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Gather yourselves together
Gather Yourselves Together is one of Philip K. Dick’s earliest novels, written when he was just twenty-four years old. It tells the story of three Americans left behind in China by their employer, biding their time as the Communists advance. As they while away the days, both the young and naïve Carl Fitter and the older and worldly Verne Tildon vie for the affections of Barbara Mahler, a woman who may not be so tough-as-nails as she acts. But Carl’s innocence and Verne’s boorishness could end up driving Barbara away from both.
292 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1994
36 people are currently reading
522 people want to read
About the author
Philip K. Dick
1,993 books22.7k followersPhilip Kindred Dick was a prolific American science fiction author whose work has had a lasting impact on literature, cinema, and popular culture. Known for his imaginative narratives and profound philosophical themes, Dick explored the nature of reality, the boundaries of human identity, and the impact of technology and authoritarianism on society. His stories often blurred the line between the real and the artificial, challenging readers to question their perceptions and beliefs.
Raised in California, Dick began writing professionally in the early 1950s, publishing short stories in various science fiction magazines. He quickly developed a distinctive voice within the genre, marked by a fusion of science fiction concepts with deep existential and psychological inquiry. Over his career, he authored 44 novels and more than 100 short stories, many of which have become classics in the field.
Recurring themes in Dick's work include alternate realities, simulations, corporate and government control, mental illness, and the nature of consciousness. His protagonists are frequently everyday individuals—often paranoid, uncertain, or troubled—caught in surreal and often dangerous circumstances that force them to question their environment and themselves. Works such as Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkly reflect his fascination with perception and altered states of consciousness, often drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles and drug use.
One of Dick’s most influential novels is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which served as the basis for Ridley Scott’s iconic film Blade Runner. The novel deals with the distinction between humans and artificial beings and asks profound questions about empathy, identity, and what it means to be alive. Other adaptations of his work include Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle, each reflecting key elements of his storytelling—uncertain realities, oppressive systems, and the search for truth. These adaptations have introduced his complex ideas to audiences well beyond the traditional readership of science fiction.
In the 1970s, Dick underwent a series of visionary and mystical experiences that had a significant influence on his later writings. He described receiving profound knowledge from an external, possibly divine, source and documented these events extensively in what became known as The Exegesis, a massive and often fragmented journal. These experiences inspired his later novels, most notably the VALIS trilogy, which mixes autobiography, theology, and metaphysics in a narrative that defies conventional structure and genre boundaries.
Throughout his life, Dick faced financial instability, health issues, and periods of personal turmoil, yet he remained a dedicated and relentless writer. Despite limited commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation grew steadily, and he came to be regarded as one of the most original voices in speculative fiction. His work has been celebrated for its ability to fuse philosophical depth with gripping storytelling and has influenced not only science fiction writers but also philosophers, filmmakers, and futurists.
Dick’s legacy continues to thrive in both literary and cinematic spheres. The themes he explored remain urgently relevant in the modern world, particularly as technology increasingly intersects with human identity and governance. The Philip K. Dick Award, named in his honor, is presented annually to distinguished works of science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. His writings have also inspired television series, academic studies, and countless homages across media.
Through his vivid imagination and unflinching inquiry into the nature of existence, Philip K. Dick redefined what science fiction could achieve. His work continues to challenge and inspire, offering timeless insights into the human condition a
Raised in California, Dick began writing professionally in the early 1950s, publishing short stories in various science fiction magazines. He quickly developed a distinctive voice within the genre, marked by a fusion of science fiction concepts with deep existential and psychological inquiry. Over his career, he authored 44 novels and more than 100 short stories, many of which have become classics in the field.
Recurring themes in Dick's work include alternate realities, simulations, corporate and government control, mental illness, and the nature of consciousness. His protagonists are frequently everyday individuals—often paranoid, uncertain, or troubled—caught in surreal and often dangerous circumstances that force them to question their environment and themselves. Works such as Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkly reflect his fascination with perception and altered states of consciousness, often drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles and drug use.
One of Dick’s most influential novels is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which served as the basis for Ridley Scott’s iconic film Blade Runner. The novel deals with the distinction between humans and artificial beings and asks profound questions about empathy, identity, and what it means to be alive. Other adaptations of his work include Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle, each reflecting key elements of his storytelling—uncertain realities, oppressive systems, and the search for truth. These adaptations have introduced his complex ideas to audiences well beyond the traditional readership of science fiction.
In the 1970s, Dick underwent a series of visionary and mystical experiences that had a significant influence on his later writings. He described receiving profound knowledge from an external, possibly divine, source and documented these events extensively in what became known as The Exegesis, a massive and often fragmented journal. These experiences inspired his later novels, most notably the VALIS trilogy, which mixes autobiography, theology, and metaphysics in a narrative that defies conventional structure and genre boundaries.
Throughout his life, Dick faced financial instability, health issues, and periods of personal turmoil, yet he remained a dedicated and relentless writer. Despite limited commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation grew steadily, and he came to be regarded as one of the most original voices in speculative fiction. His work has been celebrated for its ability to fuse philosophical depth with gripping storytelling and has influenced not only science fiction writers but also philosophers, filmmakers, and futurists.
Dick’s legacy continues to thrive in both literary and cinematic spheres. The themes he explored remain urgently relevant in the modern world, particularly as technology increasingly intersects with human identity and governance. The Philip K. Dick Award, named in his honor, is presented annually to distinguished works of science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. His writings have also inspired television series, academic studies, and countless homages across media.
Through his vivid imagination and unflinching inquiry into the nature of existence, Philip K. Dick redefined what science fiction could achieve. His work continues to challenge and inspire, offering timeless insights into the human condition a
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
July 3, 2022
Il primo romanzo scritto da PKD, "Il paradiso maoista" o meglio, come recita il titolo originale "Gather Yourselves Together", letteralmente Radunatevi, racconta di tre personaggi, uno diverso dall'altro, che dopo essersi accorti di esseri rimasti soli ne La Compagnia, un luogo fuori dal tempo, dove ci sarà...
Scritto tra il 1949-1950, ma pubblicato postumo nel 1994, forse perchè PKD riteneva di poca importanza, io credo invece che sia un ottimo romanzo, molto differente dal PKD fantascientifico, primo, perchè non è per nulla fantascientifico e perchè la scrittura l'ho trovata diversa, un po' mi ha ricordato "Un oscuro scrutare", quella scrittura densa di malinconia verso il futuro, ma in "Il paradiso maoista" vi è uno spiraglio di luce in fondo al tunnel, dato sicuramente dalla giovane età in cui è stato ideato. Poco più che ventenne PKD ci racconta una storia di crescita interiore, sembra quasi autobiografico: tra alcol, apatia, voglia di conoscenza di ciò che succederà un domani, la voglia di non sentirsi soli, la voglia di calore umano, l'amore, la morte... insomma all'interno di questo romanzo vi è molto su cui riflettere e data la giovanissima età, ciò è un pregio da non sottovalutare, denota una grande sensibilità a temi che poi svilupperà con i successivi romanzi.
Dicevo, il titolo italiano, almeno fino alle ultime decine di pagine, non ha alcun senso, è fuorviante, io mi sarei aspettato un libro fantapolitico ed invece si tratta di tutt'altro.
La scrittura è molto coinvolgente, infatti l'ho letto in un soffio, non volevo allontanarmene nemmeno un attimo. Ci sono anche dei difetti come è normale che sia, il libro perfetto non esiste e meno male, perchè un'opera letteraria è ideata da un essere umano, che non è un essere perfetto, ma mi chiedo continuamente: la perfezione esiste davvero? Ci sono molte ripetizioni, alla volte sembra quasi che Dick se ne accorga e fa reagire i personaggi in modo imbarazzato, proprio perchè le ripetizioni sono così tangibili, ma forse è stato ideato così dall'autore per rimarcare alcuni punti che lo attanaglianavo, forse per esorcizzare i suoi demoni interiori? Ma forse è sempre così, o almeno alcuni scrittori mettono su carta i propri dubbi, le proprie paure, gli incubi che non li fanno dormire o mettono nero su bianco le proprie insicurezze. PKD, per me, è proprio questo tipo di scrittore... è stato fulminante averlo conosciuto non come l'androide che cerca di liberarsi dal potere costituito!
Da recuperare!
Scritto tra il 1949-1950, ma pubblicato postumo nel 1994, forse perchè PKD riteneva di poca importanza, io credo invece che sia un ottimo romanzo, molto differente dal PKD fantascientifico, primo, perchè non è per nulla fantascientifico e perchè la scrittura l'ho trovata diversa, un po' mi ha ricordato "Un oscuro scrutare", quella scrittura densa di malinconia verso il futuro, ma in "Il paradiso maoista" vi è uno spiraglio di luce in fondo al tunnel, dato sicuramente dalla giovane età in cui è stato ideato. Poco più che ventenne PKD ci racconta una storia di crescita interiore, sembra quasi autobiografico: tra alcol, apatia, voglia di conoscenza di ciò che succederà un domani, la voglia di non sentirsi soli, la voglia di calore umano, l'amore, la morte... insomma all'interno di questo romanzo vi è molto su cui riflettere e data la giovanissima età, ciò è un pregio da non sottovalutare, denota una grande sensibilità a temi che poi svilupperà con i successivi romanzi.
Dicevo, il titolo italiano, almeno fino alle ultime decine di pagine, non ha alcun senso, è fuorviante, io mi sarei aspettato un libro fantapolitico ed invece si tratta di tutt'altro.
La scrittura è molto coinvolgente, infatti l'ho letto in un soffio, non volevo allontanarmene nemmeno un attimo. Ci sono anche dei difetti come è normale che sia, il libro perfetto non esiste e meno male, perchè un'opera letteraria è ideata da un essere umano, che non è un essere perfetto, ma mi chiedo continuamente: la perfezione esiste davvero? Ci sono molte ripetizioni, alla volte sembra quasi che Dick se ne accorga e fa reagire i personaggi in modo imbarazzato, proprio perchè le ripetizioni sono così tangibili, ma forse è stato ideato così dall'autore per rimarcare alcuni punti che lo attanaglianavo, forse per esorcizzare i suoi demoni interiori? Ma forse è sempre così, o almeno alcuni scrittori mettono su carta i propri dubbi, le proprie paure, gli incubi che non li fanno dormire o mettono nero su bianco le proprie insicurezze. PKD, per me, è proprio questo tipo di scrittore... è stato fulminante averlo conosciuto non come l'androide che cerca di liberarsi dal potere costituito!
Da recuperare!
July 17, 2022
GDL Fratellanza della Fantascienza
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
3 stelle e mezza
Correva l'anno 1949 e un Dick appena ventenne si cimentava con il suo primo romanzo. Non un'opera sci-fi ma sicuramente già profonda e pregna di filosofia come lo saranno i successivi.
Tra queste pagine scopriamo un autore colto; le citazioni sono molteplici: dal pianoforte di Bartok, alla passione per Huxley, all'amore per il Jazz e per la filosofia di Kant.
Pier Paolo Pasolini diceva che un film deve dare quel fastidio subdolo, come un sassolino nella scarpa. Un fastidio che, però, si rivela sempre più necessario.
E con questo libro ho provato le stesse sensazioni: ho odiato tutti i personaggi, ma al contempo non riuscivo a staccarmi dalla lettura.
Lo stile, seppure alle prime armi è già delineato: la malinconia del passato, il male di vivere del presente, la paura per il futuro e l'ineluttabilità della ciclicità delle cose: tutto ha un epilogo, possa questa essere la fine di un lavoro (La Compagnia - , la fine della vita, la fine di un viaggio.
E qui l'ho percepito nel finale . Per di più in tutto il romanzo aleggia una certa forma di violenza, mai palesata veramente .
Un primo lavoro non perfetto, ma sicuramente un punto di inizio che già ci fa conoscere l'animo tormentato dell'autore.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
3 stelle e mezza
Correva l'anno 1949 e un Dick appena ventenne si cimentava con il suo primo romanzo. Non un'opera sci-fi ma sicuramente già profonda e pregna di filosofia come lo saranno i successivi.
Tra queste pagine scopriamo un autore colto; le citazioni sono molteplici: dal pianoforte di Bartok, alla passione per Huxley, all'amore per il Jazz e per la filosofia di Kant.
Pier Paolo Pasolini diceva che un film deve dare quel fastidio subdolo, come un sassolino nella scarpa. Un fastidio che, però, si rivela sempre più necessario.
E con questo libro ho provato le stesse sensazioni: ho odiato tutti i personaggi, ma al contempo non riuscivo a staccarmi dalla lettura.
Lo stile, seppure alle prime armi è già delineato: la malinconia del passato, il male di vivere del presente, la paura per il futuro e l'ineluttabilità della ciclicità delle cose: tutto ha un epilogo, possa questa essere la fine di un lavoro (La Compagnia - , la fine della vita, la fine di un viaggio.
E qui l'ho percepito nel finale . Per di più in tutto il romanzo aleggia una certa forma di violenza, mai palesata veramente .
Un primo lavoro non perfetto, ma sicuramente un punto di inizio che già ci fa conoscere l'animo tormentato dell'autore.
October 20, 2020
Philip K Dick's debut novel is a bit dull unfortunately. Probably why it remained unpublished during his lifetime. Wouldn't recommend. 2.5 stars.
August 30, 2012
Gather Yourselves Together is one very weird and strange book; bizarre would be a good word to describe the story too, but not in the traditional Dickian bizarre fashion, only because it is one of Phil Dick's mainstream novels, but a weird one none the less. For an even stranger reason I actually enjoyed it. The only plausible reason I can think of as to why I enjoyed it, is because I am truly a Dickhead. This book is unique in a lot of ways and had a lot of what would be to come in his later novels, plus it was just cool that this was his first novel he had written, according to two reliable sources; which are two of Philip K. Dick's biographers, Lawrence Sutin and Gregg Rickman. Sutin dates it between 1949 and 1950, which makes Dick 21 or 22 years old. Some more things that I found interesting about this story was that it explains a lot of what Philip Dick was going through during that time in his life. Having the characters represent himself and his friends; male and especially female, was of special interest to me. Carl has a lot of the same characteristics as Philip Dick, according to Dwight Brown, another biographer of his, Carl is a manifestation of Philip K. Dick .
Gather Yourselves Together really isn't that great of a story per se and if this is the first Dick book you read, I doubt you will like it. But if you are a Dickhead like myself, then I think, perhaps, maybe, you will like it. I am interested in his early life so much that this review rating is somewhat biased, so if you are new to Philip K. Dick, you may not want to take my word for it here and this definitely isn't the book to start out with
December 31, 2023
(Excerpt from Wikipedia synopsis: After the final victory of Mao Zedong's Chinese Communists in 1949, an American company prepares to abandon their Chinese operations, leaving three people behind to oversee transitional affairs. Verne and Barbara were previously involved with each other back in the United States, in 1945, when she lost her virginity to him. They have sex again, but Barbara has matured, and becomes more interested in the younger Carl. Carl is more interested in reading his handwritten volume of personal philosophy to her.)
On the back of this novel, it says that Philip K. Dick wrote this when he was 24. Based on my own research, Philip Kindred Dick was born in 1928 and this novel may have been started as early as 1948 (there are arguments whether it was ‘48, ‘49 or ‘50). The novel is set in ‘49. If he did rewrites and edits until ‘50, and we assume the story was conceived in 1948 or 1949, therefore, it can be assumed that PKD was either 20 or 21 when he wrote this.
This is important because in 1948-‘49, Philip K. Dick hadn’t published anything yet (Beyond Lies the Wub, his first published short story was written in 1952). You really see the development of PKD’s writing skills as this novel progresses. The first 6 chapters, though impressive if written by any amateur, are essentially really just so-so. The pace is a bit slow, the plotting and dialogue a bit clunky: you are not sure why they are in the American/Chinese business (what kind of business?) and how did they get to be there as long as they were without knowing each other more... There are little technical issues such as too many “does not” and “did not” as opposed to “doesn’t” and “didn’t”, but by chapter nine, this is much improved and you get a sense that PKD is starting to write more what he feels. He doesn't seem to be searching for dialogue for his characters, rather they are more ‘real’ and ‘alive’ in his mind and speak for themselves. It appears to be, at first, a sad depressing book; dull, sad depressing people, but as the book moves forward it is a good glimpse of how such people cope with the situation. It truly is an outstanding effort from a very young writer at the very threshold of what would later be his life’s obsession.
The book is not unlike “UBIK” where there are a few bored people stuck in a confined place, not only having to deal with each other, but more importantly with themselves.
One might be quick to write this one off from the start but if you have read anything from PKD before and liked it enough to read more, be sure to get to this one at some point. It is a great study on how a genius becomes so. Imagine if a really early Shakespeare work was discovered and studied in this manner.
Certainly, it could have used a good bit of spit and polish and much trimming (480 pages! -Cool to see that even PKD was guilty of over-writing at his first try at a novel). Had professional editing been applied to this manuscript, it might even have been a classic for its time (remember, this is possibly 1948).
The Carl Fitter, Verne Tildon / Barbara Mahler (and Teddy as background) could easily be paired down and adapted into a fabulous period piece stage play. The whole thing set in the abandoned business buildings on a site in China.
This I liked from Wikipedea: Despite being an early, non-science fiction work, the book prefigures several staples of Dick's writing.
-Carl keeps a notebook much like Phil's own 1970s Exegesis
-There is a "dead-cat-as-indictment-for-being" story that is very similar to the one later used in VALIS.
-The first "Dark Haired Girl" in any of Dick's novels appears in one of Carl's flashbacks.
"Teddy", one of Verne's past conquests, is likely a version of Phil's own imaginary sister of the same name.
-The conclusion of the novel draws tenuous parallels between America and the late Roman Empire, and between the early Christians and communist Chinese.
And a feature I really liked in this novel was PKD’s infusion of his knowledge and love of progressive jazz music at the time. That alone could've kept me interested. He had done this in several future works including in “Valis”, one of his last works. Underrated in some way. Glad I had the privilege to read it.
On the back of this novel, it says that Philip K. Dick wrote this when he was 24. Based on my own research, Philip Kindred Dick was born in 1928 and this novel may have been started as early as 1948 (there are arguments whether it was ‘48, ‘49 or ‘50). The novel is set in ‘49. If he did rewrites and edits until ‘50, and we assume the story was conceived in 1948 or 1949, therefore, it can be assumed that PKD was either 20 or 21 when he wrote this.
This is important because in 1948-‘49, Philip K. Dick hadn’t published anything yet (Beyond Lies the Wub, his first published short story was written in 1952). You really see the development of PKD’s writing skills as this novel progresses. The first 6 chapters, though impressive if written by any amateur, are essentially really just so-so. The pace is a bit slow, the plotting and dialogue a bit clunky: you are not sure why they are in the American/Chinese business (what kind of business?) and how did they get to be there as long as they were without knowing each other more... There are little technical issues such as too many “does not” and “did not” as opposed to “doesn’t” and “didn’t”, but by chapter nine, this is much improved and you get a sense that PKD is starting to write more what he feels. He doesn't seem to be searching for dialogue for his characters, rather they are more ‘real’ and ‘alive’ in his mind and speak for themselves. It appears to be, at first, a sad depressing book; dull, sad depressing people, but as the book moves forward it is a good glimpse of how such people cope with the situation. It truly is an outstanding effort from a very young writer at the very threshold of what would later be his life’s obsession.
The book is not unlike “UBIK” where there are a few bored people stuck in a confined place, not only having to deal with each other, but more importantly with themselves.
One might be quick to write this one off from the start but if you have read anything from PKD before and liked it enough to read more, be sure to get to this one at some point. It is a great study on how a genius becomes so. Imagine if a really early Shakespeare work was discovered and studied in this manner.
Certainly, it could have used a good bit of spit and polish and much trimming (480 pages! -Cool to see that even PKD was guilty of over-writing at his first try at a novel). Had professional editing been applied to this manuscript, it might even have been a classic for its time (remember, this is possibly 1948).
The Carl Fitter, Verne Tildon / Barbara Mahler (and Teddy as background) could easily be paired down and adapted into a fabulous period piece stage play. The whole thing set in the abandoned business buildings on a site in China.
This I liked from Wikipedea: Despite being an early, non-science fiction work, the book prefigures several staples of Dick's writing.
-Carl keeps a notebook much like Phil's own 1970s Exegesis
-There is a "dead-cat-as-indictment-for-being" story that is very similar to the one later used in VALIS.
-The first "Dark Haired Girl" in any of Dick's novels appears in one of Carl's flashbacks.
"Teddy", one of Verne's past conquests, is likely a version of Phil's own imaginary sister of the same name.
-The conclusion of the novel draws tenuous parallels between America and the late Roman Empire, and between the early Christians and communist Chinese.
And a feature I really liked in this novel was PKD’s infusion of his knowledge and love of progressive jazz music at the time. That alone could've kept me interested. He had done this in several future works including in “Valis”, one of his last works. Underrated in some way. Glad I had the privilege to read it.
August 10, 2022
Dopo aver letto questo romanzo capisco perché l'autore non sia riuscito a pubblicarlo subito. È noiosissimo! È privo di trama, i personaggi sembrano tre disadattati che non si capisce cosa vogliano dalla vita, le situazioni sono forzate quasi fino all'assurdo e alcune frasi sono ripetute più volte lungo tutto il romanzo.
Diciamo che considero questo primo romanzo come il primo approccio di un grande scrittore al mondo dell'editoria, significativo solo in funzione delle sue opere future.
Diciamo che considero questo primo romanzo come il primo approccio di un grande scrittore al mondo dell'editoria, significativo solo in funzione delle sue opere future.
July 23, 2024
There’s an afterword by Dwight Broken at the end of the book which discusses some of the book’s themes, inspirations and real-life parallels etc. And I think his final statement says it best:
(Afterword)
The narrative I found somewhat intriguing:
(Wikipedia)
Some of these characters are former associates that’s based on a past that is best forgotten. It’s interesting framing, as the flashbacks and present are featured almost evenly throughout. It’s almost dreamlike quality to how it’s executed, as there’s a Proust reference and symbolically, the characters are in Paradise. The characters are fundamentally flawed in their own way and generally a lot better written than I expected. The reason why Dwight discusses the historical document is that the character Carl is very much an analogue to Dick (or at least the Dick of that period). Carl Fitter’s flashback can be viewed directly as an autobiography. Carl also keeps a notebook like Dick’s own Exegesis. There’s Dick's love for jazz, interest in philosophy, history, and metaphysics, which are more successfully explored in his more mature science fiction books like Ubik and so forth.
It's not a perfect book by any means, though for me and the experience I got out of it, I find it to be good. I guess it's more due to the historical context than just the book itself. That said, the writing is genuinely much better than I expected. It’s a ride I felt was worth taking, but as an introduction to PKD, I wouldn’t recommend, instead read Ubik or his other more mature books first.
6.5-7/10
In the end, Gather Yourselves Together is much more successful as a historical document than as a novel. Gather shows us just how early some of Dick’s themes and tropes began to develop. Though it doesn’t come close to the tear-your-heart-out intensity of Dick’s best work, it remains, I think, a valuable addition to the man’s work, and an invaluable window into his life.
(Afterword)
The narrative I found somewhat intriguing:
After the final victory of Mao Zedong's Chinese Communists in 1949, an American company prepares to abandon their Chinese operations, leaving three people behind to oversee transitional affairs - Carl Fitter, Verne Tildon, and Barbara Mahler.
(Wikipedia)
Some of these characters are former associates that’s based on a past that is best forgotten. It’s interesting framing, as the flashbacks and present are featured almost evenly throughout. It’s almost dreamlike quality to how it’s executed, as there’s a Proust reference and symbolically, the characters are in Paradise. The characters are fundamentally flawed in their own way and generally a lot better written than I expected. The reason why Dwight discusses the historical document is that the character Carl is very much an analogue to Dick (or at least the Dick of that period). Carl Fitter’s flashback can be viewed directly as an autobiography. Carl also keeps a notebook like Dick’s own Exegesis. There’s Dick's love for jazz, interest in philosophy, history, and metaphysics, which are more successfully explored in his more mature science fiction books like Ubik and so forth.
It's not a perfect book by any means, though for me and the experience I got out of it, I find it to be good. I guess it's more due to the historical context than just the book itself. That said, the writing is genuinely much better than I expected. It’s a ride I felt was worth taking, but as an introduction to PKD, I wouldn’t recommend, instead read Ubik or his other more mature books first.
6.5-7/10
August 10, 2012
My Philip K. Dick Project
Entry #23 - Gather Yourselves Together (written June 1952, published posthumously June 1994)
In the course of this project, I’ve done my best to read through Dick’s works in the order of composition. However, this book, Gather Yourselves Together, was out of print until a new version was released last month. I wasn’t willing to pay over a hundred dollars just to read in perfect order. Now after having read this, I’m glad I didn’t.
There’s some debate, but most Dick scholars agree that this is his first complete, finished novel, most likely written shortly before Voices From the Street (#2), when he was just 24. And it shows. This book succeeds more as an interesting peek into Dick’s evolution than as a story itself.
So I find myself in an interesting position on this project. Having just finished with all of Dick’s mainstream novels, his last one, Humpty Dumpty in Oakland, itself a sort of throwback to his earlier works, and having read his masterpiece The Man in the High Castle, I find myself in the position of having to go back in time to Dick’s very beginnings. Probably if I had read this book when I was supposed to, I would have been a little kinder. It’s very primitive compared with his later novels, even more so than Voices From the Street. Unfortunately, it’s also about 100 pages longer than any of his other books, although far less happens.
In fact, hardly anything happens. My main problem with this book, and there are many, is that it’s kind of boring. Although the book takes place in China, it might as well have been anywhere. Aside from a brief, somewhat interesting chapter near the end when an actual Chinese person shows up, and the new communist Chinese are compared with the early Christians, the entirety of the book, aside from flashbacks, follows three Americans in a huge abandoned metal working complex. No one comes in, and they never go out.
The flashbacks are the only respite from the monotony of the plant, and take up the majority of the first half of the book, following Verne and Barbara between Castle, north of Boston, and New York. The characters wax endlessly about their woes, and when we finally found out what happened between Verne and Barbara, it’s pretty anticlimactic. It’s hard to see why it’s such a big deal, especially when four or five years have passed since then.
Carl, especially, is virtually ignored in the first half of the book, and it’s not until near the end that we get any idea of why he is the way he is (which is earnestly annoying), which points out some major structure programs. It’s hard to see how Carl could hold any appeal for Barbara, except as a counterpoint to Verne. He’s childlike and hyperactive, full of half-baked philosophizing and prattling on about anything just to fill the silence. I found dour old cynical Verne to be much more likeable.
Both the dialogue and the prose are overwrought and overcooked. The young Dick was obviously striving for profundity but fell short. There are moments of beauty and mystery, especially in the apparently semi-autobiographical sections detailing Carl’s childhood and development, but on the whole it’s kind of a turgid affair, too many words detailing too little story. This one is for Dick completists only.
Stray thoughts: The name of one of the bars Verne frequents, The Lazy Wren, was reused as the black bar in Mary and the Giant.
My edition: Mariner Books paperback, 2012
Up next: “Martian Time-Slip”!
August 9th, 2012
Entry #23 - Gather Yourselves Together (written June 1952, published posthumously June 1994)
In the course of this project, I’ve done my best to read through Dick’s works in the order of composition. However, this book, Gather Yourselves Together, was out of print until a new version was released last month. I wasn’t willing to pay over a hundred dollars just to read in perfect order. Now after having read this, I’m glad I didn’t.
There’s some debate, but most Dick scholars agree that this is his first complete, finished novel, most likely written shortly before Voices From the Street (#2), when he was just 24. And it shows. This book succeeds more as an interesting peek into Dick’s evolution than as a story itself.
So I find myself in an interesting position on this project. Having just finished with all of Dick’s mainstream novels, his last one, Humpty Dumpty in Oakland, itself a sort of throwback to his earlier works, and having read his masterpiece The Man in the High Castle, I find myself in the position of having to go back in time to Dick’s very beginnings. Probably if I had read this book when I was supposed to, I would have been a little kinder. It’s very primitive compared with his later novels, even more so than Voices From the Street. Unfortunately, it’s also about 100 pages longer than any of his other books, although far less happens.
In fact, hardly anything happens. My main problem with this book, and there are many, is that it’s kind of boring. Although the book takes place in China, it might as well have been anywhere. Aside from a brief, somewhat interesting chapter near the end when an actual Chinese person shows up, and the new communist Chinese are compared with the early Christians, the entirety of the book, aside from flashbacks, follows three Americans in a huge abandoned metal working complex. No one comes in, and they never go out.
The flashbacks are the only respite from the monotony of the plant, and take up the majority of the first half of the book, following Verne and Barbara between Castle, north of Boston, and New York. The characters wax endlessly about their woes, and when we finally found out what happened between Verne and Barbara, it’s pretty anticlimactic. It’s hard to see why it’s such a big deal, especially when four or five years have passed since then.
Carl, especially, is virtually ignored in the first half of the book, and it’s not until near the end that we get any idea of why he is the way he is (which is earnestly annoying), which points out some major structure programs. It’s hard to see how Carl could hold any appeal for Barbara, except as a counterpoint to Verne. He’s childlike and hyperactive, full of half-baked philosophizing and prattling on about anything just to fill the silence. I found dour old cynical Verne to be much more likeable.
Both the dialogue and the prose are overwrought and overcooked. The young Dick was obviously striving for profundity but fell short. There are moments of beauty and mystery, especially in the apparently semi-autobiographical sections detailing Carl’s childhood and development, but on the whole it’s kind of a turgid affair, too many words detailing too little story. This one is for Dick completists only.
Stray thoughts: The name of one of the bars Verne frequents, The Lazy Wren, was reused as the black bar in Mary and the Giant.
My edition: Mariner Books paperback, 2012
Up next: “Martian Time-Slip”!
August 9th, 2012
January 19, 2020
21, 89 missing period
164 she been before
180 Verne go up
220 He blond hair
296 while - white
272 solder - soldier
Not tight. Often a character will think something, then say that something. & the casual dialogue isn't distilled, full of characters talking around their humming & hawing. So many times asking each other what the other is thinking, wondering what the other is thinking
Verne's discussion with the Chinese soldier is interesting in the context of Dick's later thoughts about Christianity
164 she been before
180 Verne go up
220 He blond hair
296 while - white
272 solder - soldier
Not tight. Often a character will think something, then say that something. & the casual dialogue isn't distilled, full of characters talking around their humming & hawing. So many times asking each other what the other is thinking, wondering what the other is thinking
Verne's discussion with the Chinese soldier is interesting in the context of Dick's later thoughts about Christianity
July 27, 2022
Libro scritto intorno ai 20 anni, tra il 1948 e il 1950 e mai pubblicato in vita, probabilmente il primo di Dick.
Curioso che il Wikipedia americano sottolinei diverse analogie con l'ultima sua produzione (L'Esegesi e Valis), in special modo il trattato etico di Carl= Esegesi; il parallelismo tra decadenza dell'impero romano e quella del capitalismo americano e il richiamo ai primi cristiani come rivoluzionari; oltre alle diverse ragazze coi capelli neri (un ricordo di Carl, Barbara stessa? e Teddy data come incarnazione della gemella), segno che le ossessioni più intime e profonde di Dick sono presenti fin dall'inizio, anche se non hanno ancora la forma e le tematiche che lo caratterizzeranno.
Infatti questa è una storia piuttosto semplice, fondamentalmente un ménage à trois: contrariamente al fatto di essere priva di particolare interesse, e contrariamente alla non linearità che caratterizzerà poi i suoi scritti, questo libro si rivela a sorpresa molto scorrevole e di facile lettura che incentiva al prosieguo. Per il resto ci sono dialoghi piuttosto ingenui, molto incentrati sulla relazione e sul sesso, con una visione che probabilmente per l'epoca era anche piuttosto disinibita, mentre oggi appare strana e impacciata (come comunque ci si può attendere da un ragazzo uscito da poco dall' adolescenza). Suppongo che se non fosse Dick questo libro non susciterebbe grande interesse, ma bisogna dire che al netto del suo effettivo valore, trovo alcune scelte molto interessanti: sopra tutto la scelta della situazione e dell'ambientazione, che ne fanno davvero una specie di Deserto dei Tartari a modo suo e in minore anche La luce morente di Martin. Mi pare che scegliere un grosso sito industriale americano dislocato in Cina, abbandonato a seguito della rivoluzione cinese e della imminente presa di possesso da parte del nuovo governo, non sia affatto banale. Inoltre lo stato di momentanea assenza di padroni, permette ai tre protagonisti l'apertura a situazioni di attesa angosciosa e/o di possibilità nuove che si prospettano. Anche il passaggio da un sistema economico capitalista a quello comunista come passaggio da un mondo in rovina a uno forte di un ideale nuovo (i cinesi di Mao come i cristiani durante l'Impero di Roma), mi pare abbastanza audace per l'epoca.
Siamo usciti da poco dalla guerra e chi scrive è un ragazzo che per poco non era in età per il fronte: direi che ci sono idee decisamente preziose che però l'autore non ha ancora i mezzi per sviluppare in modo originale.
Voglio sottolineare infine la presenza piuttosto massiccia, soprattutto nei ricordi di Verne e Barbara, della MUSICA, quasi una celebrazione di una nuova Età del Jazz, qui a profusione, oltre che Classica, con riferimenti puntuali sparsi in tutto il libro (non li ho segnati, ma certamente Bach, Beethoven, mi pare Bartòk). Lo segnalo perchè era un dettaglio a cui non avevo mai fatto caso, invece l'ho ritrovato in evidenza con La trasmigrazione di Timothy Archer (3° libro della Trilogia di Valis, pubblicato postumo), che inizia nel giorno della morte di John Lennon e scopro che in questo ultimo periodo i riferimenti musicali di Dick si rivolgono più alla musica rock anzichè quella classica ampiamente usata in precedenza. Nello specifico di questo libro, c'è da dire che proprio in quegli anni Dick stava lavorando in un negozio di dischi.
Curioso che il Wikipedia americano sottolinei diverse analogie con l'ultima sua produzione (L'Esegesi e Valis), in special modo il trattato etico di Carl= Esegesi; il parallelismo tra decadenza dell'impero romano e quella del capitalismo americano e il richiamo ai primi cristiani come rivoluzionari; oltre alle diverse ragazze coi capelli neri (un ricordo di Carl, Barbara stessa? e Teddy data come incarnazione della gemella), segno che le ossessioni più intime e profonde di Dick sono presenti fin dall'inizio, anche se non hanno ancora la forma e le tematiche che lo caratterizzeranno.
Infatti questa è una storia piuttosto semplice, fondamentalmente un ménage à trois: contrariamente al fatto di essere priva di particolare interesse, e contrariamente alla non linearità che caratterizzerà poi i suoi scritti, questo libro si rivela a sorpresa molto scorrevole e di facile lettura che incentiva al prosieguo. Per il resto ci sono dialoghi piuttosto ingenui, molto incentrati sulla relazione e sul sesso, con una visione che probabilmente per l'epoca era anche piuttosto disinibita, mentre oggi appare strana e impacciata (come comunque ci si può attendere da un ragazzo uscito da poco dall' adolescenza). Suppongo che se non fosse Dick questo libro non susciterebbe grande interesse, ma bisogna dire che al netto del suo effettivo valore, trovo alcune scelte molto interessanti: sopra tutto la scelta della situazione e dell'ambientazione, che ne fanno davvero una specie di Deserto dei Tartari a modo suo e in minore anche La luce morente di Martin. Mi pare che scegliere un grosso sito industriale americano dislocato in Cina, abbandonato a seguito della rivoluzione cinese e della imminente presa di possesso da parte del nuovo governo, non sia affatto banale. Inoltre lo stato di momentanea assenza di padroni, permette ai tre protagonisti l'apertura a situazioni di attesa angosciosa e/o di possibilità nuove che si prospettano. Anche il passaggio da un sistema economico capitalista a quello comunista come passaggio da un mondo in rovina a uno forte di un ideale nuovo (i cinesi di Mao come i cristiani durante l'Impero di Roma), mi pare abbastanza audace per l'epoca.
Siamo usciti da poco dalla guerra e chi scrive è un ragazzo che per poco non era in età per il fronte: direi che ci sono idee decisamente preziose che però l'autore non ha ancora i mezzi per sviluppare in modo originale.
Voglio sottolineare infine la presenza piuttosto massiccia, soprattutto nei ricordi di Verne e Barbara, della MUSICA, quasi una celebrazione di una nuova Età del Jazz, qui a profusione, oltre che Classica, con riferimenti puntuali sparsi in tutto il libro (non li ho segnati, ma certamente Bach, Beethoven, mi pare Bartòk). Lo segnalo perchè era un dettaglio a cui non avevo mai fatto caso, invece l'ho ritrovato in evidenza con La trasmigrazione di Timothy Archer (3° libro della Trilogia di Valis, pubblicato postumo), che inizia nel giorno della morte di John Lennon e scopro che in questo ultimo periodo i riferimenti musicali di Dick si rivolgono più alla musica rock anzichè quella classica ampiamente usata in precedenza. Nello specifico di questo libro, c'è da dire che proprio in quegli anni Dick stava lavorando in un negozio di dischi.
November 28, 2022
"... I vostri scienziati sono asserviti al potere politico. Non possono rivelare la verità sul mondo. E cosi' anche gli artisti."
"Esatto. Proprio come accadeva nel Medioevo. Nella nostra società la scienza e l'arte sono subordinate ai bisogni sociali. Vassalli della pianificazione politica".
Solo alcune battute del breve scambio d'idee tra Verne, uno dei protagonisti del romanzo, e il rappresentante del Comitato politico consultivo del popolo cinese, venuto a esaminare lo stato dell'azienda americana che, in piena rivoluzione, dovrà essere consegnata al nuovo governo cinese.
L'ambientazione politica fa in realtà solo da sfondo a questo primo romanzo di Philip K. Dick, scritto nel 1952, dove a dominare sono invece l'alienazione, il risentimento, la frustrazione dei tre personaggi principali, ma il senso del dialogo sopra citato, specie alla luce dei recenti fatti accaduti, mi ha colpito per la sua attualità. Uno specchio dei tempi.
"Esatto. Proprio come accadeva nel Medioevo. Nella nostra società la scienza e l'arte sono subordinate ai bisogni sociali. Vassalli della pianificazione politica".
Solo alcune battute del breve scambio d'idee tra Verne, uno dei protagonisti del romanzo, e il rappresentante del Comitato politico consultivo del popolo cinese, venuto a esaminare lo stato dell'azienda americana che, in piena rivoluzione, dovrà essere consegnata al nuovo governo cinese.
L'ambientazione politica fa in realtà solo da sfondo a questo primo romanzo di Philip K. Dick, scritto nel 1952, dove a dominare sono invece l'alienazione, il risentimento, la frustrazione dei tre personaggi principali, ma il senso del dialogo sopra citato, specie alla luce dei recenti fatti accaduti, mi ha colpito per la sua attualità. Uno specchio dei tempi.
June 26, 2019
Early work set in an American factory in China, waiting for the the Red Army to turn up and take over. Three characters are left behind to ponder their lives waiting for the world to change. Plenty of interesting observational detail about social changes going on, and the topic of China supplanting the US would be more topical if it was filmed today. This was an apprentice work so there are plenty of weaknesses in pace and plot, but it's still worth a look.
December 12, 2019
Much better than should be expected. The early elements of many PKD themes are here, in a book which is said to be his earliest surviving novel. For a fan, like myself, who has read the majority of the novels, I would highly recommend this one. However, I might be an outlier as I have really enjoyed several of his non-science fiction novels
September 14, 2021
Even though this is such an early book for Dick (potentially even his first), I actually found it fantastic. I see people complaining that not much happens, but I don't agree with that at all. While the surface story may be slower paced, his writing brings up the huge questions of nature and our place in it (as we "modernize" and create job environments and buildings), relationships and control struggles, different forms of communication between humans and our role with the invisible parts of The Earth around us. Plus, there are lots of questions of sex and respect and consent brought up that I think are subtly progressive at times for a book written in the earliest of the 1950s. (The character Teddy definitely often seems like a late 60s independent woman compared to the painful rigidity of the 50s family models.) And there are quite clearly sexual descriptions used at times with scenes that end up not being about sex on the surface at all. The same can be said of simple scenes happening that actually speak to our existence as a whole with his incredible writing (often deceptively clear and simple in prose).
The characters are complex, and Dick keeps unveiling layers throughout the book where you fill in more depth to ideas you already had about someone. A despicable person can have sympathetic moments where the lines are blurred as an innocent character can then do something where you question their whole being for a bit. Dick also does an interesting thing where a character's thoughts will change free-flow multiple times within the paragraph in a way I haven't often seen. The lack of consistency in style is actually a powerful tool in this book throughout. Plus, there are lots of musical references and musical scenes in the book which I loved as a huge music fan. Also, the heavy alcohol use throughout brings up many more layers to some characters as it is used in different ways for different situations, sometimes fun and sometimes horrific or pathetic. It also allows Dick to switch and write in a drunken manner for some of the most original, exciting passages as well. They still read as something new 70 years later.
So I'm left finding even more depth and respect for Dick's writing after reading this, and I have fresh questions about human nature exciting me thanks to it. Plus, it is still a book where 3 people are abandoned in a huge work complex (The Company) until the foreign bosses who bought out the company are to show up. I do find this to be in par with his life-long science fiction themes of questioning jobs, governments, and feeling isolated in our modern worlds we create. Dick is brilliant as always. This book is another layer that shouldn't be ignored in my opinion. The supposed "nothing happenings" in this book open doors to our inner universe and to the one all around us as well, bringing up parallels to the two. Just be sure to read more of Dick in general because he is one of the best ever.
The characters are complex, and Dick keeps unveiling layers throughout the book where you fill in more depth to ideas you already had about someone. A despicable person can have sympathetic moments where the lines are blurred as an innocent character can then do something where you question their whole being for a bit. Dick also does an interesting thing where a character's thoughts will change free-flow multiple times within the paragraph in a way I haven't often seen. The lack of consistency in style is actually a powerful tool in this book throughout. Plus, there are lots of musical references and musical scenes in the book which I loved as a huge music fan. Also, the heavy alcohol use throughout brings up many more layers to some characters as it is used in different ways for different situations, sometimes fun and sometimes horrific or pathetic. It also allows Dick to switch and write in a drunken manner for some of the most original, exciting passages as well. They still read as something new 70 years later.
So I'm left finding even more depth and respect for Dick's writing after reading this, and I have fresh questions about human nature exciting me thanks to it. Plus, it is still a book where 3 people are abandoned in a huge work complex (The Company) until the foreign bosses who bought out the company are to show up. I do find this to be in par with his life-long science fiction themes of questioning jobs, governments, and feeling isolated in our modern worlds we create. Dick is brilliant as always. This book is another layer that shouldn't be ignored in my opinion. The supposed "nothing happenings" in this book open doors to our inner universe and to the one all around us as well, bringing up parallels to the two. Just be sure to read more of Dick in general because he is one of the best ever.
April 9, 2022
Philip K. Dick is one of the more complex, fascinating, and problematic writers in the literary ecosystem. Many readers are already familiar with his science fiction works and adaptations, but I don’t think nearly as many have spent the time looking at his earliest writing. For years, I’ve been telling myself that I would read the entirety of his works, partially because his life and experiences so frequently moved between the ordinary and the supernatural and also because I think it’s helpful as a writer to have read through the evolution of other writers’ literary careers.
Gather Yourselves Together, Dick’s first published novel, gives us a taste of those thematic components that would feature prominently in his later departures from realism (metaphysics, the rise of capitalism and fiscal greed, political manipulation, the nature of reality). Much of the novel is autobiographical, so if you’re interested in that extra layer of meaning, I’d highly recommend skimming an abbreviated biography and the novel’s afterword before you dive into the story.
Overall, I’d say it’s clear as to why Dick had so much trouble breaking into the literary mainstream with his realist novels. As I read Gather, I couldn’t help but feel like I was dealing with a half-formed idea. Having already read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? it’s clear how much of a leap his storytelling, prose, and inquiry eventually take, and I’m looking forward to seeing this shift as I read through more of his realist pieces.
Gather Yourselves Together, Dick’s first published novel, gives us a taste of those thematic components that would feature prominently in his later departures from realism (metaphysics, the rise of capitalism and fiscal greed, political manipulation, the nature of reality). Much of the novel is autobiographical, so if you’re interested in that extra layer of meaning, I’d highly recommend skimming an abbreviated biography and the novel’s afterword before you dive into the story.
Overall, I’d say it’s clear as to why Dick had so much trouble breaking into the literary mainstream with his realist novels. As I read Gather, I couldn’t help but feel like I was dealing with a half-formed idea. Having already read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? it’s clear how much of a leap his storytelling, prose, and inquiry eventually take, and I’m looking forward to seeing this shift as I read through more of his realist pieces.
August 1, 2021
Dwight Brown says it best in the Afterword:
“In the end, GYT is much more successful as a historical document than as a novel. Gather shows us just how early some of Dick’s themes and tropes began to develop.”
I can’t recommend this book to anyone besides diehard PKD fans. The writing is truly juvenile throughout, and the sections written from Barbara’s perspective were particularly clumsy.
For diehard/completionist PKD fans, though, what Brown says holds true. It’s interesting to see the seeds of PKD’s common themes sprinkled throughout a book written when he was 24. Not many of us can write a worthwhile sentence when we are 24, so I don’t fault Phil for that.
“In the end, GYT is much more successful as a historical document than as a novel. Gather shows us just how early some of Dick’s themes and tropes began to develop.”
I can’t recommend this book to anyone besides diehard PKD fans. The writing is truly juvenile throughout, and the sections written from Barbara’s perspective were particularly clumsy.
For diehard/completionist PKD fans, though, what Brown says holds true. It’s interesting to see the seeds of PKD’s common themes sprinkled throughout a book written when he was 24. Not many of us can write a worthwhile sentence when we are 24, so I don’t fault Phil for that.
Read
May 13, 2023despite its lack of masterly grace, it is a much stronger start to pkd's project than the cries of boredom goodreads saddles it with.
as a neurotic myself, it is hard to know how much of pkd's expanded, elaborated nueroticism speaks to the human condition. but i've met some people, and it feels like even if this level of neurosis is peripheral, it is a valuable periphery to explore. i would hazard a guess that is not so peripheral as some would wish.
as a neurotic myself, it is hard to know how much of pkd's expanded, elaborated nueroticism speaks to the human condition. but i've met some people, and it feels like even if this level of neurosis is peripheral, it is a valuable periphery to explore. i would hazard a guess that is not so peripheral as some would wish.
July 13, 2013
Reading some of the other reviews of this novel and the afterword by Dwight Brown in the Mariner edition, I came away feeling as though I read a different book than they did. I liked it very much, but it definitely didn't follow the usual PKD format of introducing three characters who converge later in the novel. In fact, we're presented with little more than three characters to begin with. aim a sense, they've already converged before they meet, being isolated as the only three people left behind by a nameless company expelled from China in 1950. Narrowing the scope to three characters allows Dick to explore what makes each tick through flashbacks and their actions in the present day. Since the three are two men and a woman, there's obvious tension as to who will get the girl and which man will she choose? The tension is exacerbated by Verne and Barbara's already established sexual history. Will this give him an edge or not? There's also Carl's virgin status to consider. Throughout Dick examines the nature of power between women and men, and two men. There's also the looming specter of the "Yuks" coming and kicking them out, but until then, they have the place all to themselves. Dickheads get a glimpse of the dark-haired girl and some seeming autobiographical passages attributed to Carl.
According to Brown, "it doesn't come close to the tear-your-your-heart-out intensity of Dick's best work." I would have to disagree. Dick creates incredible tension even with the most mundane passages in this novel, so I would say it does come close to what we find in his work later. We have the implied near rape of Barbara by Verne in flashback and the we find her doing the same thing to Carl in real time. If this book was written in 1950 as Rickman and Sutin surmise and one of his earliest, this seems rather advanced and ahead of his time. I suspect there was some later polishing, probably when he was living with Ann R. Dick and he tried to push his literary work again. There's argument whether Voices from the street was written before or after, so I guess I'll have to read it next.
A lot of his literary novels ( and I've read all but 2 now) to me come off as very much like his SF, just with the SF element removed. Not so with this book. To me this one reads more like a straight literary novel than the others and probably more successful, as a result. I seem to be in he minority, though.
According to Brown, "it doesn't come close to the tear-your-your-heart-out intensity of Dick's best work." I would have to disagree. Dick creates incredible tension even with the most mundane passages in this novel, so I would say it does come close to what we find in his work later. We have the implied near rape of Barbara by Verne in flashback and the we find her doing the same thing to Carl in real time. If this book was written in 1950 as Rickman and Sutin surmise and one of his earliest, this seems rather advanced and ahead of his time. I suspect there was some later polishing, probably when he was living with Ann R. Dick and he tried to push his literary work again. There's argument whether Voices from the street was written before or after, so I guess I'll have to read it next.
A lot of his literary novels ( and I've read all but 2 now) to me come off as very much like his SF, just with the SF element removed. Not so with this book. To me this one reads more like a straight literary novel than the others and probably more successful, as a result. I seem to be in he minority, though.
July 27, 2018
A few years ago, I set out to read all of Philip K. Dick’s published novels and short stories. The last book I read was Gather Yourselves Together, which is thought to be Dick’s oldest surviving novel, published decades after his death. Although the timeline is vague, Dick wrote it in his late twentiesas part of his attempt to establish himself as a literary novelist. I went in with some trepidation, fearing that I was in an amateurish first attempt, but I was pleasantly surprised. Although the novel has some flaws, the characterization and insight into the human condition held my attention as a reader.
The prose is fairly flat and utilitarian, without much of an authorial voice, which I would expect from a beginning novelist.The story tends to be slow, without much of a plot, but I found I didn’t mind. The story is set in China in the aftermath of the Communist Revolution. A trio of American workers are left behind by their employer, to turn over a factory to the Communist Chinese military, which has seized the company’s assets in China. The lives and relationships of the three spool out in a series of flashbacks. The setting is entirely unlike any of Dick’s other novels, but some of the themes that Dick would develop in later books are already present here, albeit in embryonic form. There are impulsive, unhappy affairs. Characters make philosophical digressions, not to show how smart the characters are, but so that Philip Dick can show us how smart he is. There is also a bit of the charming wonder of youth, though. The young and inexperienced character of Carl is a thinly veiled proxy for Dick himself. That’s much of the fascination of the book for me. Much like Dick’s later works (Valis for instance), this book spends a lot of it’s time on Dick’s personal musings and digressions. That’s not for everyone, I know, but I’m always intrigued by the workings of Dick’s mind. Gather Yourselves Together is interesting in that it gives the reader that personal insight into Dick’s mind at a much younger age than what we see in his later books. Dick (and Dick’s characters) were not quite so cynical, jaded and worn down as they would later become.
The prose is fairly flat and utilitarian, without much of an authorial voice, which I would expect from a beginning novelist.The story tends to be slow, without much of a plot, but I found I didn’t mind. The story is set in China in the aftermath of the Communist Revolution. A trio of American workers are left behind by their employer, to turn over a factory to the Communist Chinese military, which has seized the company’s assets in China. The lives and relationships of the three spool out in a series of flashbacks. The setting is entirely unlike any of Dick’s other novels, but some of the themes that Dick would develop in later books are already present here, albeit in embryonic form. There are impulsive, unhappy affairs. Characters make philosophical digressions, not to show how smart the characters are, but so that Philip Dick can show us how smart he is. There is also a bit of the charming wonder of youth, though. The young and inexperienced character of Carl is a thinly veiled proxy for Dick himself. That’s much of the fascination of the book for me. Much like Dick’s later works (Valis for instance), this book spends a lot of it’s time on Dick’s personal musings and digressions. That’s not for everyone, I know, but I’m always intrigued by the workings of Dick’s mind. Gather Yourselves Together is interesting in that it gives the reader that personal insight into Dick’s mind at a much younger age than what we see in his later books. Dick (and Dick’s characters) were not quite so cynical, jaded and worn down as they would later become.
May 1, 2019
What I always find myself thinking while reading Philip K. Dick is how he makes it seems so easy. Even his first novel, purportedly, does it. All you have to do is read a few pages and the characters come alive. I have found this true of all of his novels. Bolano said that even when Philip Dick was bad he was good. And it’s true. He can have a so-so or even a bad premise (Counter-Clock World comes to mind) and yet the characters are still a draw. He can’t go wrong with his characters, seemingly, and that’s why his novels are never a chore. As I work my way through his complete works I do not neglect the realist novels. Apparently, he wrote them for therapy and I think a lot of his personality comes through. As in Mary and the Giant, there is usually an appearance of some formative music record that Dick probably put on his own turntable at one point. Whenever I finish a Dick novel, I am all the more convinced that he will be my favorite novelist. He may not be the best novelist of all time but he is one of my favorites.
This is not the best starting point for anyone new to PKD, but it feels like discovering a manuscript by a great author that was never meant to see the light of day.
You only get hints of his usual themes: isolation, paranoia, ennui, etc. The resolution, conflict, and action seem somehow forced. But the intimacy with which he manages to put these characters' minds on the page is addictive. Anyone who truly appreciates this author's style will want to add this to their list.
This is not the best starting point for anyone new to PKD, but it feels like discovering a manuscript by a great author that was never meant to see the light of day.
You only get hints of his usual themes: isolation, paranoia, ennui, etc. The resolution, conflict, and action seem somehow forced. But the intimacy with which he manages to put these characters' minds on the page is addictive. Anyone who truly appreciates this author's style will want to add this to their list.
April 13, 2014
This is an early Philip K. Dick novel that wasn't published during his lifetime. It's not a bad book by any stretch, but it has a very different feel from most of Dick's bibliography, and it is quite obviously written by a novice.
The plot focuses on three employees of a nameless large corporation that is pulling out of China for vague political reasons. These three employees are left behind to keep a watch on the company property until it is to be turned over to Chinese nationals. The entirety of the book takes places as the three wait, though we have a few flashbacks to their earlier lives in the United States.
It feels like Dick is aiming for something like Revolutionary Road or other novels filled with mid-life ennui or regret. Yet, the whole thing is stilted and overwrought, and by the end I didn't much care about the fates of the characters. It takes itself much too seriously. I'll wager that Dick felt much the same way, which was why it never saw the light of day while he was alive. It probably should have stayed in whatever desk drawer it was found in, but as Dick's work has been increasingly appreciated, I'm sure Gather Yourselves Together represented an opportunity for a publisher to make a few extra dollars, and here we are.
The plot focuses on three employees of a nameless large corporation that is pulling out of China for vague political reasons. These three employees are left behind to keep a watch on the company property until it is to be turned over to Chinese nationals. The entirety of the book takes places as the three wait, though we have a few flashbacks to their earlier lives in the United States.
It feels like Dick is aiming for something like Revolutionary Road or other novels filled with mid-life ennui or regret. Yet, the whole thing is stilted and overwrought, and by the end I didn't much care about the fates of the characters. It takes itself much too seriously. I'll wager that Dick felt much the same way, which was why it never saw the light of day while he was alive. It probably should have stayed in whatever desk drawer it was found in, but as Dick's work has been increasingly appreciated, I'm sure Gather Yourselves Together represented an opportunity for a publisher to make a few extra dollars, and here we are.
January 16, 2020
Chinese chequers
3/5 • GATHER YOURSELVES TOGETHER is almost certainly PKD’s first attempt at novel writing. Written when he was perhaps 20 (no one knows for sure) it’s interesting mainly as a study of the author’s early development, and for the autobiographical elements it contains. Many of the tropes that will appear again and again in his later work (especially his mainstream novels) can be found here in raw, unpolished form. As with all PKD’s mainstream fiction the story is populated by isolated, damaged, sometimes barely functional individuals who behave in a manner that’s not exactly commonplace. But that’s their function. They are creaking, broken, deeply fallible representatives of humanity, trying to make a go of things despite not really knowing what that entails. There’s not that much of a plot here, with most of the book spent reporting the fractured back-stories and relationships shared by the three protagonists. The setting for much of the book is deliberately alienating and is almost as strange as the worlds in Dick’s SF. GYT is a good read, even though it is somewhat naive and underwhelming. It’s definitely one of the weakest of Dick’s non-SF output, but it’s still a must for all serious fans.
3/5 • GATHER YOURSELVES TOGETHER is almost certainly PKD’s first attempt at novel writing. Written when he was perhaps 20 (no one knows for sure) it’s interesting mainly as a study of the author’s early development, and for the autobiographical elements it contains. Many of the tropes that will appear again and again in his later work (especially his mainstream novels) can be found here in raw, unpolished form. As with all PKD’s mainstream fiction the story is populated by isolated, damaged, sometimes barely functional individuals who behave in a manner that’s not exactly commonplace. But that’s their function. They are creaking, broken, deeply fallible representatives of humanity, trying to make a go of things despite not really knowing what that entails. There’s not that much of a plot here, with most of the book spent reporting the fractured back-stories and relationships shared by the three protagonists. The setting for much of the book is deliberately alienating and is almost as strange as the worlds in Dick’s SF. GYT is a good read, even though it is somewhat naive and underwhelming. It’s definitely one of the weakest of Dick’s non-SF output, but it’s still a must for all serious fans.
February 8, 2015
Il primo romanzo del grande PhilipK. Dick. Che dire a riguardo? In primo luogo non �� un racconto di fantascienza. Io lo consiglio soprattutto a chi ha gi�� letto i libri dickiani pi�� significativi, solo cos�� a mio avviso si pu�� apprezzare retrospettivamente per ci�� che rappresenta.La storia narra di tre americani, uomini e una donna, che attendono l'arrivo degli occupatori cinesi. Questi devono prendere possesso degli edifici della Compagnia per la quale i tre americani lavoravano.Il plot si sviluppa tra dialoghi e scenari desolati della fabbrica in disuso e onirici del ricongiungimento con gli elementi della natura.Si possono intuire le imperfezioni di stile di un Dick ancora un po' acerbo ma senza dubbio si pu�� ritrovare molto del suo spirito di osservazione e criticismo nel confronto dell'uomo/dio/natura e del senso dell'essere.Un bel libro, che mi sento di consigliare a chiunque sia interessato a conoscere pi�� a fondo questo straordinario scrittore.
February 5, 2021
I’ve just completed the last of the PKD oeuvre and oddly my journey ends with his first novel. This reads like a fly-on-the-wall look at Phil’s phobias in an overly elongated psychodrama. Still I can’t help but imagine David Lynch doing wonders with this. From the dead birds in the green grass to the eerie slag landscape with a colonial New England home plopped in the middle of it; a dark garden of Eden where coercion is always at play, whether from men, women or the topical 1950 communist threat. I think I’m going miss Phil’s weltanschauung. He was ahead of his time. Or was he actually in Rome, or still around somewhere today???
February 12, 2013
Not the best of Dick's work, which I guess is to be expected considering how early on it was written. It is well written, but there isn't really a whole lot to the story; everything is painted in rather broad strokes for a novel of this length. The flashback scenes don't blend well with the present day story, especially Carl's. Worth reading if you're as obsessed with his work as I am, but not an integral part of Dick's canon.
November 29, 2019
A slow burn--shifts back and forth between characters visiting jazz clubs in the 50s or early 60s. Then shifts to China, where an established industrial company is leaving China as communists overtake the country. I had trouble establishing the characters in my mind for a good part of the book because of the disjointed style, but by the end I loved the story. This is a character study, rather than a more typical Dick science fiction.
February 11, 2020
Curious book by Dick here. Don't see many traditional fiction stories from him. Story feels like it plateaus at one pt and the rest of the book is mostly an epilogue. Flashbacks from PKD book. I can't recall it ever being used. Overall I enjoyed it.
August 11, 2012
Not half as bad as I feared. The dialogue was at times a bit childish and tedious (not to mention unbelievable), but the afterword for this book really puts it in perspective.
April 7, 2021
Brillante, allucinante e sensoriale, come molti suoi libri; mi ha impressionata e lo consiglio vivamente a tutti.
March 12, 2025
Best book you’ll ever read during a hot summer alone in the shade of a pine tree with cicadas chirping in the background
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