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greenmoonart's review against another edition
PKD mesmerizes again with a journey into the mind, with its societal causes and effects
ohyeahdog's review against another edition
3.0
I think my favorite part of this might have been the author's note. After going through that it gave the rest of the story even more power and meaning.
bigturtle540's review against another edition
4.0
The hallucinatory and poignant writing I have come to expect when reading PKD. Smart, sad, clever, and as relevant today as it was at the time of publication. A really brilliant novel.
rstadler's review against another edition
5.0
I found this to be both sad and funny at different times in the book. The story of these character's grappling with addiction and the adverse effects therein provides what I found to be a lot of interesting commentary on drugs and their standing in our (American) culture.
The interplay between the different larger groups (enforcement, rehab, dealers, users) was interesting to me. In addition, his portrayal of this surveillance filled world struck me as kind of apt these days, as well.
The interplay between the different larger groups (enforcement, rehab, dealers, users) was interesting to me. In addition, his portrayal of this surveillance filled world struck me as kind of apt these days, as well.
wordfloe_acid_test's review against another edition
What an intense book.
It was hard to put down.
It was hard to put down.
reading_that's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cameronius's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of the rare cases where I saw the movie before reading the novel. Thankfully, the movie didn't take anything away from the experience of the book. Set in dystopian LA, this is a cautionary tale about addiction and the various worlds drug abusers inhabit, overlap and live in conflict with. If you've ever personally had a glimpse of these worlds then you'll recognize this was written by a man who knew. I loved this story and even if I didn't, it'd be hard to understate PKD's influence on modern science fiction. His tales are worth your reading time.
wesly82's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
sociotom's review against another edition
4.0
So first off, it's worth mentioning that this story isn't as weird as many other Philip K Dick stories tend to be. It's a little bit more straightforward, in its way - it follows an undercover narcotics officer as he slowly loses touch with reality and sense of self. What's particularly fascinating, though, is the way the language slowly shifts over time to reflect what's going on in the MC's head.
Ultimately, it's a perfect solid book, and much more accessible than most other things Dick has written. And it's miles beyond the movie that was made of it.
Ultimately, it's a perfect solid book, and much more accessible than most other things Dick has written. And it's miles beyond the movie that was made of it.