When Roger and Virginia Lindhal enroll their son Gregg in Mrs. Alt’s Los Padres Valley School in the mountains of Southern California, their marriage is already in deep trouble.
Then the Lindhals meet Chic and Liz Bonner, whose two sons also board at Mrs. Alt’s school. The meeting is a catalyst for a complicated series of emotions and traumas, set against the backdrop of suburban Los Angeles in the early fifties. The buildup of emotional intensity and the finely observed characterizations are a hallmark of Philip K. Dick’s work.
This is a realistic novel filled with details of everyday life and skillfully told from three points of view. It is powerful, eloquent, and gripping.
**
Review
“Published posthumously, this work is radically different from the famous science fiction author’s past successes. It is a mood piece, a somber study of two young couples. A curious, oddly compelling book. Turning each page the reader feels an odd suspense and a reluctance to abandon these four unpredictable but somehow endearing people.”
-- Booklist on *Puttering About in a Small Land
“Dick was…one of the genuine visionaries that North American fiction has produced in this century.” --L.A. Weekly
About the Author
Philip K. Dick has had many movies based on his stories, including the classic, Blade Runner. Several more are in various stages of development.
Description:
When Roger and Virginia Lindhal enroll their son Gregg in Mrs. Alt’s Los Padres Valley School in the mountains of Southern California, their marriage is already in deep trouble.
Then the Lindhals meet Chic and Liz Bonner, whose two sons also board at Mrs. Alt’s school. The meeting is a catalyst for a complicated series of emotions and traumas, set against the backdrop of suburban Los Angeles in the early fifties. The buildup of emotional intensity and the finely observed characterizations are a hallmark of Philip K. Dick’s work.
This is a realistic novel filled with details of everyday life and skillfully told from three points of view. It is powerful, eloquent, and gripping.
**
Review
“Published posthumously, this work is radically different from the famous science fiction author’s past successes. It is a mood piece, a somber study of two young couples. A curious, oddly compelling book. Turning each page the reader feels an odd suspense and a reluctance to abandon these four unpredictable but somehow endearing people.”
-- Booklist on *Puttering About in a Small Land
--L.A. Weekly
About the Author
Philip K. Dick has had many movies based on his stories, including the classic, Blade Runner. Several more are in various stages of development.