Valis Part 2

This novel was the most confusing of all the PKD novels we've read in this class. There were so many references to various religions in the world, and I felt that one needed to have a background in religious studies to make sense of it all. I personally did not like the fact that Fat thought that there were 5 saviors and he called God "Zebra" and made up all of these theories about religion and God. I am a Christian and that just bugged me. I also didn't like that the messiah was reincarnated as Sophia. That was just weird. I was amazed that Horselover Fat translated to Phillip Dick! I thought this book didn't have as much of a story plot or action as the others. The majority of the book was just thoughts in the narrator's insane mind. The narrator made me think of the last book we read and how Arctor and Fred were the same person. Schizophrenia is definitely a major theme in the book. I read online that this book was based on true events that happened to PKD in 1974 and that the book contains the "complexities" of his mind. I think PKD was quite the character with a crazy world view. It was interesting that PKD mentioned his own novels and writings in the novel. It would be interesting to know how much of this novel PKD actually believed in and how much he just made up!

Valis. Part 1.

I am very intrigued by this novel. It begins with the narrator saying, "I am Horselover Fat, and I am writing this in the third person to gain much-needed objectivity." This is interesting and I think it sets the reader up for the rest of the novel. I didn't see too much of a plot in the chapters we read; it was just a lot of the narrator discussing his interaction with God and his arguing with his friends and Dr. Stone about the universe, God, and reality. It is interesting also that the narrator says things like Horselover needs to stop helping people and get off dope, but Horselover wants to help Sherri anyway. The narrator also says that Horselover is going to commit suicide, but he doesn't know it yet. This is confusing to me and shows how much the narrator/Horselover has lost touch with reality. But, like the last novel, this one is about drugs, so it makes sense why Horselover Fat would be crazy because he did so much drugs. This makes me think of Arctor's brain and his two personalities. I'm not sure what to think of Horselover's encounter with God and his journals. I think his journal is really interesting and his theory of how the Earth came to be and who God is is very weird. I'm pretty sure he is just totally psycho. I'm interested to see where this all leads him and how Sherri turns out.

A Scanner Darkly. Part 2

I was very surprised to find out that Donna was an undercover narcotics agent just like Arctor. Being the hopeless romantic that I am, I was hoping that Arctor would take Donna up to Oregon to live her happily ever after in the snow like she wanted. But, that didn't happen; she just took him to New Path and left him there. PKD did a great job depicting drug culture, drug use, and what drugs do to people's brains in this novel. It was interesting to me that he threw German in the text randomly. I was very surprised at the ending. I thought Arctor was completely gone and that he was truly just a living vegetable. But, it was neat that he was purposefully selected to get addicted to Substance D, go to New Path, and find information about where they got their funding. His brain was still functioning and he knew what he was supposed to to at New Path. I thought his life was over, but he was still working, in a way, while he was in rehab. I didn't think I liked the book after reading the first half, but the second half really picked up and was way more interesting. I wanted to know more about Barris; it was a turn to find out that they were really after him and not Arctor. How did Hank know that Fred was Arctor? Did he know all along? Did Hank know he was having Fred watch himself as Arctor when he gave him the assignment? It's crazy that his brain was so fried that he had multiple personality disorder and had no clue that he was Arctor. Overall, the story line was good. I liked that it wasn't completely in a different world centuries into the future like all of his other books.

A Scanner Darkly. Part 1

So far, this is the most intense book we've read. I find it to be very interesting and more real than the others because, although this one is clearly in the future, it doesn't seem to be after a huge nuclear war or on Mars. The references to drugs and the lives of dopers is scarily real. I am curious to see what happens to Arctor on his mission of following himself. He seems like a very deep guy who has a lot hidden. All of the characters seem very interesting, to say the least. I don't like how PKD portrays or describes his female characters, or how the men in the novel talk about the women. They aren't held at a very high standard at all, in fact, they're very objectified. Last semester I had to read the novel, Always Running, which is about teenagers in LA and their experiences with drugs and gangs. A Scanner Darkly makes me think of this one in how it revolves around drug use. It's interesting to me that Arctor once had a wife, two daughters, and a seemingly quiet and "normal" life. That doesn't seem possible with the life he currently lives in the novel; that's quite the turn for someone to make. Over all, I just don't like the book simply because of what it's about. I guess I don't enjoy reading about drugs and women sleeping with people to get them and so much violence. I heard a rumor that PKD was addicted to drugs when he wrote this novel... true? It wouldn't surprise me I guess.