I have a massive stack of books to get through already, but you can never have too many. I couldn’t find my copy of Ubik by PKD so I ordered a new one and also saw a cheap copy of Great Gatsby soI ordered it too since I’ve been meaning to reread it for years (read it in high school). What did y’all think about it?
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I think the book is relevant on the Hedonistic pursuits that plague our own society. The 1920's 1930's became overtly Hedonistic eventually led to war.
"Do What Thou Wilt"
This still applies to the rich today (and every day really) but it is also apropos of the “correct opinions” political class - instead of money they retreat into their protected status within the dominant political religion after smashing up things and people.
See, e.g., the story from Reason the other day and, if you can stand to search for it, the full-throated defense of the activist by local allies:
https://reason.com/2023/04/24/the-most-hated-person-on-campus/
Thanks. I’ll check it out
I hated the book and found it extremely boring and miserable to read.
That said, the point of the story is relevant to today in a lot of ways
I think people who see it as some kind of romantic story are missing the actual meaning. He was doing it for fun, and had no real interest in her otherwise. There is loneliness and the ability to have parties. I could see a lot of it today. Just pretend its a bunch of Influencers, and see how it works out.
Also more that he was in love with the ideal he had of Daisy, rather than Daisy herself (who was obviously wildly different from his ideal).
So very true. He was in love with being in love, and that was his entertainment.
A well-written book about terrible people. I didn't like it.
Probably my favorite non-military book (like Tom Clancy). And like others have pointed out, surprisingly relevant today.
Cool. Speaking of Clancy, I recently was at an estate sale and they had a bunch of Clancy books for cheap including Red October
I remember reading this back to back in English class with A Farewell to Arms. Which is interesting because they both have opposing themes. The latter is a very romantic story about the importance of true love in a shitty world, while The Great Gatsby shows why romance and true love is complete bullshit.
Anyway, it's still a very relevant book today. It may have been a showcase of the societal ills plaguing 1920s-era America, but those same ills are present in Current Year. Such as the danger of simping, the materialism of women both rich and poor, and the entitlement of the wealthy and privileged and how getting whatever they want not only doesn't make them happy, if anything it makes them even more angry and entitled. And I think this conversation between Nick and Jordan, who is meant to represent the new, ideal woman of her era who's independent and working (as a pro golfer, aka a field reserved only for the wealthy) is very telling:
"You're a rotten driver. Either you ought to be more careful or you oughtn't to drive at all."
"I am careful."
"No, you're not."
"Well, other people are."
"What's that got to do with it?"
"They'll keep out of my way. It takes two to make an accident."
One of my probably harebrained ideas about human nature is that we, to greater or lesser extents between different individuals, seek chaos, strife, failure, etc. Not uniquely and not solely, and usually not to a greater extent than we seek success, order, harmony, etc. But we do have a weird animal need for discord. So it’s interesting to consider those two books against each other. In the war story, there was literal chaos and discord and fear and horror all around, so the characters tried to find an actual love. In Gatsby the characters are comfortable, taken care of, safe, nigh-untouchable by real problems, so they chase a “love” that is chaotic and ruinous: both Jay and Daisy know full well that if they go for one another it will wreck multiple lives, as it ultimately does. They were just so bored with the good life that their dumbass animal brains sought discord.
I dunno, just one semi-articulate person’s hypothesis really!
The Mouse Utopia Experiment implies your hypothesis may not be far off.
Thanks. I look forward to the reread.
NTR is worst fetish
I have his book Benjamin Button as well. Haven’t read that yet but I’ve only ever heard his names attached to Gatsby
it's based
Like most supposed American classics, it's utter garbage.
skip ubik it's a nonsensical book
I have minor OCD when it comes to my favorite authors and musicians. I have to read/listen to it all. What’s your favorite book by PKD?
can't say i have a favorite, i like the movies based on his books but not the books themselves maybe I just don't like the way he wrote
The problem with PKD is that he wrote 4D plots populated by 1D characters. In his final four novels, VALIS, Radio Free Albemuth, The Divine Invasion and The Transmigration of Timothy Archer escape that limitation.
I honestly barely remember it. I recall it being incredibly boring, but I was in high school and the topic was just not my bag. The Human Comedy though I adored. Funnily I also don't remember a thing about it. soooo ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Understand. I don’t remember much but it’s been one I wanted to read again for a while