I rated the book 5/5. The show 2/5.
I had the misfortune to watch the Amazon Series first than reading the book. The read is amazing, as you would expect from Dick’s writings. However, it’s different from the Series. Or better said, the creators of the series took the premise of the book and completely changed the plot. Some consistencies do linger in the popular show. For example The Grasshopper lies Heavy and some characters. But then most things are completely off, and some characters were clearly created for drama’s sake. Don’t get me wrong. Drama is fun at times, and in the right context. And since I saw the series first and then read the book, I can say the drama is well played out in the show.
But then I read the book…
The book DOES NOT contain all the teary drama we see in the show. Why? I’ve read some of the author’s books and can say he’s not big on the whole i love you drama. But he is on mystery and in transporting you to weird sceneries with his fantastic mode of describing. If you read the book first I’m pretty sure you’ll be disappointed by the show (unless you despised the book altogether and find drama worth your while).
The book is strange. The characters are deep, complex, and the action is scarce. We’re taken into each character’s mind and we explore the world through their thoughts, of how they deal wit this “alternate reality”. Yet again this is the author’s way of describing his characters and showing you the world he created. It’s skillful. NO, it’s mastery. That said, this book is not for everyone. The popular show created by Amazon is. Comes to show why many characters were modified, and why the whole Kempetai vs Nazi fiasco was exploited. I guess it’s more a crowd pleaser than anything else.
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