A Scanner Darkly

By: Philip K. Dick

Narrated by: Paul Giamatti

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Bob Arctor is a dealer of the lethally addictive drug Substance D. Fred is the police agent assigned to tail and eventually bust him. To do so, Fred takes on the identity of a drug dealer named Bob Arctor. And since Substance D, which Arctor takes in massive doses, gradually splits the user's brain into two distinct, combative entities, Fred doesn't realize he is narcing on himself.

Caustically funny, eerily accurate in its depiction of junkies, scam artists, and the walking brain-dead, Philip K. Dick's industrial-grade stress test of identity is as unnerving as it is enthralling.

©1977 Philip K. Dick (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

"Dark" is the operative word

I am not sure about this one. To be sure, Paul Giamatti's performance is perfect. This guy is quite a talent. However, the material he reads is bizarre, as I am sure Philip K Dick intended it to be. The story is a bleak depiction of the southern California drug subculture in the then future of the late 1990's (the book was written in the late 1970s). Many of the supposed "futuristic" devices employed are dated, which seem to add to the strangeness of the story.

As the main character, Bob Arctor, an undercover narc who becomes addicted to "Substance D" begins to move in and out of reality, the reader/listener does so right along with him. As a result, I found the experience strange and uncomfortable.

I believe this story was semi-autobiographical, learning a little about P.K. Dick, who apparently struggled with paranoid schizophrenia. This book will definitely provide a glimpse into that abyss.

Hard to Rate

This book is hard to rate for a few different reasons. The narrator does a great job and I enjoyed istening to him. Most of the characters had there own voice but not an over the top one. The story for me became very hard to follow but the author may have written it that way purposely. All and all it was worth listening to once but I don't plan on ever listening to this title again.

hmm....

I think PKD was on Substance D when he wrote this. Many spots were confusing. Way too many rambling conversations. The narrator was excellent though. He really brought the characters to life. If not for the narrator I would not have finished this book.

weird and dark tale

loved the narration, if you enjoy dystopian futures, I believe you will enjoy this. if you want to stop doing drugs, there could be a lesson here

Good story - Fantastic narration

Philip K. Dick is one of my all-time favorite authors, although I've never felt this title is one of his best. Don't get me wrong, the story and characters are interesting, and there's the usual philosophical themes of divided reality and questioned identity that are common in PKD's work, but I suppose having never been a part of the drug-culture it just didn't resonate with me.

Enter: Paul Giamatti. I cannot imagine a better choice of narrator for this book. He infused each character with such distinct personality that I couldn't help being drawn into the story. I wish I could thank him for making it possible for me to enjoy this book from a new perspective.

Do it

What a lovely experience this book was. I liked it a lot for it's subtlety in delivery and Philip's whimsical, schizophrenic story telling. Please give it a listen?

Just great

if you like good books then get this... really nothing more that I need to say.

Through A Glass Darkly

This is the third Phillip K. Dick book that I have listened to so far and by the end, through accident, or by way of the story itself, it made me feel deeply emotional. The characters interactions are funny and interesting, but also deeply depressing. the story itself took strange turns but managed to keep me invested. I'd say that Phillips note at the end about 'Children playing in the street' really struck a chord with me and helped me truly understand where the story was coming from. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who already likes Dick's work or is just as interested in his cryptic, beautiful storytelling.

doesn't get better than this

Paul Giamatti and Philip K Dick create a surprising force. Doesn't get better than this.

Paul. Giamatti.

PKD came through, as always, with a masterfully detailed and twisted tale that captivated me from start to finish. I don't knit if they give awards for narrative performances, but Paul Giamatti deserves the top distinction. This was quite possibly the best performed audio book I've listened to. Well done.