The Man in the High Castle Book and Show Review/Comparison!

One of the periods of time that I am most interested in is the World War II era. I love history and this time period is so intense and fascinating and the fact that it was a world war means the outcome would affect the whole planet. Which is why I was so excited to hear about Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle. It's about a world where the Japanese and Germans won the war. A terrifying thought when you really think about what that could mean. It's 1962 in this book though, so not contemporary and not during the war, making it into an interesting middle. The Japanese have received the west coast, the Germans the east coast, and the midwest is the neutral zone. The central conflict of the story is that there is a book, "The Grasshopper Lies Heavy", going around and gaining popularity that tells a story where the Allies won the war instead of the Axis Powers. The author of the book is the "man in the high castle."

Onto the actual review! First, I am going to talk about the book and then, go into the tv series:

The Man in the High Castle was one of the more unique books that I have read lately. It has been a little bit since I actually read it and I am still a little perplexed by my feelings of it and still trying to interpret the ending. There were many main characters that all connected in some odd way and they each encountered "The Grasshopper Lies Heavy" in their own ways. While the book was about the Allies losing the war, I first thought it was telling the story of our world. However, there were many small differences that would throw me off and made me realize our world and the world in that book were not the same still. Also, while each character would mention the book or hear about it, it was only the main focus of Juliana and Joe. These two characters met in the neutral zone and started a relationship, Joe had the book and got Juliana hooked on it and then they eventually decide to try and find the author. However, even for them for the majority of the time the book was in the background of their relationship. The Man in the High Castle had a very open ending, because even though we eventually find out where the book came from, we don't know what the characters will actually do with that information. The world they live in is incredibly scary to me and it just felt very unresolved where not much will go changed. One thought that I've had is that the Japanese are obsessed with memorabilia from America's past and will spend hundreds on the extinct culture. One of the characters, Frank, starts to make jewelry and tries to sell it, but everybody says he'll fail because nobody likes the new. By the end though, there are two men who connect with his jewelry in a really odd and confusing way. (Sorry kind of spoiler next, but also not a major one I think) One of them holds onto it so hard and connects with it where it seemed to bring him to the world where the Allies won the war and suddenly everything changes around him. It didn't last long, but I'm curious that maybe they need to accept the future again and what's real. However, this theory is confusing to me because it's never specified if it's possible for them to change. Which brings me onto the show!

The show was great, has ten episodes, and is on Amazon Prime! The show is pretty different from the book. First of all, the book, "The Grasshopper Lies Heavy", becomes film reels showing the Allies winning the war. Second of all, the nature and path of a major character is changed. Thirdly, two characters who were separated in the book, are together in the show. Those were the big changes that were made. While the book was very open ended and I am still not sure what it's purpose was, the show is much more focused and elaborates on so much. While I was reading the book, I had no idea on how they could make it into a show. Which is why I understand the changes they made. They had to make it much more understandable to gain people's interests and to keep them. While I know this can be taboo to say (I'm sorry!), I think I like the show better. I am still so unsure about the book and what it was trying to convey that I enjoyed following the show's plot line more. I feel bad saying that cause I enjoyed "the easier one", but no matter how much I think about the book, I feel like it ended way too soon and left me with way too many questions. The show realized this I think and decided to take creative liberties (because the author's dead) and finish the story. I like answers and the show is trying to give them to me, which I'm enjoying.

Both book and show are great! I'm, unfortunately, the only one of my friends who has read The Man in the High Castle and so I would love feedback on other people's ideas about it! I enjoyed it, but I have so many questions that I still feel a little lost about it. However, I recommend both to anyone who loves WWII era and historical fiction about the Allies losing the war (such an interesting concept!).