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jl27's review against another edition
3.0
Story is fine. Characters are fun. Dialogue was way too frequent, especially with the NASA folks' interactions. And sometimes the details were overwhelming, even if you really like learning about the science ins and outs of space missions and such. I found myself speed-reading through a lot of those parts.
pheelmphree's review against another edition
5.0
This was an excellent book, and I can't believe it wasn't nominated for the Nebula Award for best novel. Maybe it will be for the Hugo. Self-published originally, Andy Weir applies impressive scientific knowledge to weave a believable story of a near-future expedition to Mars and a brutally suspenseful tale of survival. I highly recommend it.
itsophieso's review against another edition
Nothing wrong with the book, just wasn’t really in the mood for it
arjohnson5623's review against another edition
5.0
I don't really know where to begin with this one, because there are so many "wow" type thoughts that I'm a little bit lost for words. This is the type of fiction I would want to write, if I had the know-how. This is the type of fiction I would want to read much, much more of. Weir has created not only a realistic world and situation in which we as readers can get sucked in with very little suspension of disbelief, but also a cast of characters that are so intensely likeable and charming that I found myself laughing out loud at their jokes, gasping when something went wrong, and generally unwilling to put the book down.
The only complaint I have is that this is Weir's first published novel and that I don't have more from him to gobble up.
The only complaint I have is that this is Weir's first published novel and that I don't have more from him to gobble up.
shubbard116's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 I don’t think I am “sciency” enough to fully appreciate this book. The first 20% I dragged through… the detailed explanations of the chemistry or physics or whatever it was went way over my head. However, once I made it through the beginning, and the story line picked up, I was able to stay engaged and just skim over some of the more detailed bits. I liked the authors writing style and found Watney’s wit and humor enjoyable.
ericwilhite's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.0
veggiefest's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
asriram's review against another edition
5.0
The Martian is an amazing book. I would highly recommend it for its humor, its use of accurate scientific information, and the themes it presented throughout the book.
We start off with Mark Watney, an astronaut, who, after a scientific expedition to Mars go wrong, was abandoned by his crew, who believed him dead. As our main character, we learn about his predicament mainly through the use of his personal log, where he expresses his views and his situation. After we learn of his current predicament, he starts working though the calculations required to survive. After seeing him start working through his calculations, we switch over to NASA, where they are mourning over Mark's "death" until an intern assigned with monitoring the satellite notices changes in the position of certain objects, and is able to convince the leader of the project that Mark is still alive. Once they start to establish communication, the race against time to ensure that Mark Watney survives begins.
I enjoyed this book for many reasons. It displayed a unity among the different people of the world. Today, people are so divided and hurtful, and to see unity among many different people for a cause such as saving a life is really inspiring. It also was clever in its humor. Most books are either too serious to appreciate the humor of the situation, or are otherwise vulgar and idiotic in their humor. Mark had a type of humor called "Gallows Humor", where he made light-hearted remarks in particularly dark scenarios. This made him fun, and at the same time, relatable. Finally, he was a smart and clever person, using his skills in chemistry and botany to survive for 2-3 years. His skills were grounded in fact, and this made it feel as if I, with the proper training, could survive an ordeal such as this.
Overall, the Martian is a great book. It tells the simple story of one man, stranded, using his wits to survive until his friends and comrades can rescue him. It showed unity among people, humor, and was clever in its use of proper science. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to read it.
We start off with Mark Watney, an astronaut, who, after a scientific expedition to Mars go wrong, was abandoned by his crew, who believed him dead. As our main character, we learn about his predicament mainly through the use of his personal log, where he expresses his views and his situation. After we learn of his current predicament, he starts working though the calculations required to survive. After seeing him start working through his calculations, we switch over to NASA, where they are mourning over Mark's "death" until an intern assigned with monitoring the satellite notices changes in the position of certain objects, and is able to convince the leader of the project that Mark is still alive. Once they start to establish communication, the race against time to ensure that Mark Watney survives begins.
I enjoyed this book for many reasons. It displayed a unity among the different people of the world. Today, people are so divided and hurtful, and to see unity among many different people for a cause such as saving a life is really inspiring. It also was clever in its humor. Most books are either too serious to appreciate the humor of the situation, or are otherwise vulgar and idiotic in their humor. Mark had a type of humor called "Gallows Humor", where he made light-hearted remarks in particularly dark scenarios. This made him fun, and at the same time, relatable. Finally, he was a smart and clever person, using his skills in chemistry and botany to survive for 2-3 years. His skills were grounded in fact, and this made it feel as if I, with the proper training, could survive an ordeal such as this.
Overall, the Martian is a great book. It tells the simple story of one man, stranded, using his wits to survive until his friends and comrades can rescue him. It showed unity among people, humor, and was clever in its use of proper science. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to read it.
abjorge's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Kinda slow