A Scanner Darkly - Philip K. Dick - review

4:00 pm 12 May 2013

This book was a gift to me by my brother-in-law. I put off reading it entirely too long, but I guess you could blame the aphids. Jerry Fabbin is a drug addict--addicted to Substance D. Because of the drug he sees aphids crawling all over him and his dog. If you can make it past the aphids you will probably be ok.
This book is not really about Jerry Fabbin. It's about a man named Bob Arcter who is an undercover Narc. Bob Arcter lives in a house with two druggie roommates and hangs out with doppers and takes dope. Who is he really? That is a question Bob asks himself plenty. Strange things are happening in his house. He has questions he must answer. Who is sabatoging his stuff? What sneaky stuff is his roommate up to? Why does he keep seeing things that cannot possibly be there? If you want to know the answers to these questions you will have to read this book for yourself.

This is not typically a book I would pick for myself, but I'm glad I read it. The drug scene...drug culture is something that that I know precious little about. This book was an inside look. Weird trips. Long tangent conversations about things that make absolutely no sense but are hilarious. The book is both funny and sad. I began A Scanner Darkly set on reading it to appease my brother -in -law, but about half way through it discovered that I really cared about 'ol Bob Arcter.
Now I'm sure I'll pick up some other books by Philip K. Dick.

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