The Man In the High Castle

Based on a 1962 novel by Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner, Minority Report, Total Recall, etc.), this is a series about an alternate outcome of World War II. The Americans lost the war and the Nazis control the eastern portion of the United States, while the Japanese have the western half.

Very interesting manner of developing the story. I don't want to give away anything in case someone watches it. It is very entertaining without the Black Hat vs White Hat crap. There is, of course, the American underground movement, but there is also a schism between the Germans and the Japanese.

The first episode of the second season takes a turn to the very weird (it is Philip K. Dick after all) and becomes more intriguing. Lots of fun.

I've wondered about it. Tried to read the book a couple of times; never succeeded. Maybe watching a TV show would be easier.

Except I might start making Trump comparisons...

I watched the first two or three episodes on Kindle and didn't get engaged with it. Do you think it's worth sticking with it?

Do you have to be an Amazon Prime member to get it? Netflix has never heard of it. Amazon will not deliver it to me -- but I'm not a Prime member.

I download them from a news reader. Yeah, old school stuff.

Richard, I can't say whether you should continue with it. I do know that I was not excited about the first few episodes. But the story evolves. Then again, I have been a fan of Philip K. Dick for many years. But as it is with many authors, Dick is an acquired taste. (Yeah, I said that. )

The reason I watched it at all was because it was Dick. (I don't like all of his stuff, but some of it I really enjoy). The first 2 or 3 episodes seemed a bit ponderous, which I can't say has been an adjective that ever sprang to mind reading PKD. Maybe I'll give it another go - I was in a tough place in my head the last time, so perhaps I'll be more receptive this time.

@noco - yeah, it would be a Prime video for me.

One thing I noticed immediately, is that in the Nazi-controlled section of the country, there are 1950s American cars everywhere. I have seen the same 1953 Studebaker Champion in the background several times, and one of the lesser characters drives a 1954 Kaiser-Darrin. I have yet to see a Volkswagen but there was one quick shot of a 50s era Mercedes.

_Howard wrote:

Dick is an acquired taste.

A friend of mine gifted me a fancy folio printing of Man in The High Castle for some work I did for him (he knows me well). As I mentioned, I've tried several times in the past to read this acclaimed novel, but never managed to get far enough into it to get invested.

However, since this is a gorgeous edition, and I ain't got nuthin else to read, I'm giving it another try. I'm three chapters in, which is the farthest I've ever gotten.

It's an odd bit of serendipity, this novel about an alternate reality in which Japan and Germany won the Second World War. In it one of the characters discusses a novel, an alternate history novel, in which America wins the war because Roosevelt was not assassinated in Miami.

Assassinating Roosevelt was an aim of the Silver Shirts and White Christian Front that Rachel wrote about.

Hummmm, "The Man in the High Castle" is still playing on Amazon Prime, and these days I'm a member. Have started it again.

Marker shows I got about 20 minutes into the first episode before bailing.... five years ago.

The monorail in the beginning of the episode?  That's Seattle's monorail, built for the 1962 World's Fair.

Later in the episode, when Juliana boards the bus for Canon City, she's shown in downtown Seattle.

_Howard wrote:

One thing I noticed immediately, is that in the Nazi-controlled section of the country, there are 1950s American cars everywhere. I have seen the same 1953 Studebaker Champion in the background several times, and one of the lesser characters drives a 1954 Kaiser-Darrin. I have yet to see a Volkswagen but there was one quick shot of a 50s era Mercedes.

Of course, the time period of this movie is 1962. The cars are period appropriate.

Jesus. This show is gonna give me the night terrors.

I watched I think four episodes of the first season of the TV series (which runs four seasons). I decided I need to finish the book before watching any more episodes.

But the book and the TV series share many characters, and situations. They're not DIRECT analogues but they're similar enough that I'm beginning to question my memory. Did that happen in the book or on TV? Yesh, I need to stick with one until finished. My brain does not multitask anymore.

Well, the book certainly wasn't what I was expecting. Very inscrutable, very thought provoking, very shuttered. I shall have to read it again a few times to distill all the inner meanings.

After I finish the TV series.

Dick was inspired to write MITHC after reading "Bring the Jubilee," a 1953 novel by Ward Moore in which the Confederacy won the Civil War.

The parallels between WWII and TCW just keep mounting.

Oof. Made it through two more episodes (end of six) and the relentless darkness is harrowing. Everybody lies. Nobody trusts anybody else. Everyone is trying to gain advantage by deception. Cruelty and utter inhumanity is everywhere.

This is not the kind of stuff I watch for pleasure. In fact I actively avoid it because I do not want to become inured to such behavior.

The book was delicate and nuanced and thoughtful. The TV series is just a bunch of sick individuals, people who would torture cats for fun. I think imma gonna havta bail on it.

Howard said S2.Ep1 got weird, so I jumped ahead to check it out. Aside from some burning film effects in the very beginning, I just saw more of the same and bailed after about 15 min.

Too dark for me.