The Man in the High Castle

By: Philip K. Dick

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

In this Hugo Award–winning alternative history classic—the basis for the Amazon Original series—the United States lost World War II and was subsequently divided between the Germans in the East and the Japanese in the West.

It’s America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. The few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In this world, we meet characters like Frank Frink, a dealer of counterfeit Americana who is himself hiding his Jewish ancestry; Nobusuke Tagomi, the Japanese trade minister in San Francisco, unsure of his standing within the bureaucracy and Japan's with Germany; and Juliana Frink, Frank's ex-wife, who may be more important than she realizes.

These seemingly disparate characters gradually realize their connections to each other just as they realize that something is not quite right about their world. And it seems as though the answers might lie with Hawthorne Abendsen, a mysterious and reclusive author, whose best-selling novel describes a world in which the US won the War … The Man in the High Castle is Dick at his best, giving listeners a harrowing vision of the world that almost was.

“The single most resonant and carefully imagined book of Dick’s career.”—New York Times

©1962, 1990 Philip K. Dick. Copyright renewed by Laura Coelho, Christopher Dick and Isa Dick (P)2025 Recorded Books

Terribly boring and open ended

I won’t reveal anything in this review, mainly because there isn’t much to reveal. There is so much inner character monologue in this book, it essentially accounts for half of the book. The plot lines start slowly and never quicken pace. They don’t tie together, aren’t terribly interesting, and never satisfy. This book did not entertain or interest me in the slightest. I wish I’d never read it.

Good sci-fi but difficult to follow as an audiobook

A rather frightening story with our current political Atmosphere. The sci fi part at the ending was thought provoking.

If You Liked The Series, Pass On This Book

I had written a long review and somehow lost it! But, the gist of it was that except for some of the characters, the "idea" of the Allies losing WW-II and the use of the I Ching, there is little relation between this book and the series. The series is so much better! If you're a Philip K.Dick lover (my first book by him) you might enjoy this book. But, if you're thinking of reading it because "the book is always better" - forget about it!! 😂😂😂

Love the author but not this book

I think once you understand the premise of the book, you can kind of anticipate all the future outcomes of the stories. Then for me, it just became a slice of life story as we dip into each characters storyline. For me an occasional laugh because the book can be intentionally prejudice and politically incorrect.(for effect and contrast-sake). I love the author, just not so much this book.

Amazingly great story! Terrible narration.

I liked the story but the narration was very disappointing. I almost deleted it in the first 15 minutes because that voice just grated on me and the accents he tried to do were abysmal. Please consider re-recording it with a cast of actual men, women, Japanese people, and Germans.