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Philip K. Dick

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The Man in the High Castle (Penguin Modern Classics) Kindle Edition

by Philip K. Dick (Author), Eric Brown (Introduction) Format: Kindle Edition

20,656 ratings

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WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE ALLIES HAD LOST THE WAR?
_______________________________

'Truth, she thought. As terrible as death. But harder to find.'

America, fifteen years after the end of the Second World War. The winning Axis powers have divided their spoils: the Nazis control New York, while California is ruled by the Japanese.

But between these two states - locked in a cold war - lies a neutral buffer zone in which legendary author Hawthorne Abendsen is rumoured to live. Abendsen lives in fear of his life for he has written a book in which World War Two was won by the Allies . . .

Now a major Amazon TV series, this book for fans of Robert Harris' Fatherland, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and anyone who has ever wondered 'What if . . . '

'California's own William Blake. Visionary and prophet. Novelist of ideas' Daily Telegraph

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California's own William Blake. Visionary and prophet ― Daily Telegraph

The most brilliant sci-fi mind on any planet ― Rolling Stone

From the Inside Flap

Philip K. Dick's acclaimed cult novel gives us a horrifying glimpse of an alternative world - one where the Allies have lost the Second World War. In this nightmare dystopia the Nazis have taken over New York, the Japanese control California and the African continent is virtually wiped out. In a neutral buffer zone in America that divides the world's new rival superpowers, lives the author of an underground bestseller. His book offers a new vision of reality - an alternative theory of world history in which the Axis powers were defeated - giving hope to the disenchanted. Does 'reality' lie with him, or is his world just one among many others?

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008DM2MGW
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ 2 Aug. 2012
Edition ‏ : ‎ New Ed
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1.8 MB
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 274 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241964262
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: 12,147 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 26 in Science Fiction Alternate History
- 45 in Alternative History
- 103 in Military Science Fiction (Kindle Store)

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20,656 ratings

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Philip K. Dick

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Over a writing career that spanned three decades, Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) published 36 science fiction novels and 121 short stories in which he explored the essence of what makes man human and the dangers of centralized power. Toward the end of his life, his work turned toward deeply personal, metaphysical questions concerning the nature of God. Eleven novels and short stories have been adapted to film; notably: Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly. The recipient of critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout his career, Dick was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2005, and in 2007 the Library of America published a selection of his novels in three volumes. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages.

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20,656 global ratings

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Customers find the book's concept fascinating and thought-provoking, with the book within the book receiving particular praise for its genius. The writing quality and story quality receive mixed reactions - while some find it well-written and an interesting alternative history/sci-fi story, others describe the prose as terrible and the narrative convoluted. Character development and pacing are also mixed aspects, with some finding the characters interesting while others say they don't understand them, and the book taking a long time to get going. The TV series adaptation receives positive feedback, with customers noting it's different from the Prime TV show.

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Readability Concept Tv series Story quality Writing quality Character development Boredom Pace

297 customers mention ‘Readability’234 positive63 negative

Customers find the book interesting and entertaining, particularly praising the book-within-a-book structure, with one customer noting its brilliant premise.

"...of PKD's works are better than others, to my mind they are all well worth reading. I would also recommend his short story collections:..." Read more

"...about the characters’ not having any interesting storylines – Juliana’s was good, particularly towards the finale when she goes to meet the man in..." Read more

"...I was excited to find that I was enjoying reading the book to start with. The vaguely familiar storyline was twisting and turning interestingly...." Read more

"Legendary story from a legendary author. One of his best novels" Read more

114 customers mention ‘Concept’102 positive12 negative

Customers find the concept of the book fascinating and thought-provoking, with one customer noting how it stimulates the imagination.

"...Dick crafts an inspired alternate history with some fantastic original features to hold the reader’s attention...." Read more

"...to reading this book - enabling the reader to see how a story high in potential but low in realisation can be turned into a masterpiece of TV drama." Read more

"...juggling realities as usual, the scary world it’s set in, the philosophical sub-text and the way the inner turmoil of the characters plays out...." Read more

"...Tagomi is as morally upright and philosophical as you would expect from the series and also a good vessel for introducing a philosophical element..." Read more

38 customers mention ‘Tv series’30 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the TV series adaptation of the book, with some finding it better than the original work, while others prefer the book itself.

"Having been blown away by the superb Amazon TV series I couldn’t wait a year to find out what happened next so I bought Philip Dick’s book...." Read more

"...few character names, there is virtually none, and I have to say the TV is better...." Read more

"...the story felt more convoluted and while it was OK, the series was much better. 3 stars" Read more

"This book is completely different from the TV series...." Read more

132 customers mention ‘Story quality’46 positive86 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the story quality of the book, with some praising it as an interesting alternative history and sci-fi narrative, while others find the plot convoluted and the narrative weak.

"...My issue with TMITHC is that it simply isn't very good. The story is fairly non-eventful and there is the constant nagging that Dick is wasting a..." Read more

"...High Castle (Philip K Dick's ninth published novel), is a classic alternate history novel...." Read more

"...The characters are sketches and the plot threads seem to have no real relationship...." Read more

"...I had to check to see if it was part of a series as the story was not going anywhere and I suspected it was just setting the scene for further books..." Read more

132 customers mention ‘Writing quality’44 positive88 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some finding it well written and appreciating its great use of language, while others report that the prose is terrible and the language hard to follow.

"...went into crafting a convincing Japanese-American vernacular, the jerky dialogue and thought processes of Childan especially were often annoying to..." Read more

"...PKD also creates characters that I at least find believable. As Ursula Le Guin has said "There are no heroes in Dick's books, but there are heroics...." Read more

"...K Dick books because they are usually excellent on ideas but dreadful to read and in all cases the film or telly versions are better in almost..." Read more

"...Again, it seemed like a missed opportunity to build something literary - an Orwell-esque allegory even...." Read more

45 customers mention ‘Character development’22 positive23 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some finding them interesting and appreciating how the individual stories are followed, while others mention not understanding certain characters.

"...meet them, the original Party Elite are present, with their characters well researched and allowed to develop the plot...." Read more

"...with this is that they aren't equal and I found myself skimming pages for certain characters...." Read more

"...The characters are nicely fleshed out, but the leaps from one story thread to another don't necessarily coincide with natural breaks such as chapter..." Read more

"...I was going to give this book three stars. The characters are sketches and the plot threads seem to have no real relationship...." Read more

34 customers mention ‘Boredom’0 positive34 negative

Customers find the book boring and meaningless.

"...contrast, the character of Robert Childan, although just as unlikeable as on television, seems deeper and his tale more poignant...." Read more

"...This book is relatively light on story but in terms puff well drawn characters and themes it packs a lot into it's 250 our so pages...." Read more

"...ending if the journey was fulfilling; but on the whole this was a meaningless, confusing struggle to get to....what?..." Read more

"Utterly dull. In fact beyond that...." Read more

34 customers mention ‘Pace’9 positive25 negative

Customers find the book slow and tedious to read, taking a long time to get going.

"Although relatively slow in pace, I thouroughly enjoyed this book...." Read more

"...I know Philip K Dick is an amazing author, but this book was such a struggle to finish...." Read more

"...The story is readable and well-paced although the characters, with the exception of Tagomi, lack depth...." Read more

"...seem to be along the same lines as his other works and feels somewhat slow to get going, with the multiple story lines and numerous characters, the..." Read more

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Matt Jenkins
Classic Philip K Dick
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 March 2011
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"It is 1962 and the Second World War has been over for seventeen years: people have now had a chance to adjust to the new order. But it's not been easy. The Mediterranean has been drained to make farmland, the population of Africa has virtually been wiped out and America has been divided between the Nazis and the Japanese. In the neutral buffer zone that divides the two superpowers lives the man in the high castle, the author of an underground bestseller, a work of fiction that offers an alternative theory of world history in which the Axis powers didn't win the war. The novel is a rallying cry for all those who dream of overthrowing the occupiers. But could it be more than that? Could it be a glimpse of the truth?"
-- from inside flap

Written in 1961 and published the following year, The Man In The High Castle (Philip K Dick's ninth published novel), is a classic alternate history novel. As with all PKD's works this novel makes you marvel at his imagination but also (if you are of a philosophical turn of mind) brings you to question and consider the themes he raises for yourself. PKD also creates characters that I at least find believable. As Ursula Le Guin has said "There are no heroes in Dick's books, but there are heroics. One is reminded of Dickens: what counts is the honesty, constancy, kindness and patience of ordinary people." PKD's characters always strike me as in some way authentic.

Philip K Dick refers to the I Ching a number of times in the story. He also used the I Ching himself to assist with the plot.
"I started with nothing but the name, Mister Tagomi, written on a scrap of paper, no other notes. I had been reading a lot of Oriental philosophy, reading a lot of Zen Buddhism, reading the I Ching. That was the Marin County zeitgeist, at that point; Zen Buddhism and the I Ching. I just started right out and kept on trucking."
-- Philip K Dick

The Man in The High Castle won a Hugo Award in 1963.

"Philip Dick does not lead his critics an easy life, since he does not so much play the part of a guide through his phantasmagoric worlds as give the impression of one lost in their labyrinth."
-- Stanislaw Lem, "Philip K. Dick: A Visionary Among the Charlatans"

If you are new to Philip K Dick's work I would also recommend the following novels (which generally seem to be regarded as among his best):

Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?
Ubik (S.F. Masterworks)
A Scanner Darkly (S.F. Masterworks)
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (S.F. Masterworks)
Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said (S.F. Masterworks)

That said, though some of PKD's works are better than others, to my mind they are all well worth reading. I would also recommend his short story collections:

Beyond Lies The Wub: Volume One Of The Collected Short Stories
Second Variety: Volume Two Of The Collected Short Stories
The Father-Thing: Volume Three Of The Collected Short Stories
Minority Report: Volume Four Of The Collected Short Stories
We Can Remember It For You Wholesale: Volume Five of The Collected Short Stories

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Sam Quixote
Lives up to its rep
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 June 2015
Verified Purchase
1962, San Francisco. The Allies lost the Second World War. Ending in 1947, the United States was carved up by the Axis powers: Imperial Japan taking the West Coast, Nazi Germany taking the East, and the states in between acting as a neutral zone between the two superpowers. As the Fuhrer, Martin Bormann, lies on his deathbed, a banned (and therefore bestselling) novel called The Grasshopper Lies Heavy is gripping readers everywhere. The book tells of an alternate history where the Allies won WW2, written by an author living in a fortified location: The Man in the High Castle. Is this the beginning of a revolution? Who will become the new Fuhrer – and what is Project Dandelion?

I haaaaaaaated The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch when I read it years ago so, even though I’ve known about this novel since I was a teenager, it’s taken me a while to get around to The Man in the High Castle. I’m glad I took the chance though as the novel is really good – maybe because it’s more grounded (relatively speaking) than Philip K. Dick’s more overt sci-fi stuff. There is mention of Mars being colonised (the rumour is that’s where all the Jews went!) but it’s pretty laughable given there are front page magazine covers announcing “Up to 4 hours of TV a day!” being planned and operators manually connecting phone calls!

The book’s success lies solely on the setup rather than any plot. Dick creates an intriguing dystopian world that’s thoughtfully written. One of the characters, Robert Childan, is an antiques dealer specialising in pre-war Americana, catering to the occupying Japanese who’ve developed a taste for “authentic” American antiques. Through Childan we see whites are at the bottom of society with the Asians at the top, as well as English as a language slowly being eroded as it merges with the dominant Japanese. Asian culture has also replaced Western as many Americans begin using the mystical text, the I Ching, every day (Dick also used the I Ching to plot the novel!).

The characters’ stories aren’t nearly as compelling as the society surrounding them. Childan’s plot revolves around his antiques business as he discovers he’s been selling counterfeit product. Tagomi is a Japanese businessman connected to a visiting Swedish industrialist called Baynes whose stories slowly reveal themselves by the end. Frank Frink is a fake-antiques maker who decides to make contemporary American craftwork. Juliana Frink is Frank’s ex-wife who’s a judo instructor in the mid-west states – she gets involved with a drifter and they go on a road trip. Antiques dealers, businessmen, and a judo instructor – not the most interesting characters to write a novel about!

But the pieces of alternate history that are seeded throughout make it all fascinating. Hearing about the Nazi powerplays following Bormann’s death (Hitler died years ago) is great, especially if you’re interested in the Third Reich. Dick hints at another Holocaust having taken place in Nazi-controlled Africa, the mere mention of which is more powerful and chilling than any overt scenes or exposition on the matter. And I loved the novel within the novel – the alternate history’s alternate history book, The Grasshopper Lies Heavy. At first it seems like a mirror image of our world but it diverges at crucial points. It’s another possible outcome to WW2! We only read a few extracts from The Grasshopper Lies Heavy – I wonder if that book also had an alternate history book within it?

I really liked Dick’s development of the theme of reality and falsity. Frink is secretly Jewish (changing his name from Fink to evade persecution) and is in the business of producing realistic fake antiques in much the same way Dick is in the same business of selling us readers his alternate history book as real. Baynes’ storyline plays to this theme too (but I won’t give away any spoilers here!) as does Juliana’s. Actually, I take back what I said earlier about the characters’ not having any interesting storylines – Juliana’s was good, particularly towards the finale when she goes to meet the man in the high castle, and I loved the subtlety of the ending too. Also, after having the least interesting storyline for much of the book, Tagomi gets the most interesting scene towards the end during his “epiphany” moment in the park, playing to this duality again.

Not all of the novel is as successfully written as the others. Operation Dandelion, a major element in the plot, is very underwritten and you really have to pay attention to the story to understand what it is. There is some action in the story but it’s not put across very well. And, while I appreciate the effort and intelligence that went into crafting a convincing Japanese-American vernacular, the jerky dialogue and thought processes of Childan especially were often annoying to read.

Regardless, there’s a lot to recommend The Man in the High Castle. Dick crafts an inspired alternate history with some fantastic original features to hold the reader’s attention. The fact that he does this with very little plot or particularly brilliant characters is all the more impressive. Maybe Dick’s more heavily sci-fi stuff isn’t for me but this novel definitely was. Great reading – check it out!

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Steve
Frinkly, my dear, I don't give a damn
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 April 2018
Verified Purchase
What a let down. Normally I avoid Philip K Dick books because they are usually excellent on ideas but dreadful to read and in all cases the film or telly versions are better in almost everyway.
The Man In The High Castle turns out to be typical. The TV series was quite different, not least because it was enjoyable. That is not to say that the book is total dross. I was excited to find that I was enjoying reading the book to start with. The vaguely familiar storyline was twisting and turning interestingly. The characters, some of whom were recognisable from the TV series, were developing interestingly and overall I found it a page turner for about 70% of the book. But the clues were there if I only didn't ignore them - the 'trendy' (for its day) use of cannabis, the mystical oracle nonsense, all point to a now dated form of liberalism that Dick enjoyed and inflicted on his story telling. By the last parts of the book I was almost willing poor Mr Tagomi to commit seppuku just to get out of the babbling nonsense I was enduring. Similarly, the potentially exciting but utterly ruined Juliana Frink storyline was just one drug induced psychotic episode away from sparing us the final rot.
The main benefit to reading this book - enabling the reader to see how a story high in potential but low in realisation can be turned into a masterpiece of TV drama.

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Robert Lee
Great read. Great value.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 April 2025
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Legendary story from a legendary author. One of his best novels

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Fernando A V
Todo bien
Reviewed in Mexico on 2 November 2024
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Vi la serie y compré el libro, todo bien hasta ahora, es Phillip K. Dick osea que es calidad…

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Julian
Lo que pudo ser....☠️
Reviewed in Spain on 18 May 2025
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Una gran historia, que pasaría si......

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Henrique Sodre
Muito bom
Reviewed in Brazil on 20 December 2022
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Henrique Sodre

Muito bom

Reviewed in Brazil on 20 December 2022

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Dylan Gaffney
Poorly made and not what I expected
Reviewed in Ireland on 6 May 2025
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How the book is published is poor, words are all bunched together and it’s a boring read, had to put it down for good

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Kindle Customer
Different but good
Reviewed in Australia on 27 November 2019
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I've only just finished and my head is still spinning about the end a bit. I really enjoyed reading the book but I still need to think about what it's all about.

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The Man in the High Castle (Penguin Modern Classics) Kindle Edition

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Philip K. Dick

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5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Philip K Dick

4.0 out of 5 stars Lives up to its rep

3.0 out of 5 stars Frinkly, my dear, I don't give a damn

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read. Great value.

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Todo bien

5.0 out of 5 stars Lo que pudo ser....☠️

5.0 out of 5 stars Muito bom

Muito bom

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2.0 out of 5 stars Poorly made and not what I expected

5.0 out of 5 stars Different but good

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Classic Philip K Dick

Lives up to its rep

Frinkly, my dear, I don't give a damn

Great read. Great value.

Todo bien

Lo que pudo ser....☠️

Muito bom

Poorly made and not what I expected

Different but good