much better.
I have never been more sure that I would enjoy a book much more on a second read. Having finished it, I'll make my mea culpa and admit there were explorations on PKD's identity-empathy-reality themes found in the other work of his I've read (Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep?) that I'm highly tempted to go back and review that I more or less missed on the first pass. However, considering the narrative they're found in... I'll just go on to his other works.
For me, this "gritty" encapsulation of an under-class, drug-fueled quasi-science fiction seemed muddled from the start. I am sure this is meaningful for some, but not at all for me.
I didn't find the characters nor scattered plot compelling, nor the themes interesting enough to be praised. The book flitted from on scene to another, one subject to another, and it felt like something that would only be understood by someone who read this in reminiscence; as if every moment had some power of lived memory behind it.
For example, the whole narrative was actively hurt by the investigation sub-plot. it was a completely impotent distraction that drew me out of being able to "live" within the world and seemed completely unnecessary from the start. If I were the writer, I would have completely dropped all of the science fiction (scatter suit, Substance D, etc) and political, investigative genre tropes and focused on: degeneracy, love-romance, relationships, and character change. The rest just didn't give me anything I wanted to have.
I can say, to it's credit, the idea of living a life not your own, unknown to either side of yourself, was fascinating and the most salient of any theme in the book. However, I still find it underexplored and largely impotent. Honestly, not to draw too strong of a comparison, but Fight Club did this much better.
I have never been more sure that I would enjoy a book much more on a second read. Having finished it, I'll make my mea culpa and admit there were explorations on PKD's identity-empathy-reality themes found in the other work of his I've read (Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep?) that I'm highly tempted to go back and review that I more or less missed on the first pass. However, considering the narrative they're found in... I'll just go on to his other works.
For me, this "gritty" encapsulation of an under-class, drug-fueled quasi-science fiction seemed muddled from the start. I am sure this is meaningful for some, but not at all for me.
lumleyisaac's review against another edition
3.0
My first exposure to Phillip K Dick and I really enjoyed it. The narrator is unreliable and the plot is disjointed because of this. It can be challenging to follow but the reason for this is discussed in the opening chapters--Substance abuse.
grantmcme's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kdawn999's review against another edition
2.0
Reading off the heels of the incredibly sexist The Godfather was a punch in the gut I should have been more steeled for when picking up a classic 70s Sci-fi. Almost every female character is introduced by a description of her breasts and speculation about how she would be in bed, and the tone is downright malicious. Add to that my hatred of drug trip stories, and it’s a miracle I didn’t despise this book more at the end. This is because Dick does reach for something grand in the dark profundity of his lyrical, stream-of-consciousness style here. I see this as a retelling of Faust, the seething Biblical undercurrents bringing a moving melancholy to the jokey, surface-level schtick. The ending is somewhat fitting in that our main character is duly punished, but that doesn’t make up for what I suffered in the lead up.