Vegetable on a piece of land

The novel was written around 1957, but it remained for a long time not published. Soon, in 1985, the American publishing house located in Chicago Academy Chicago Publishers published the novel “Vegetable on a piece of land” ^[1] . In Russia, the novel was published by Eksmo Publishing House in 2012; he entered the author’s collection with five out-of-cycle Dick novels: “The Broken Ball ” (1956), “ Mary and the Giant ” (1954), “ Humpty Dumpty in Auckland ” (1960) and “ On the Territory of Milton Lamps ” (1958) ^{[2 ]} .

The entrepreneurial story of the heroes of the novel by Roger and Virginia is inspired by the first experience of the writer Philip Dick in two music stores in Berkeley, in the forties. At that time, this type of business also sold radio and first televisions, and also provided technical assistance ^[3] .

Such an autobiographical element is also found in other Dick novels:

• The protagonists of the novels “ Voices from the Street ” (1952) and “ Free Albemouth Radio ” (1976), Stuart Hadley and Nick Brady, respectively, are employees in similar stores;
• The character of Hoppy Harrington from the novel " Doctor Death, or How We Lived After the Bomb " (1963) is an excellent radio and television repairman.

In 1944, Virginia Watson and Roger Lindahl meet in Washington, DC. They get married after Roger divorces his first wife Teddy and leaves his daughter from her. Their subsequent move to Los Angeles to work at a military plant is quite profitable. But Roger spends money much faster than they earn it. By 1953, Roger opened a television sale and repair shop, while Virginia was trying to register her 7-year-old son, Gregg, at an expensive boarding school in Ohai, against Roger's wishes.

Liz Bonner, another parent, convinces Roger to agree to Gregg's enrollment, offering to share the dangerous and debilitating driving responsibilities associated with transporting his children across the nearby mountains to and from Ohai.

There is a special private exchange between Roger and Marion Watson (mother of Virginia), which very graphically depicts the very immature, volatile and unpredictable nature of Roger. The trigger for his outburst of rage is the realization that his hostile mother-in-law (as a favor only to her daughter) plans to provide substantial financial support to her business.

But there is another financial offender. Chick or Charles Bonner, Liz’s husband, who wants to buy Roger's store as an affiliate, but Lindahl rejects his offer and quickly begins an affair with his amiable wife. Virginia finds out, although Chick remains unaware, and she forces Roger to let her take over the legal ownership of the shop with Chick. Unfortunately, both marriages were irreparably damaged. Chick and Liz eventually get divorced. The marriage of Roger and Virginia has greatly weakened, moreover, Roger does not stop flirting with Liz, meeting her in a private school. The last chapter ends with the ever-impulsive Roger throwing his son Gregg at home, stealing a car with expensive TVs from the store, and rushing back to Chicago.

• OCLC 12371493
• Dewey Decimal Classification 813 / .54 19
• LCC PS3554.I3 P8 1985

• Science Fiction Laboratory Philip Dick “Vegetable on a piece of land”
• Summary at official Philip K. Dick website
• Release details and back cover text