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weejman33's review against another edition
4.0
PKD always delivers. An ambitious plot that might have some scratching their heads upon the final reveal, but one whose emotional center remains constant throughout, and delivers a punch like no other by the end.
acesfly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Loved it, very intriguing. The world you are thrusted in feels like its own character
alexandre_rl's review against another edition
4.0
Mon deuxième Philip K. Dick et un second coup de cœur. Je ne suis pas grand lecteur de science-fiction; je trouve les bons romans rares dans ce genre qui abonde de clichés. Ceci dit, j’avoue parler un peu à travers mon chapeau puisque j’en ai lu si peu. L’œuvre de Philip K. Dick est connue même de ceux qui n’ont jamais entendu parler de lui. Nombre d’adaptations cinématographiques de ses romans ont obtenu un immense succès populaire : Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly et plus récemment l’adaptation télévisuelle de Man in the High Castle.
Dick fait partie de ces auteurs de « paralittérature » qui transcendent la niche de leur genre et rejoignent des lecteurs de tous les horizons. Dans « Coulez mes larmes, dit le policier », un animateur de télé/chanteur de charme ultra-connu du nom de Jason Taverner se réveille un matin dans un monde où personne ne se rappelle de lui, un monde qui ne contient même aucune trace de sa naissance, dans un état policier où l’absence de papiers peut vous mener directement en camp de travail.
L’amorce du récit n’est pas particulièrement originale. Ce qui fait la force du roman, ce sont les personnages de Dick, la façon avec laquelle il décrit leurs rapports avec la structure sociale oppressante, leurs névroses décuplées par l’abondance de possibilités dans un monde futuriste où de puissantes drogues peuvent vous ouvrir des portes entre les dimensions, des plaisirs sensoriels qui grillent votre cerveau de façon irrécupérable, parfois jusqu’à la mort. L’histoire se développe rapidement, sans aucun temps mort, dans une économie narrative qui frôle parfois le résumé. Beaucoup de bonnes idées, d’images fortes et de personnages d’une étonnante profondeur. Court, efficace et mémorable.
Dick fait partie de ces auteurs de « paralittérature » qui transcendent la niche de leur genre et rejoignent des lecteurs de tous les horizons. Dans « Coulez mes larmes, dit le policier », un animateur de télé/chanteur de charme ultra-connu du nom de Jason Taverner se réveille un matin dans un monde où personne ne se rappelle de lui, un monde qui ne contient même aucune trace de sa naissance, dans un état policier où l’absence de papiers peut vous mener directement en camp de travail.
L’amorce du récit n’est pas particulièrement originale. Ce qui fait la force du roman, ce sont les personnages de Dick, la façon avec laquelle il décrit leurs rapports avec la structure sociale oppressante, leurs névroses décuplées par l’abondance de possibilités dans un monde futuriste où de puissantes drogues peuvent vous ouvrir des portes entre les dimensions, des plaisirs sensoriels qui grillent votre cerveau de façon irrécupérable, parfois jusqu’à la mort. L’histoire se développe rapidement, sans aucun temps mort, dans une économie narrative qui frôle parfois le résumé. Beaucoup de bonnes idées, d’images fortes et de personnages d’une étonnante profondeur. Court, efficace et mémorable.
spikespiegel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gs_227's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
davidtan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
squaternutbosch's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderfully dark with strong characters, one of my personal favourites from PKD.
mrgeof's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
My least favorite PK Dick book, of the half dozen or so I've read.
katykelly's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Once I had set up my phone to play the tracks IN ORDER, this made a lot more sense!!! It's in essence a linear enough story, but of course it's Philip K Dick, so it's rather far-out, mind-bending and very sci-fi.
I like to vary my genres and haven't read much Dick (Man in the High Castle many years ago, a few that were adapted into films), and thought this sounded good on audiobook.
The plot follows the turn in fortunes of Jason Taverner, big TV star who suddenly finds he doesn't exist anymore. In his search for ID in a police state, he runs into some very disturbing characters, does some soul-searching and gets involved in a murder investigation.
Just what is going on? Well, I'd be lying if I said I followed it all completely. There's a reason I don't read a lot of science fiction, and I do find it just passes me by at times. But I did enjoy Jason's story, and the narrator gives him a bluff and pompous voice that suited the personality. I can't say the same for a single female character though, I hated the voices of each of them, the narrator really wasn't cut out for women's voices. They grated and simpered and annoyed me throughout, and probably also affected my feelings about the characters as I didn't like a single woman in the book. Disturbed, self-obsessed and secondary to the men around them.
These are my initial thoughts after finishing, it's not a book I finished in triumph, feeling satisfied - I did feel I'd had a small mental workout and was glad I could move onto something easier to latch onto.
But I will continue to sample outside my comfort zone and look for examples of the best of every genre. Lots to recommend it, but not quite my cup of tea, though I did enjoy Jason.
Once I had set up my phone to play the tracks IN ORDER, this made a lot more sense!!! It's in essence a linear enough story, but of course it's Philip K Dick, so it's rather far-out, mind-bending and very sci-fi.
I like to vary my genres and haven't read much Dick (Man in the High Castle many years ago, a few that were adapted into films), and thought this sounded good on audiobook.
The plot follows the turn in fortunes of Jason Taverner, big TV star who suddenly finds he doesn't exist anymore. In his search for ID in a police state, he runs into some very disturbing characters, does some soul-searching and gets involved in a murder investigation.
Just what is going on? Well, I'd be lying if I said I followed it all completely. There's a reason I don't read a lot of science fiction, and I do find it just passes me by at times. But I did enjoy Jason's story, and the narrator gives him a bluff and pompous voice that suited the personality. I can't say the same for a single female character though, I hated the voices of each of them, the narrator really wasn't cut out for women's voices. They grated and simpered and annoyed me throughout, and probably also affected my feelings about the characters as I didn't like a single woman in the book. Disturbed, self-obsessed and secondary to the men around them.
These are my initial thoughts after finishing, it's not a book I finished in triumph, feeling satisfied - I did feel I'd had a small mental workout and was glad I could move onto something easier to latch onto.
But I will continue to sample outside my comfort zone and look for examples of the best of every genre. Lots to recommend it, but not quite my cup of tea, though I did enjoy Jason.
netscapenow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
3.75