The Man in the High Castle
“The best way to manipulate people is to tell them what they want to hear.” – Philip K. Dick
“The Man in the High Castle” is not at all naive novel, both for reading and generally. This is perhaps the most famous work of Philip K. Dick (whose novels “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” and “Minority Report” we covered here, which by the way got their film adaptations) for which he won prestigious “Hugo” award in 1963. Many consider it masterpiece. Even “Amazon” made adaptation of book in form of series (though they say it doesn’t follow book much).
But it’s not naive and easy to read… but that’s what perhaps makes this novel so special.
Welcome to alternative world where Axis powers (Germany, Japan, Italy) were victors of World War II (WW2). Germany conquered Europe and Soviet Union (Italy somehow integrated there as not exactly terribly important factor), Japanese empire won in Pacific. Jews, Romani people, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Slavs were being mass exterminated because they were considered “inferior” race. Mediterranean Sea dried up, Africa colonized, genocide is “in,” development of hydrogen bombs, as well as rockets enabling travel (and colonization) of Moon, Mars and Venus. Hitler became irrelevant and incapable of leading Reich due to syphilis, Martin Borman is acting chancellor, and Goebbels, Göring, Heydrich, Seyss-Inquart and other brotherhood (Reichhood?) still simmer and lurk for their chance to become führer instead of führer.
United States ended up occupied and divided between Germany and Japan. How did this happen? Well, in this alternative history, Giuseppe Zangara succeeded in assassination of President Franklin Roosevelt. Without his leadership, USA failed to cope with “Great Depression” (economic collapse and crisis from 1929-1939). This led to USA inactivity during WW2, which later Axis powers used to quickly conquer and divide them into eastern (Nazi) and western (imperialist) part, with neutral (buffer) zone between these two territories.
Interestingly Canada and Mexico aren’t mentioned at all. Seems they weren’t touched, because what’s world without domestic maple syrup and tequila, right?
And now we’re in 1962. San Francisco. Time when (especially on Japanese side), pardon expression, blacks are reduced almost to slave level, and Chinese are second-class citizens. Here we meet businessman Robert Childan, who runs antique shop specialized in Americana, that is, objects concerning American culture, which became fetish especially for Japanese who are interested in and fascinated by everything that once made up USA, from weapons to dishes, sports equipment, books, jazz and folk music, all the way to banal things like matchboxes or posters (like if you got hot over having Coca-Cola cap from 1973 and enthusiastically share that with neighbors and they’re equally thrilled and envious). One day, Childan gets request from high-ranking official, Nobusuke Tagomi, to secure one quality artifact for him, which Tagomi would use to impress mysterious Swedish industrialist named Baynes. Since he fails to deliver certain artifact (poster), Childan tries to fix matter by procuring metal handicrafts from certain corporation (Wyndam-Matson Corporation).
Meanwhile, Frank Frink (who by the way, for justified reasons, hides that he’s Jewish and former war veteran), is fired from earlier mentioned corporation and now tries to enter business making jewelry with one of colleagues, and they get money by blackmailing earlier mentioned corporation that it sells inauthentic metal handicrafts.
And meanwhile in one small town in Colorado, Juliana Frink, Frank’s ex-wife (and also judo instructor), enters unusual (sexual) relationship with Joe Cinnadella, Italian truck driver and former soldier, who, it seems, hides many secrets.
And what’s common for these three? Scientist’s head named Ziggy… I mean, literally just his head. Namely, Ziggy worked in one facility (I’ll just say Enclave for those familiar with “Fallout” games 😉) and injected mysterious blue device into his head then fled facility accompanied by one dog (if someone said Dogmeat, you’re not right, but I like how you think 😁), then soon lost his head… Ziggy, not dog. And way he lost his head is hilarious, and Lucy wasn’t well because of it (who met him at one point).
And so for Lucy scientist’s head is bargaining chip to possibly free father (and fulfill scientist’s wish to have his head delivered to certain person), for Maximus to redeem himself before brotherhood (you’ll see why), and our ghoul Cooper has his reasons for that head too.
And where all this leads, you’ll find out if you read fantastic novel “The Man in the High Castle”! 😁
What to say finally for this novel?
“The Man in the High Castle” has tangled plot to follow, for simple reason Philip Dick wrote fragmentarily and constantly switched between characters. However, for this novel, at first glance, maybe plot itself and actions undertaken by heroes aren’t so important as their thoughts, philosophical questions threading through and numerous strong motifs.
Uh, how to describe this… let’s go like this…
Writer in this novel was quite obsessed with question “what is, actually, reality and authenticity”? Almost all novel’s heroes regularly use “I Ching” (Book of Changes) to try to predict, i.e., foresee some future event concerning them and try to interpret records from book and as if have difficulty making important decisions in their lives themselves. And this is element giving novel quite deep mystical and philosophical dimension.
And there’s famous (forbidden) book “The Grasshopper Lies Heavy” by mysterious author Hawthorne Abendsen, who wrote speculative fiction, i.e., writes about scenario in which Alliance forces defeated Axis forces in WW2 (in translation, wrote our real history), which fascinates everyone who secretly reads it, and especially certain USA citizens. Interestingly precisely Abendsen is titular “man in high castle,” because it’s assumed he lives in America in some castle under high degree of security, so Reich or imperial Japan wouldn’t kill him. This is powerful and interesting element for reader, because literally within novel hides entire one book (“The Grasshopper Lies Heavy,” i.e., our real history), which symbolizes that resistance toward (wrong and evil) world can hide in art and fiction too.
As we mentioned, Philip Dick is obsessed with “what if” themes, so this includes “what is real history”. Heroes who come into contact with book “The Grasshopper Lies Heavy” literally have feeling that fiction in book could incredibly easily be one kind of “truth,” because literally seems like it was enough to change just one little thing in history, and what’s fiction in Abendsen’s novel, would in fact be reality. Don’t raise eyebrow at me, I warned at beginning book is tricky and requires focus and offers very broad interpretations.
Here of course motif of collaboration and struggle against occupation threads through. Although armed struggle became impossible, many of (anti)heroes of book find their ways to resist moral and psychological surrender, which goes so far they’re ready even to kill someone if necessary.
Also strong are motifs revolving around fascism and racism. Germans demonstrate superiority in obvious way, while Japanese do it with one kind of dignity, but also slight condescension (not to say, pity) toward Americans. This element became strongly expressed in novel through interaction of antique shop owner Childan and one young Japanese couple, as well as official Tagomi with world not belonging to Japanese culture.
Moral questionings, ah moral questionings… “The Man in the High Castle,” i.e., its heroes are full of this. Childan (especially near young Japanese couple) “tears” inside himself between “I am your humble servant” and “I am patriot and proud American damn your mother,” which he himself sees by how he constantly struggles to say diplomatic answers, but real truth also slips out between lines. Frank Frink has dilemmas whether what he wants to do is right, and his ex Juliana questions herself about her love choices, all the way to what novel “The Grasshopper Lies Heavy” means to her and whether that novel tells her something about herself too. Tagomi after killing German officers in one unpleasant event literally changes perspective and questions meaning of his life and conscience really bites him. And all this is at much more complex and “philosophical” level than I wrote this.
Also strong motif connecting to moral questioning… “can one (and should one) be authentic in world of fakes?” And here we’re not only talking about fake American products. All our heroes must hide real side of their personality (for some literally life depends on it, like Frank or Swedish industrialist Baynes, who’s not exactly who he presents himself as), but constantly question whether maybe their real, authentic side must come out, even at price of some losses. Interesting how even in our time (especially various influencers, celebrities, politicians, businessmen and what have you) this question is perhaps more relevant than ever.
This novel leaves strong impression on reader, but with various emotions. Novel is dark portrayal of totalitarian regimes and psychological terror, and reader all the time feels some paranoia, insecurity and uncertainty. This is by the way typical characteristic of Philip Dick’s works, because not for one moment are you sure which direction everything will unfold. Here you don’t have classic winner and loser. All novel’s heroes are complex and (literally) morally ambiguous and here you can’t exactly distinguish who would be hero and who villain.
And on top of all this… although more than 15 years have passed since war’s end, peace doesn’t exist. Because all the time in novel’s background (and sometimes pushed very forward) cold war is being waged between Germany and Japan. And while Germany easily subjugated Italians under themselves, and rules largest part of world, traditional imperialist Japan is still thorn in their eye they’d like to get rid of. And that’s why whole world closely watches who could become new Führer, because candidates have different perspectives regarding their vision of future relationship toward Japan… from illusory peace to final war. As you see, even allies in power game don’t hesitate to stick knives in each other’s backs. In translation, even in alternative fiction, our actual reality dominates.
And now you’re probably wondering “why the hell should I read this where you don’t know who drinks nor who pays and reading of which only Jordan Peterson would enjoy?”
I know, I know. For one novel of barely 250 pages, there’s much, many (philosophical) motifs with fragmentary writing style and constant switching between heroes (of whom good part never even meet in novel, but are somehow intertwined!) not helping, but you need to take some things into account. Philip Dick always had specific abstract style (for example, as Murakami also has his approach that doesn’t suit everyone) caused by his eccentricity… but that really hardcore eccentricity (just google a bit about him and everything will be clear), but this is also what spawned his great works that were even in some form screened (hello, “Blade Runner” and “Minority Report,” anyone?). And it’s not always easy to read, must be slowly (and focused) savored.
But it’s worth it, really. There’s reason why “The Man in the High Castle” many call masterpiece of science fiction, alternative history, and even philosophical work.
And you, dear reader, have you ever wondered what this world would look like if WW2 ended differently?
Number of pages: 246
Where to buy: Kontrast | Delfi | Vulkan | Makart
