A Scanner Darkly
November 4th 2006 09:49
I don't think I will ever need (or want) to do drugs. Not that I have, but reading this book can put you off drugs pretty quick, while at the same time giving you the feeling that you are on them.
The main character is two people, an undercover Narcotics cop called Fred and a drug dealer and user named Bob Arctor. The drug in question is a drug called Substance D, a drug that effectively destroys the brains. In the case of Fred, destroys it to the point where his right and left sides of the brain start to compete and the two identities that he operated under start to have independence from each other.
The trippy thing about that is the way that it is written. At the beginning of the book, the two identities are clearly linked and throughout the book, the slowly start to tear away from each other. The perspectives of the two main characters are essentially a mirror image of the other, and that in itself is a concept explored in the book. Perception, how we see reality. Do we see the real thing, or do we simply see a mirror image?
The most interesting thing about the book for me was what the author wrote at the end of it. The book was not meant to have any moral. It was dedicated to himself in part, but mostly to alot of his friends that had been killed or permanently damaged by their drug use. He writes about it saying that they simply wanted to play, they weren't evil people, but the fact that they only allowed themselves to play through life was an evil thing to do. Interestingly, this actually gave the book a moral.
JoshZ
The main character is two people, an undercover Narcotics cop called Fred and a drug dealer and user named Bob Arctor. The drug in question is a drug called Substance D, a drug that effectively destroys the brains. In the case of Fred, destroys it to the point where his right and left sides of the brain start to compete and the two identities that he operated under start to have independence from each other.
The trippy thing about that is the way that it is written. At the beginning of the book, the two identities are clearly linked and throughout the book, the slowly start to tear away from each other. The perspectives of the two main characters are essentially a mirror image of the other, and that in itself is a concept explored in the book. Perception, how we see reality. Do we see the real thing, or do we simply see a mirror image?
The most interesting thing about the book for me was what the author wrote at the end of it. The book was not meant to have any moral. It was dedicated to himself in part, but mostly to alot of his friends that had been killed or permanently damaged by their drug use. He writes about it saying that they simply wanted to play, they weren't evil people, but the fact that they only allowed themselves to play through life was an evil thing to do. Interestingly, this actually gave the book a moral.
JoshZ
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Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Josh Z
I've seen the movie but haven't read the book yet. At the moment still up to my eyeballs in books I am trying to get through.
Thanks for dropping by though.
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
Sorry it's taken so long to get to your rather lovely posts. I have read them for a few days now, but thought I'd leave my footprint on this one because I really enjoyed the way you told it and because I think the book is now on my to-read list. I loved the moral within a moral. It cleared something up for me about work, rest and play.
Thanks
Lilla...
Comment by Josh Z
Always glad to sow a little inspiration through the medium of a few well chosen words.
Tell me more, if I may enquire.
JZ
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
I cannot put it into words just yet, but will return...
Lilla...
Comment by JoshZ
Hoping that you come back very soon.
You have been missed.
JoshZ