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dotintheskyThis post is for Joanna, my Book Club partner, or anybody else who has read this Philip K. Dick novel and would like to discuss it with us.
After having finished the novel two days ago, I've been thinking of all the different scenes that appealed to me, the themes that emerged, the imagery that was used and which made me enjoy reading this book so much. There are many ways we could begin a discussion on this novel, by I will choose to talk at first about the idea of "grief", which seems to be the main theme of the novel (even implicit in the title.)
Grief appears in large scale: humanity bound in defined social structures, with lack of freedom. Grief is the outcome of a dyspopia come true. This doesn't matter to our main character since he is one of the privileged ones, a Six, living a comfortable pop-star life. But, as you know, grief envelops him aswell when he suddenly loses everything... or does he? In fact, he doesn't suffer any grief at all! Even meeting an old lover, who has been married many times and who tells him that grief is the suppreme expression of a knowledge of love (because through grief you realize that you loved, and lost) Jason Taverner is unmoved.
This is what Ruth (the old lover) has to say about grief:
"Grief causes you to leave yourself. You step outside your narrow little pelt. And you can't feel grief unless you've loved before it - grief is the final outcome of love, because it's love lost."
This should apply for Jason, but it doesn't. Does that mean that what Jason has lost was something he never loved? It seems to be so. His life is one of decadence. An image that stayed with me and that seems to sum up Jason's character is the "signature" gesture he has for the end of his tv show: zipping up his fly. The implication is that he has his penis exposed to 30 million viewers until the credits roll up. He's the final outcome of a pop-culture that merged with pornography. He even describes his music as porno at times (if I'm not mistaken).
As we come to the end of the novel, we realize that the true main character is not Jason, but Alys. It is she who took the new drug, enabling her to view hundreds of new realities and step away from the one she existed - taking with her a slew of close friends, family and strangers. Strangely, the drug's power is similar to grief - she leaves her old self in exchange for a new one, and causes Jason to lose his old self aswell. What does this imply about Alys' old life? Was she escaping the grief of an incestuous relationship? The grief of a son who could be carrying genetic diseases because he's a product of incest? Is that grief that finally kills her mind? The way people describe her relationship with her twin brother ("they were holding hands, laughing, very close - they seemed to be in love") is very different from how Buchanam and Alys see their relationship (as murderous, a strife) - which makes me think that one of the perceptions is true and the other false (caused by the drug's shift.)
The only character who cries is the policeman, the twin, when his sister dies. He doesn't even feel the grief - he only notices that his face is wet so he must be grieving. But there is no recognition of the grief, he doesn't know what it is. Which possibly implies that he has lost someone he did not love. He indicates that earlier by saying that he would do anything just to keep Alys under control. Then again, this lack of love could be emanating from the new universe where the drug has taken them - and not represent a real grief which would have been caused if Alys had died without taking the drug.
Joanna, as you can see, I've taken a lot from this novel. It was a great choice of yours and I'm really happy I read it. I'm going to try looking in the internet for book groups which might have discussed it, perhaps reviews, and see whether we can expand on this. I'm very curious to read your thoughts too.
This, like most of K. Dick's work, would make a wonderful movie, in the right hands.
After having finished the novel two days ago, I've been thinking of all the different scenes that appealed to me, the themes that emerged, the imagery that was used and which made me enjoy reading this book so much. There are many ways we could begin a discussion on this novel, by I will choose to talk at first about the idea of "grief", which seems to be the main theme of the novel (even implicit in the title.)
Grief appears in large scale: humanity bound in defined social structures, with lack of freedom. Grief is the outcome of a dyspopia come true. This doesn't matter to our main character since he is one of the privileged ones, a Six, living a comfortable pop-star life. But, as you know, grief envelops him aswell when he suddenly loses everything... or does he? In fact, he doesn't suffer any grief at all! Even meeting an old lover, who has been married many times and who tells him that grief is the suppreme expression of a knowledge of love (because through grief you realize that you loved, and lost) Jason Taverner is unmoved.
This is what Ruth (the old lover) has to say about grief:
"Grief causes you to leave yourself. You step outside your narrow little pelt. And you can't feel grief unless you've loved before it - grief is the final outcome of love, because it's love lost."
This should apply for Jason, but it doesn't. Does that mean that what Jason has lost was something he never loved? It seems to be so. His life is one of decadence. An image that stayed with me and that seems to sum up Jason's character is the "signature" gesture he has for the end of his tv show: zipping up his fly. The implication is that he has his penis exposed to 30 million viewers until the credits roll up. He's the final outcome of a pop-culture that merged with pornography. He even describes his music as porno at times (if I'm not mistaken).
As we come to the end of the novel, we realize that the true main character is not Jason, but Alys. It is she who took the new drug, enabling her to view hundreds of new realities and step away from the one she existed - taking with her a slew of close friends, family and strangers. Strangely, the drug's power is similar to grief - she leaves her old self in exchange for a new one, and causes Jason to lose his old self aswell. What does this imply about Alys' old life? Was she escaping the grief of an incestuous relationship? The grief of a son who could be carrying genetic diseases because he's a product of incest? Is that grief that finally kills her mind? The way people describe her relationship with her twin brother ("they were holding hands, laughing, very close - they seemed to be in love") is very different from how Buchanam and Alys see their relationship (as murderous, a strife) - which makes me think that one of the perceptions is true and the other false (caused by the drug's shift.)
The only character who cries is the policeman, the twin, when his sister dies. He doesn't even feel the grief - he only notices that his face is wet so he must be grieving. But there is no recognition of the grief, he doesn't know what it is. Which possibly implies that he has lost someone he did not love. He indicates that earlier by saying that he would do anything just to keep Alys under control. Then again, this lack of love could be emanating from the new universe where the drug has taken them - and not represent a real grief which would have been caused if Alys had died without taking the drug.
Joanna, as you can see, I've taken a lot from this novel. It was a great choice of yours and I'm really happy I read it. I'm going to try looking in the internet for book groups which might have discussed it, perhaps reviews, and see whether we can expand on this. I'm very curious to read your thoughts too.
This, like most of K. Dick's work, would make a wonderful movie, in the right hands.
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books = yummy
on 2004-05-16 07:39 pm (UTC)i'm gonna read it now in bed...i just may finish it!
when i do, my opinions are yours!
and YES, do look into the reviews.
also, ask
Re: books = yummy
on 2004-05-17 01:52 am (UTC)