An Honest Book Review of The Man In The High Castle By Samuel Mack-Poole

An Honest Book Review of The Man In The High Castle

By Samuel Mack-Poole

When I picked up my Kindle to read this novel, I must confess that I experienced a high degree of anticipation. After all, I am a self-confessed science fiction fanatic (Star Trek, Wars, Doctor Who, The Matrix...you name it, I’ve obsessed over it). Nonetheless, my anticipation was, if we apply Kant’s schematica to the situation, of a far higher order: I have watched the Amazon Original series of the same title, and I am a huge fan of Blade Runner, and its loosely inspired novel Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?

So, let me cut to the proverbial chase; did it live up to the hype? My answer would have to be this: does Mario hold magic mushrooms? Holy moly, Batman! This novel kicked more ass than Bruce Lee and Ip Man combined. If this novel was a woman, I would propose faster than Romeo. Thus, the question which should be burning in your mind is this: why did it live up to the hype?

Let me elaborate fully. The entire premise of the novel will appeal to anyone’s inner nerd. Philip K Dick has set the novel in a dystopian alternate reality, where Germany and Japan (in essence, the Axis powers) were victorious in World War Two. Now if that’s not arousing your geeky sensibilities, Dick has set the novel in the 1960s, in which both powers have recovered from the damaging conflict, and have now set their eyes upon each other as potential enemies. They’ve divided America between them, with a buffer zone in the middle. Thus, friendly relations are a pretence, and a cold war situation has been established. This means that the novel is part what if history, part spy thriller, and part science-fiction – a combination which is even more dynamic than South Park’s ManBearPig (I’m super serial, guys).

So – where’s the science-fiction element? Oddly, it is referenced by many characters, but it isn’t fully embraced. The Nazis have developed their rocket technology to amazing levels, so that interplanetary flight has been achieved. There are no ray guns, no little green men, and no blob monsters in this novel. This makes the novel far more mainstream in its appeal, as the human concerns and culture clashes are far more developed in this Philip K Dick novel than many of his other more traditional science-fiction pieces.

Indeed, it is Dick’s careful examination of Japanese etiquette – which is notoriously complex, ornate and delicate – which makes this novel a rousing success. The narrative voice of Robert Childan, a white American antiques merchant, encapsulates his profound desperation to assimilate within a dominant culture which is alien to his own sensibilities. This juxtaposes quite interestingly with ethnic minority cultures within the UK today, especially with regard to the black diaspora which has been forced to assimilate. In this novel, the jackboot is on the other foot (a very curious experience as a white western man), and Dick’s skill as a writer is never stronger than when crafting the dilemmas he faces.

Furthermore, Dick’s excellent understanding of Japanese culture is further expounded upon when he manages to interweave the salience of the I Ching (although this is Chinese in origin, it has had a weighty impact upon Japanese culture) into the daily lives of a variety of characters whether Japanese or American. The many references made to the hexagrams and the divination involved in the I Ching helps the reader to both garner an understanding of Eastern philosophy and theology, but also to fully comprehend the dominance of the Japanese imperial forces in the P.S.A – the Pacific States of America.

You may be wondering what is happening in the German occupied states of the USA. Well, the truth is that we just don’t know. Most of the action takes place in San Francicso, which is within the P.S.A, and in the buffer zone, too. Nonetheless, what we do learn of global Nazi hegemony is that unspeakable acts have occurred (quelle surprise). The African continent has been eradicated of its indigenous population, a product of the Nazi’s fundamental and zealous attitudes towards race. They’ve also drained the Mediterranean Sea to create more Lebensraum, and Russia as we know it no longer exists, aside from a few tribes on horseback in Siberia.

The Germans are depicted to be the more evil of the two civilisations, but they’ve also got the technological edge with their rockets, and their hydrogen bombs.  It fosters an odd attachment to the more spiritual and benign Japanese, who seem content to educate the natives with their extremely sophisticated etiquette.

Another strength of the novel is the fact that there are frequent references to The Grasshopper Lies Heavy – a novel within a novel, which is very novel (forgive the word play, I can resist anything but temptation). What’s especially interesting about this fact is that it almost breaks the fourth wall. The Grasshopper Lies Heavy is a what if historical novel, based on events in an alternate reality within The Man In The High Castle, where the Allies won World War Two. However, before you start even thinking along the wrong lines, the Allied victory isn’t our reality. The British and the Americans become the two world powers, with Churchill’s strong leadership ensuring that Blighty wins the cold war between the two capitalist and democratic powers.

The impact of The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, without giving away too much, couldn’t be more salient. Much of The Man In The High Castle is concerned with it, and the fact it has been banned by the Nazis adds to its obvious pastiche. The pursuit of its author, Abendsen, by Juliana Frink and Joe Cinnadella (two key characters within MITHC) reaches a mighty conclusion.

In brief, I have been utterly fascinated by this novel. Sure, there are certain weaknesses to it, not least in some of the action scenes, but this piece of literature is thoroughly engrossing. I would give it a full five stars, and if you don’t read this novel, then you’re the one missing out.