What if the World War 2 had had a different result? This is a common question asked by alternative history novels, but The Man in the High Castle is one of the better novels I've read asking this question. The novel is set in America 15 years after they lost the war. America is divided into a Japanese controlled west coast, a German controlled east coast and an independent neutral central zone (the Rocky Mountain States). The story features several plotlines, each loosely connected to each other.
As with all alternative histories, an explanation of why history unfolded differently is needed. In this case the key event is that an attempted assassination of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 is successful. This means the USA has not recovered from the depression at the start of World War 2, they are unable to offer assistance to Britain and are unprepared for war when it arrives. While some details of the subsequent history don't seem quite right, such as the speed with which Nazi Germany has developed a space program and already has a colony on Mars, this version of history is plausible.
A key plot point within the book is the existence of an alternative history novel, banned in Nazi controlled regions, which tells a story of what would have happened had the Allies won the war. It gives another plausible, if slightly idealistic, version of an alternative history. The novel causes the characters to reflect on the outcome of the war.
Another key feature of the novel is the impact of an imposed culture on a conquered people. One of the characters in the Japanese controlled zone is constantly aware of his place in the new hierarchy of the society. It's clear he still finds it difficult as he constantly has to think ahead to plan his actions and reactions.
The various plots within the book each come to an ending but not a conclusion. Some may find that unsatisfactory but I didn't. History doesn't conclude, each story ends but also runs into the next story. History continues.
Overall an enjoyable view of what might have been had World War 2 ended differently.
