Reviews

A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick

reading_that's review against another edition

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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

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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

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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

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sociotom's review against another edition

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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.

warped_star's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny sad tense fast-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

5.0

Probably one of my favorite books. It was incredibly entertaining and even funny at times, but also dove into true mania behind addiction. 

The split personas in the story are really interesting and add that sci-fi flare we love PKD for, but the setting wasn’t too heavy on the tech. The story allowed the tech to just be subtle enough to allow the reader a very relatable near future environment. I also felt he did an excellent job at describing the desolate, hot, and dusty amber look of Los Angeles. 

The book is incredibly sad though. Although it is fiction, it is loosely based off of real experiences. Anyone who has suffered drug addiction would relate to this story deeply. Everything from the mania, to the feinding, to the mobbing, to the depressing over usage in one single persons apartment every time. It is so realistic, but adds a level of mystery as well. 

It’s a fucked up, drug-driven, cat and mouse game of who-done-it… but instead of murder it’s trying to figure out who smeared shit on ur car engine? Who destroyed your weird visual comtraption? Who was I yesterday? And who am I today?

Last thing I’ll say, I cried heavily at the end and remembered all my loved ones lost to abuse. There’s a list of all his loved ones at the end, and I added my own. Very cathartic, but incredibly depressing. 
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jj30591's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny 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

4.0

scrooge3's review against another edition

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4.0

Although somewhat dated, this book still packs an emotional punch. Paul Giamatti is a very good reader, although some of the different characters aren't significantly different sounding. The book examines the drug culture of the 1970s and is Dick's tribute to the friends he lost to drugs. The book's central theme is one that Dick often used, that of the dichotomy of the real versus the imagined. As Bob Arctor slips more and more into a brain addled junkie, his grip on reality slips as well, until it's unclear to the reader what is real and what is hallucination. It doesn't help that Arctor is being manipulated by others, conned into actions that he is unaware of. Although the overall tone of the book is somewhat depressing, there is a lot of humor in the book, as well, as Arctor and his buddies ruminate on life while high, not to mention some of the bureaucratic nonsense Arctor's alter-ego Fred goes through as an undercover detective. This is a world I don't want to live in, but I'm glad I peeked into it, and I hope its message helps prevent someone from going down the road to addiction.

candeezymac's review against another edition

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

2.75

champsey13's review against another edition

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3.0

I wound up crying at Dick's afterword where he names people he's loved and lost to addiction, which is going to stay with me long after the details of the book blur together.

trashcaboose's review against another edition

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3.0

This book dragged until 4/5 of the way through - and then I freaking loved it. Good stuff, PKD.