I resisted reading this “alternate history” for a long time, because I found its central premise unbelievable, so I was surprised to discover that theI resisted reading this “alternate history” for a long time, because I found its central premise unbelievable, so I was surprised to discover that the writing easily transcends any question of suspension of disbelief. Philip Roth has definitely won a convert, albeit a reluctant one, here.
The premise, for those who don’t know, is that Charles Lindbergh becomes the Republican presidential candidate in 1940, handily defeating FDR, keeping the US neutral in World War II, and beginning the process of establishing a fascist America. What isn’t obvious from that summary is how deftly Roth applies lived experience of 1940s America and a sense of American strengths and weaknesses to develop this idea. In fact, I would say that this book, far more than 1984 (written about England by an Englishman) or The Handmaid’s Tale (written about America by a Canadian), predicts what steps towards a totalitarian United States would (or perhaps do) look like. In terms of alternate history, it is far more convincing than The Man in the High Castle, and more sensitive to the lived experience of targeted minorities in these situations.
Roth writes from the point of view of a child growing up in Newark, lending the book great verisimilitude by incorporating autobiographical detail – the protagonist is named Philip, the family is the Roths, he attends the school that the real Roth did, etc. A surprising amount of the story is actually about the family’s disintegration under the pressures of the political situation, but this is how a child would see it. It's not clearly documented, but I suspect that at least some of what happens to the Roth family here is based on the experiences of Jewish families in Europe. I also think that there’s a subtle argument being made here, that irresponsible use of power on a social scale affects everyone in that society, in unpredictable ways, and that the violence of perpetrators is reflected within the families of victims as well. I’m not even sure I can articulate that yet, it may take more time for reflection and re-reading.
That, in itself, is a major compliment. Usually when I finish a book, either I “got it” or I didn’t, and I’m done. This is a book that doesn’t end when I put it down, and that’s a mark of highly successful storytelling....more
Philip K. Dick was a markedly uneven genius, but this is one of his rare works in which the genius comes through relatively untainted. His quirks and Philip K. Dick was a markedly uneven genius, but this is one of his rare works in which the genius comes through relatively untainted. His quirks and foibles are still there, and even his tendency to rush through projects that would benefit from more preparation-time comes through in places (less here than in most of his books), but it still manages to transcend itself and enter that rarefied realm of the five-star novel.
Until the movie “Blade Runner” came out (based on Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), this was also probably Dick’s best-known work. That was probably more because of the subject-matter than the quality. The book is an example of the ever-popular “what if the Axis had won World War II” genre. Based mainly on a cursory reading of one Hitler biography and William Shirer’s popular but dubious The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany, it is far from a realistic or accurate portrayal of that counter-history. For a more believable variation of that theme, readers should turn to Fatherland.
But PKD did not do his best work in realistic fashion. Rather, what makes him, and this, worth reading, are his ability to deal with human questions in a mythic fashion. This is a book that speaks about why the Second World War is a historical event which has near-universal fascination, which has become part of the mythos of America and is seen as the pivotal moment in world history by so many, especially by Americans. World War II established the United States as a dominant power, and much of US identity since that time has been based on a kind of faith in the importance of that event.
What may make this book even more relevant today is that it is also a reflection on the humbling of proud America by other powers. Americans are ill-equipped to adapt to anything other than world leadership, but this may be something which we have to get used to in the coming decades, and Dick has done an excellent job of asking what that might look like, and also in finding the kernal of uniquely American culture that can make an ongoing pride justified, even in a less-than-leading position. Most of the story takes place in the (Japanese-occupied) Western states, with white Americans desperately trying to demonstrate understanding of Asian culture to get promotions, and using the I Ching to make their decisions. A future ascendant China could create a notably similar imitative society.
Dick’s attempt to create a sense of Asian-occupied America has an interesting poetic effect on the writing of this book. His Japanese and American characters’ internal worlds lack articles (“the” and “an”) and have a kind of otherworldly flow to them that reflects (I think) Dick’s extensive reading of The Book of Changes and Japanese literature in translation. I wouldn’t claim to be enough of an expert on Japanese culture to judge the accuracy of this writing style, but it is hypnotic and effective in creating a sense of “otherness” for the world he portrays. Unfortunately, the German characters do not have a similarly Germanic distinctiveness, and at times he even slips into using his faux-Japanese voice when writing them as well.
I’ve read this book several times, and I can always remember essentially what happens, but the sequence in which events unfold always surprises me a bit. Reading it again also tends to help me love it again; when I’ve been away from it for a while, I remember the faults more clearly than the strengths. Truly a remarkable work by a remarkable writer....more
This is an example of very tedious military fiction, with an axe to grind. It is the story of the Battle of the Bulge (known as the "Ardennes OffensivThis is an example of very tedious military fiction, with an axe to grind. It is the story of the Battle of the Bulge (known as the "Ardennes Offensive" in Germany) from the American point-of-view. Its purpose is to suggest that the battle could have been contained or avoided, if the pencil-pushers at base had been more concerned about men's lives than about impressing their superiors. Much of the book is told from the perspective of an Army office-clerk with no combat experience who undergoes a guilt-crisis and personal transformation through his baptism of fire. Actually, if the prose were better, one might be able to compare this book to Junger, or its premise to the German "Dolchstosslegende" (the Stab-In-The-Back Legend, often seen as partly responsible for the rise of National Socialism). As such, it may be of interest to those studying popular American attitudes towards authority and politics. It's a pretty dreary read, though....more
This is a fairly typical hard-boiled detective novel of the 1930s. Originally published 1939, it seems to have been rushed out after the Munich ConferThis is a fairly typical hard-boiled detective novel of the 1930s. Originally published 1939, it seems to have been rushed out after the Munich Conference, September 1938, but before the invasion of Poland in September, 1939. It deals with themes that were on the minds of many Americans at the time: the gathering storm in Europe and the possibility of fifth-column activities in the US. Of course, some of its facts are questionable, and events are made to conform to a dramatic purpose, but Kurt Steel does make considerable use of contemporary news to weave his tale.
His hero is Hank Hyer, who is the sort of 2-fisted detective one expects from the period, and who appears to have been the hero of a series of novels (goodreads doesn't list any others at this time). Hyer's nemesis in this novel is the German-American Bund, a real organization of American residents and citizens who sympathized with National Socialist Germany. The setting is New York, particularly Yorktown in the upper East Side, which actually was a location of considerable Bund activity (according to wikipedia, the Bund's "zenith" coincided with a rally in February, 1939 at Madison Square Garden). The Bund also ran various camps in rural areas, mostly for boys' training along the lines of the Boy Scouts. One of these in upstate New York, named "Valhalla," is also an important focus of the tale.
The use of these contemporary facts gives some insight into the concern of Americans at this time regarding the activities of German Americans in the US. In the story, predictably, the Bund is being funded by Hitler as a spy organization, with plans to sabotage the United States' ability to come to the aid of Europe when Germany waged war, and an aim of creating racial unrest. In fact, the Bund was mostly concerned with promoting a favorable view of Germany among the Americans, received very little money or support from the German government, and was a rather unlikely spying organization (it was too visible to be effective). Think about the perceptions vs. the reality of the 1950s Communist Party, and it is clear that Mr. Steel's book is in essence propaganda, similar to the Humphrey Bogart film "All Through the Night" (1941). But Steel's fears were probably genuine, and reflected real fears of many Americans at the time.
Overall, the book is enjoyable and competently written, with good action scenes and suspense. Its interest today is probably mostly of a historical nature, although those who enjoy this genre and period of writing will find it to their taste as well....more
I was surprised when I read this book to discover just how much of the editing structure and even camera angles of the film had been suggested by the I was surprised when I read this book to discover just how much of the editing structure and even camera angles of the film had been suggested by the original text. This is not to say that the film is a perfectly slavish interpretation, and certainly the actors add much to the characters outlined in the novel, but this is an unusually visual reading experience.
For those unfamiliar with either the book or the movie, this is a humorous and cynical look at the Second World War. Released during the 1950s, it presaged the many cynical looks at war associated with the Vietnam era (and was filmed during that period). Sergeant Yossarian is the protagonist, a reluctant bomber pilot stationed in Italy. He has flown his "required" missions several times over, but each time he is close to being sent home, the army air corps raises the requirement. Catch-22. He asks to be relieved for mental stress, but the doc can only do that for someone who's crazy, and anyone who wants to stop flying isn't crazy. Catch-22. And so on. He learns to prevail in a world that doesn't make any sense by making less sense than those around him.
Yossarian, as everyone knows, is a Discordian Saint. As a fictional character, he attains a level of perfection far above mere mortals. He is an inspiration to lunatics everywhere....more
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