George Guidall gives a magnificent performance here - simply calling it a 'reading' would do him no justice - in fact, it would be insulting. Like Ridley Scott's opening scenes of Blade Runner, Guidall inhabits the atmosphere of the novel and draws in the listener after the first line. Unlike Scott, however, Guidall has the entire novel to inhabit. He makes a wonderful job of portraying the characters; Japanese, German, American, men, women - his voicing is precise every time, with no slips or unbalanced delivery (are you listening, Jeff Halberstat?). And, as if this were not enough, he also brings a new vibrancy to the story - quite an achievement. Mr. Tagomi is portrayed as the historic (in all senses) character he is, with a marvellous sense of humour, intelligence and vulnerability. Joe Cinadella's torrid, tawdry fanaticism is superbly drawn - no grating Italian stereotype. Juliana Frink is shown to be, perhaps, the ultimate 'dark-haired girl'.
Minor characters receive the same meticulous rendering, such that the whole is made utterly believable and magnificently frightening. The allure and madness of the Nazis. The spirituality and etiquette-obsession of the Japanese. The division of the world along lines of race and class - all are shown as if the listener were looking into a mirror on the world.
...High Castle is widely regarded as PKD's masterpiece. This audiobook adaptation should be regarded as one also.
