A review by heather_harrison
The Martian by Andy Weir

adventurous challenging funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

After reading Project Hail Mary, I just had to give this a go. I opted for the audio book, as I had with the last read. The writing is non-pretentious and fun, and the narration was fantastic. Mark Watney's character is blindly positive in the face of literal disaster, after being accidentally left behind by his Mars mission team. Despite the odds, the story follows his willful survival. 

“I can't wait till I have grandchildren. “When I was younger, I had to walk to the rim of a crater. Uphill! In an EVA suit! On Mars, ya little shit! Ya hear me? Mars!”

Does it cram in science and maths more than any fiction should enjoyably? Yes, sometimes. Particularly towards the last 10% of the book. But it was still an enjoyable read, with personality and flare and cringeworthy humour. 

“Also, I have duct tape. Ordinary duct tape, like you buy at a hardware store. Turns out even NASA can’t improve on duct tape.”

There was some nuance lacking compared to Project Hail Mary, and you can definitely see that Weir has been honing his craft. 

“He’s stuck out there. He thinks he’s totally alone and that we all gave up on him. What kind of effect does that have on a man’s psychology?”

He turned back to Venkat. “I wonder what he’s thinking right now.”

LOG ENTRY: SOL 61

How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.

 I will say, there were parts were the narration was a little hard to follow as we jumped between perspectives with the one narrator. 

[12:04]JPL: We’ll get botanists in to ask detailed questions and double-check your work. Your life is at stake, so we want to be sure. Also, please watch your language. Everything you type is being broadcast live all over the world.

[12:15]WATNEY: Look! A pair of boobs! -> (.Y.)

P.S.: It made my happier than it should to hear Watney mention wanting to move to Western Australia (due to it being on the opposite side of the world to Idaho and the state's obvious connection to potato farming). I don't care that this is a fictional character, it brings me joy 
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