Tag: Familiar

Philip K. Dick – Time Out of Joint | Review

Title: Time Out of Joint

Author: Philip K. Dick

Type: Fiction

Page Count: 192

Rating: 3.5/5

This book presents itself as one thing but is something very different. What we actually have is something a little bit like The Truman Show in which the protagonist slowly starts to realise that there’s something shady going on behind the scenes and his reality is being manipulated.

For me, I found that it the reading experience was a little jarring, because it kept feeling as though reality was fine and then suddenly it was nuts and then it was back to all just fine again. Maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention, but if that’s the case then it’s arguably the book’s fault anyway.

I just think that some of Dick’s other work was more engaging, and this just sort of felt as though he was rehashing old territory. Part of that might be because Dick has influenced a ton of people, and it’s not really his fault if this felt familiar because it’s been copied a bunch of times. It was still pretty good and worth reading, though.

Learn more about Time Out of Joint.


William Shakespeare – Troilus and Cressida | Review

Title: Troilus and Cressida

Author: William Shakespeare

Type: Fiction

Page Count: 130

Rating: 4/5

I didn’t know much about Troilus and Cressida going into reading this, and so that made for a pretty interesting read. It turns out that I was already loosely familiar with the plotline from other takes on mythology, but I wasn’t really reading it for the plot anyway.

As usual, I was mostly gripped by Shakespeare’s masterful control of the English language, and it was an inspiring little read that left me wanting to read more. Fortunately, I have a bunch of other stunning Folio society editions of Shakespeare just waiting in the wings, so perhaps I’ll get to them sooner rather than later. Make of that what you will.

Learn more about Troilus and Cressida.