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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Very interesting concept and ideas. It showcases how far individuals in power are willing to go to keep their power and luxury. Also that there are no purely good or bad guys, but every individual works in their own interests. I liked the there is no one great hero, that saves everyone. Sadly the reading itself was a bit of a struggle at times.
More stars for plot being of interest and theme of power and less for being just a bit dense... It saddens me that I find it very hard to engage with Dick's writing but in this and his two others that I've read, the characters meld interchangeably in my mind, making it incredibly difficult to keep track.
Also, and without saying that books need a gender balance because the last book I read and appreciated would also fail the Bechdel test... The complete lack of substantive female characters made this new world feel inconceivable.
Also, and without saying that books need a gender balance because the last book I read and appreciated would also fail the Bechdel test... The complete lack of substantive female characters made this new world feel inconceivable.
This book does not have one of PKD's most inspired beginnings, but if you can slog through the first chapter and learn the vocabulary of the world, the story really takes off. I found it engrossing and terrifying - this is something I could see happening. It really raises the question of belief for me: what do you believe? why do you believe? who do you believe? Politics, as most other things in life, really boils down to trust. And what PKD is saying, I think, is that you can't trust anyone. Even Talbot Yancy.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Though still a masterwork by PKD, this took me over a month to read 191 pages. Slow moving, though supremely relevant to today's fake news media, etc.
The Penultimate Truth, newly released in the wonderful new edition from Mariner Books, is a perfect example of Philip K. Dick at his best: a future story that immediately draws the reader in with its complexity and interest, as well as taking its characters to interesting and unexpected places. Like most of his books, it’s a short one that leaves the reader contemplating on what they’ve just read and what it might mean for his or her life and world.
It is the future and a devastating world war of epic proportions has taken place and most of humanity now lives deep beneath the ground in massive bunkers which is all the world that these people know. To them the battle still wages above, and they continue about their daily lives, manufacturing weapons and making supplies to send up above, while eking out a pitiful existence in this regimented and hopeless society. That is until Nick St. James, president of one of these “anthills,” makes the decision and digs himself to the surface to get help to his people. It is there that he discovers a shocking reality he never could’ve predicted.
The Penultimate Truth has a great message to it at the end, which may not be completely clear, but unavoidably asks questions of our own society and where we might be headed in the future. Given that Dick was writing this in 1964, it is an astonishing revelation and foresight that many have come to expect from this master of science fiction.
Originally written on March 14, 2012 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews and exclusive interviews, go to BookBanter.
It is the future and a devastating world war of epic proportions has taken place and most of humanity now lives deep beneath the ground in massive bunkers which is all the world that these people know. To them the battle still wages above, and they continue about their daily lives, manufacturing weapons and making supplies to send up above, while eking out a pitiful existence in this regimented and hopeless society. That is until Nick St. James, president of one of these “anthills,” makes the decision and digs himself to the surface to get help to his people. It is there that he discovers a shocking reality he never could’ve predicted.
The Penultimate Truth has a great message to it at the end, which may not be completely clear, but unavoidably asks questions of our own society and where we might be headed in the future. Given that Dick was writing this in 1964, it is an astonishing revelation and foresight that many have come to expect from this master of science fiction.
Originally written on March 14, 2012 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews and exclusive interviews, go to BookBanter.
Even among PKD stories this book is bananas!
It comes up with a huge number of bizarre ideas and clothes them in obscure language I kept having to go back and read them several times. Interesting but not sure I actually enjoyed it and does contain some problematic tropes of the period.
For Dick fans and those interested in the period but not for the casual reader.
It comes up with a huge number of bizarre ideas and clothes them in obscure language I kept having to go back and read them several times. Interesting but not sure I actually enjoyed it and does contain some problematic tropes of the period.
For Dick fans and those interested in the period but not for the casual reader.
Out of all the PKD books I've read, this is one of more straightforward ones and does not have as much of the disorienting mood that is so characteristic of his novels. One could say it's more realistic and less trippy, because it's an alternative history with some SF mixed in, which might make it more approachable than his other work.
The story is told from the perspectives of many characters, and it does not fully revolve around Nicolas St. James, who the blurb on the back focuses on.
Regardless of the relative lack of ambiguity in this novel (in comparison to his others), PKD doesn't simplify too much, because as usual, there is a point that he is trying to make, and it is built upon layers and layers of meaning. If you are one of his fans, then it is likely that this is what you are looking for.
As with the rest of them, the punchline is at the end, which is when the title will make perfect sense.
The story is told from the perspectives of many characters, and it does not fully revolve around Nicolas St. James, who the blurb on the back focuses on.
Regardless of the relative lack of ambiguity in this novel (in comparison to his others), PKD doesn't simplify too much, because as usual, there is a point that he is trying to make, and it is built upon layers and layers of meaning. If you are one of his fans, then it is likely that this is what you are looking for.
As with the rest of them, the punchline is at the end, which is when the title will make perfect sense.