compmanjx3's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny hopeful sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Jason Taverner wakes up after a traumatic incident to discover that he has no identification and no one knows who he is.

This is going to sound weird describing a Philip K. Dick novel, but I wish it was weirder?  The premise it plenty weird but then it's played almost completely straight.  Some of the world building is insane but those threads aren't really followed.  The focus is just on Jason and the police general who runs into him.  The epilogue is like a 'where are they now' postscript to a movie based on a true story.

Dick's keen writing and imaginative mind still give Flow My Tears plenty to recommend, but the final result doesn't quite match his most powerful efforts.

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krytykesa's review against another edition

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dark sad 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? It's complicated

2.75

This book was a real rollercoaster: I liked it, I hated it, and then I was confused. 

What I really enjoyed is that it's very cinematic. It's written in a way that could be easily transferred to a tv show or even a theatric piece. Every character is presented with a tagline; every scene has a detailed explanation of the surrounding. Even conversations are built as a  combination of funny and emotional dialogs and more meaningful monologues. 

One of the most memorable conversations happened closer to the end of the book when the main character and Ruth discussed the necessity of love and the absurdity of following the self-preservation instinct. 

But at the end of the day, I wouldn't say I would want this book to be proffered on screens. It has many weird and unneeded details in world-building, like the consent age or incest arc that was shockingly out of place. And this book has one of the worst treatment of female characters I read in a while. 

Flow My Tears; the Policeman Said is an excellent example of the good execution of bad ideas. 

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ecster's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

What a weird weird book. I've read lots of Philip K Dick bur didn't know what to expect and struggled with this until about page 100 when it suddenly sped up. The hopeful tone of the ending is so at odds with the rest of the book... ACAB

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doctorw0rm's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this was amazing. i have trust in phillip k dick again, i was really disappointed after a maze of death’s ending

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yaboicolleen's review against another edition

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challenging reflective medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? No

3.75


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unraveltapededgy's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5


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erikwmj's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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jakobvongunten's review against another edition

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3.0


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b_caligari's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense 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


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mformato's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

I should rate this book lower. It had info dumps all over, none of the women were written favorably, and by the end (like always with PKD for me) I had no idea what just happened. But damn this author seems to keep winning me over. I always feel too small brain to understand the deep meanings he is trying to get at but boy do I love the journey. This is only the third book of his I read and he is easily becoming one of my favorite authors.

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