Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of A Scanner Darkly

A Scanner Darkly
Shannatram avatar reviewed on + 33 more book reviews


This was a really good book. It provokes a lot of different emotions. I sympathized for the main character a lot, but would often find myself frustrated with his paranoia and train of thoughts, which I think was the point. We follow a severely burnt out man who is surrounded by other burnouts, and peer into their daily lives, their long, drawn-out conversations about trivial things, and their back and forth paranoia. This isn't even the plot of the book, but it's one of the first impressions you get from reading it.

It's an anti-drug book which isn't preachy. The plot seems a bit goofy- an undercover cop who "doesn't realize he is narcing on himself." (This is part of the description on Paperback Swap's page for this book) because of how his drugs have affected his brain. It's actually a very riveting plot once you start reading. It's done in such a way that even though you know what's going on, you're still a bit confused, which I think illustrates his muddled brain.

It's just a really good book. There's a lot of levels to it, and you'll really need to read it a few times to absorb everything.