The Dice Man

This book has achieved cult status, and it is really an interesting text. It’s cult status would be mostly due to male readers admittedly, and it does read as a little long – but it is the kind of book everyone should read.

Lucius Rhinehart is a psychologist who is bored with life. He considers having an affair, but cannot make up his mind. After an embarrassing confrontation with his wife he makes a spur of the moment decision – a roll of the dice with dictate his next move. When a frightening experience turns out to be liberating, continuing with the dice becomes a passion.

As the story progresses, Rhinehart turns more and more of his life over to the dice. It eventually becomes part of his therapy, leading to shocking but revealing results. His dice paradigm achieves cult status and picks up an astonishing amounts of followers.

Worshipping the dice is like worshipping fate. Shake up your life and you might never turn back.

The book has an interesting narrative structure, sometimes first person, sometimes third person, at other times it shifts entirely – as if the dice determined how the story should be told. In fact, the author (ironically Lucius Rhinehart) tells us the very same thing.

It was interesting enough to make me think about reading the sequel – so I think that’s a good sign!

Maybe I’ll let the dice decide…