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A review by lakediver
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
4.0
This story is largely told in a series of long flashbacks. Very little of the action happens in the present. The novel starts out with the end of humanity, except for Snowman. As the novel progresses, you find out what happened and Snowman's role in the end of humanity. The build up to the final reveal is huge. I strongly suspected who was responsible, but I hadn't figured out how. I suppose you could call it a twist, but it's my favorite kind of twist -- the kind that you should have seen coming, if only you'd paid more attention.
The world that Atwood builds is fascinating, full of genetically engineered creatures in a dramatically altered climate. It strongly reminded me of "The Road", except that you do find out what caused the apocalypse. There are some uncomfortable sections to get through, particularly the child pornography elements of Oryx's backstory. It's also a novel that will make you think. Was Crake right? Is humanity truly so fundamentally flawed? Or are there redeeming qualities - ones that Crake so easily dismissed - that make up for our flaws?
The world that Atwood builds is fascinating, full of genetically engineered creatures in a dramatically altered climate. It strongly reminded me of "The Road", except that you do find out what caused the apocalypse. There are some uncomfortable sections to get through, particularly the child pornography elements of Oryx's backstory. It's also a novel that will make you think. Was Crake right? Is humanity truly so fundamentally flawed? Or are there redeeming qualities - ones that Crake so easily dismissed - that make up for our flaws?