Humpty Dumpty in Oakland
by Philip K. Dick
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Book Summary Information
Author: Philip K. DickEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-09-30
ISBN: 0765316919
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Tor Books
Book Reviews of Humpty Dumpty in Oakland
Book Review: A Feather, Not a Hammer
Summary: 4 Stars
Philip K. Dick's Humpty Dumpty in Oakland is classic PKD. It tells the intertwined stories of used-car-lot operator Al Miller and garage owner and mechanic Jim Fergusson. When the aging Fergusson decides to sell his garage, and the adjoining lot leased by Miller, Miller's life is thrown into turmoil. When Fergusson then considers investing the sale proceeds in a new and uncertain venture, Miller inserts himself into the process in a way that brings into focus the delusions of both Fergusson and Miller and that perhaps unearths a tremendous conspiracy.
The book is devoid of SF elements and is both subtle and nuanced. While it contains many familiar PKD elements--psychological realism, paranoia, conspiracy, religion, and ethics--in Humpty Dumpty Dick tickles with the feather rather than pounding with a hammer. Other reviewers have commented that this is the popular PKD in nascent form. Upon my reading, it appears rather that popular PKD is the equivalent of Humpty Dumpty with all subtlety deleted. Successor PKD books read almost as if the author threw up his hands and said to himself, "Look, they're not getting it--I'm going to have put these ideas in the future and in the foreground." The closest "popular" PKD book to Humpty Dumpty would, in my opinion, be The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, 90% of which is pure social-psychological realism and 10% of which is self-debunking SF and/or supernaturalist--if you liked Transmigration, you'll find a similar style in Humpty Dumpty.
Symbolically, Humpty Dumpty is about the tiny push that it takes to shove the ordinary person off the perch of the everyday, creating a shattering effect that neither the kings horses nor the kings men will remedy again.
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