Reader/Writer Ramblings

This book was my first exposure to any of Phillip K. Dick's works, and I have to say that just based on this one, I'm not terribly impressed. That's not to say that I feel this is a bad work by any means, and perhaps I'm missing some greater meaning here, but I simply don't get some of the fanfare surrounding it.

Overall, I felt that this was a distinctly average book. For much of my time spent reading it, I wasn't terribly engrossed, nor did I find myself bored. In certain places I struggled to remain interested, and it honestly felt like a work with a squandered potential. That may be due to a time period gap; I can certainly see how this book would have been much more relevant in its own time than it is today, and the very bare concept itself would certainly intrigue audiences more that much closer to the post WW2 era.

That being said, I still can't help but feel as though I'm missing something. Themes dealing with racism, religion, and the human condition itself are always welcome reads, but those some couldn't carry a story that was mostly dry. Only the strength of the book's final act, which is the only portion of the book during which anything of note happens, saved it from feeling like a complete waste of time. I didn't care for any of the characters in this one, and would merely call it average.

From me, this gets 3 stars.