We're excited to hear your thoughts on the book through Chapter 7. Comment below with your thoughts on the following questions and quotations - and feel free to add some questions or quotations you found while reading.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Up through chapter 7, what do you consider to be the most shocking thing in the world the author Philip K. Dick has created?
2. What are your thoughts about The Grasshopper Lies Heavy book that has been mentioned by a few characters? What does the book describe?
3. What are the differences between life in Colorado and life in San Francisco?
4. Do you have any favorite characters at this point? Are any of the characters heroes?
5. What were your thoughts on the interaction between Mr. Baynes and Alex Lotze? Can you think of a time when you thought you had a camaraderie with someone and it turned out quite the opposite?
6. If you were Frank Frink, how much credence would you give the I Ching?
QUOTATIONS
1. "And he thought, I know why. They want to be agents, not the victims of history. They identify with God's power and believe they are godlike."
2. "Hating the Japs as he did, he had vowed revenge; he buried his service weapons [..] well-wrapped and oiled, for the day he and his buddies arose. However, time was the great healer, a fact he had not taken into account"
3. "Hell, he thought, it has to be one of the other; it can't be both. you can't have good fortune and doom simultaneously. Or...can you?"
4. "No science in it. Nor set in future. Science fiction deals with the future, in particular future where science ha advanced over now. Book fits neither premise...But...it deals with alternate present."
I think I'm most fascinated by the book "The Grasshopper Lies Heavy" - when it's described by Betty and Paul they describe it as a book with an "alternate present."The Man in the High Castle" is an example of that type of book. I thought it was an interesting thing for the author to put in his own novel about an "alternate present." I'm interested to see what is going to happen in the plot with this strange novel the characters are reading.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very interesting that "The Grasshopper Lies Heavy" followed a different path than what actually happened. Especially since the people mentioned (Joe Zangara, Rexford Tugwell) are real people!
DeleteHere's a link with several pictures of the ares that are Nazi territory and Japanese territory: http://bigthink.com/strange-maps/the-map-in-the-high-castle-ii
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting that the Rocky Mountains are the "unsettled" states. Were you surprised by that?
DeleteYeah I was too! I'm a visual person so it helped to look at the maps that readers came up with.
DeleteStill waiting for my copy to arrive in the mail. Hope to be caught up by the next "meeting." Those cookies looked good.
ReplyDeleteI found it really interesting that the Rocky Mountains were unsettled. Reading from Juliana's POV, you could tell there was a little bit more freedom in this section of land. Hearing that Joe felt out of place because his skin was darker refers to prejudice that occurs in that area. With all the references to how this section of the United States is still free, there is uneasiness towards darker skinned people, and this is where "the high castle" resides, I wonder if this little section of unclaimed land will be the source of conflict later on in the book. I feel a lot of plot twists coming on.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why that posted as unknown, but I think I got it figured out. My book expires on my kindle in 6 days. Which shouldn't be a problem because I CAN'T PUT IT DOWN.
DeleteI feel a plot twist coming too!
DeleteAlso, I'm curious as to what everyone thinks about the style of writing by Philip K. Dick. Opinions?
ReplyDeleteI actually really like his writing style - I'm interested to read more of his work after I finish TMITHC. What do you think of his style?
DeleteI like it a lot! I really loved the difference between the voices of characters in the Rockies compared to those in San Francisco. In San Fran I feel like he captures the short, to the point, maybe even a little bit unfinished english that the Japanese would speak with, and that those in that territory have adopted. But in Colorado, Juliana and Joe and those characters speak in a way that is consistent with modern-day english, or what would have been modern day english at that time! I think he does a great job giving his characters an appropriate voice.
DeleteI noticed as well that the language was different in the Pacific than in the Rockies and I think that could be due to the fact that the Pacific has been colonized by the Japanese and has fallen under their influence. The Rockies have been able to continue on as "true America" and the language is more familiar. I don't know if that it what he was going for, just a thought.
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