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A review by dheemaria
The Martian by Andy Weir
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
It's an amazing book, but I think by now in 2022 -- one Ridley Scott movie and 4+ star average rating on Goodreads later -- everyone has known this. So I'll answer the more pressing question: if you've watched the movie, is it still worth taking the time to read this book?
The answer is a resounding Yes.
Reading the book after watching the movie actually made me appreciate both mediums more. A lot of things were cut for the movie, justifiably so for the visual medium, but these cut details are a boon in the written one, enriching the characters in the universe and proving how well thought-out the plots are. Everything that happens in the book is not just a plot convenience; they are all plausible events, explainable through science. And speaking of the science -- Andy Weir is a master at translating hard science for the ignorant layman, i.e me.
The only criticism I have for the book is that the framing device is a little loose at times, if not distracting. Most of the book is Mark Watney's journal entries; and yet, those entries would sometimes be interspersed with omniscient narrator POV, describing events on Earth or aboard the Ares that Watney couldn't have known. The shift can sometimes be jarring, and it made me wonder why the author didn't simply go for a normal first person POV. This is, however, a very minor setback, and overall this book is still a fun, uplifting experience. You'll see me go around recommending Andy Weir's works for the foreseeable future.
The answer is a resounding Yes.
Reading the book after watching the movie actually made me appreciate both mediums more. A lot of things were cut for the movie, justifiably so for the visual medium, but these cut details are a boon in the written one, enriching the characters in the universe and proving how well thought-out the plots are. Everything that happens in the book is not just a plot convenience; they are all plausible events, explainable through science. And speaking of the science -- Andy Weir is a master at translating hard science for the ignorant layman, i.e me.
The only criticism I have for the book is that the framing device is a little loose at times, if not distracting. Most of the book is Mark Watney's journal entries; and yet, those entries would sometimes be interspersed with omniscient narrator POV, describing events on Earth or aboard the Ares that Watney couldn't have known. The shift can sometimes be jarring, and it made me wonder why the author didn't simply go for a normal first person POV. This is, however, a very minor setback, and overall this book is still a fun, uplifting experience. You'll see me go around recommending Andy Weir's works for the foreseeable future.