The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch : Part 2

I downloaded this novel onto my Kindle Fire and was thrilled to learn that it had narration. I listened through the second half of the novel and felt that I retained more information than when I read it to myself! With that said, I absolutely loved this novel – it is by far my favorite of those we have read so far!

What really caught me about this novel were the religious aspects and the idea of escapism. This novel really dealt with some unhappy characters that were simply trying to find some happiness in unwanted circumstances. Anne’s character really intrigued me because of her religious views that seem to be somewhat dismissed once she moves to Mars. It’s ironic that she wanted to go to the colonies to try and convert people and ends up using CAN-D and CHEW-Z.

While I would never go so far as to take a substance to escape from reality, I do understand the allure of wanting to get away from unpleasant circumstances. Whenever I feel down, I read or listen to music that puts me in a better mood – it’s a way to escape from the world that is not treating me well.

Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch - Part 1

I feel like I say this every time, but this is by far my favorite novel so far. There is something about the characters and the setting that really make this novel stand out for me. Maybe the idea of escapism is what truly interests me – although I do not feel the need to escape from my life, there are always ways to distract ourselves from the sometimes unpleasant nature of life.

I guess if I were to have a similar layout to colonists using Can-D who then escape to a different world, it would be The Sims. I was first introduced to The Sims when I was in middle school and it is actually a game that I still play when I have some free time. What really made me love the game was the idea that I could create myself in a separate world and create a new persona for myself. It is still a good way to create a persona that allows me to do things I wouldn’t necessarily be able to do in my own life.

Dr. Bloodmoney - Part II

I have to say that despite the fact that I was a little confused by the jumps in the beginning of this novel, it was my favorite to read so far! One characteristic that I absolutely love when reading novels is characters. What I really loved about this novel is that PKD took his time developing the characters and exploring them.

 

Bonny, Hoppy and Bill were the characters that really stood out to me in this novel. There really seemed to be a drastic change within each of them. For example, I never thought that Hoppy would try to take over the system and start killing people – I actually thought that he would be the one to surprise everyone and help them restart civilization.