The Martian by Andy Weir
In an optimistically portrayed universe in 2035, space travel has made significant advances from today. Mars has seen two human visits, and Mark Watney, our main character, is on a smooth journey towards a third expedition with his crew of fellow astronauts. Years of training have prepared them for their endeavor, and every step has been carefully planned out by administration back on Earth. They land their descent vehicle on Mars’ surface and set up base without any errors or miscalculations. That is, until the storm hits. Wind speeds of 175 kph slam the base, more than it can handle. The crew is forced to abort their multi-year mission, and begin evacuation into the ascent vehicle. Suddenly, a huge chunk of debris flies through the chaos, slamming into Watney and carrying him away into an isolated, stormy wasteland. Without any hope of retrieving their likely-dead crewmate, the team is forced to leave the planet behind. As it turns out, Watney survives, albeit with a hole in his chest. Even as the lone life-form on Mars, he’ll do everything he can to survive his seemingly hopeless situation and make a triumphant return back to Earth.
The premise of this story was instantly compelling for me, and the author’s style of writing made it even better. The book jumps right into things with a bold first line of, “I’m pretty much f***ed.” Most of the novel takes place in the form of daily log entries, making every chapter feel like a conversation with Watney and giving a more personal connection to the story. As the book progresses, it’s exciting to see Watney making more advances, having started from zero. It makes you want to root for him, seeing all of his struggles firsthand as well as his ingenious methods to combat them.
As stated before, the style this book uses resembles a one-sided conversation. Watney is something of a comedian; his casual, friendly tone and occasional remarks make it not too hard of a read, while still retaining a sense of being well written. He’s also skilled at describing his situation, almost like you’re seeing everything unfold firsthand. On the flip side, the book dives a bit into the scientific aspect of the Martian technology as well, and can sometimes be a little difficult to fully comprehend. Thankfully, partly because of Watney’s voice, it doesn’t feel like a drag to get through, and the many details just add to a realistic illustration of his life on Mars.
The Martian does a great job painting a realistic picture of what surviving alone on Mars would be like, and ties it in incredibly well with his captivating storyline. Instantly hooking readers with a unique perspective and voice, Andy Weir invites you to join Mark Watney in his endeavors and has you rooting for him the whole way.
-Andrew Kim
I like how you included a description of the book in the beginning. It really helps paint a picture of what you are talking about without giving spoilers. This blog makes me want to read The Martian. I like books that seem like the narrator is talking to the author, as opposed to telling a story, as it really pulls me in and makes me feel more like I'm a part of it. The plot of the story seems interesting. Good job!
ReplyDeleteYour review of the book gives just enough detail to keep the reader interested without spoiling any major parts of the book. I've never heard anything about this book but the way you described the book makes me want to get my hands on it and start reading. Overall, you have written a very good review that lets the reader know what the book is about without overwhelming them.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you wrote this out, making the reader want to read this book. It is clear and gives a general overview of the book without any spoilers. Personally I like books where it feels like you are following the narrator along their journey so I might take a look at it. (I also like how at the end you encourage us to read the book by saying we will root for Mark throughout the book). Nice job!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very in-depth and comprehensive book review that makes me inclined to read The Martian! You give an interesting plot premise while not spoiling too much of it, and you show how each important element in the novel is portrayed to make an overall great read of a book. It was very easy to visualize the books' tone from your description, and your description of the main character shows that he is well thought out and complex. Though I have watched the movie, this blog post has convinced me to read the book as well!
ReplyDeleteNice review! I really liked this book (and the movie). I liked your description of the book, and your opinions were well laid out and helped me get a sense of the book. I agree that it’s really easy to understand except for the scientific parts, and I also liked Mark Watney a lot as a main character who’s really easy to root for. Nice job!
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