NASA has a big role to play in the story, as you can probably imagine. It was like an intense rollercoaster where you know the ride is going to end safely (most probably), but the experience is going to be to be epic and scary. In a world filled with stories having complex plots, an increasing number of of gray characters, hidden motives, political/philosophical undertones, The Martian was a refreshing change.
Mark Watney’s wit, sarcasm, and outright insane thoughts make for some incredible moments in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation.įinishing the book felt very satisfying. Survival – the most natural thing for any life form.Īnd the book is really funny! Given the circumstances the protagonist is in, it is hard to imagine how story could do well on the humor front but trust me, you’ll get quite a few laughs out of it. Survival on a hostile planet, facing new challenges one after the other. And yet that doesn’t get in the way of making the reader root, pine and even pray for the protagonist. How? Probably due to the super-focused motive of the protagonist: survival. There are only a handful of characters no romantic or familial relationships, or other emotional aspects in the story. Does it make you stop turning the pages like a maniac? Nope! Which brings us to the non-technical aspect of the book. Does it feel a little daunting at times? Maybe. Yes, since the book is ‘hard’ (no time travel, infinite-fuel engines etc) Science Fiction, the author takes very few liberties with the technical aspects of the story. The epic battle for survival on a hostile planet is captured very well by the technical details of the solutions as well as the (high level) math behind them. The first person monologues really help reader get into Watney’s shoes (or space suit). Thanks to the fact that most of the books consists of log entries by the stranded astronaut Mark Watney. The Martian was a New York Times bestseller in 2014, and is now a Ridley Scott movie starring Matt Damon! But anyways, here goes the review. I’ll clear it upfront: I’m late on the bandwagon. Reviewing this book is easy: You’ve got to read it! Take time off work, cancel Netflix for a month do whatever it takes, read it! And the fact that a rescue mission will not happen till another four years. And then there’s the complete lack of communication. Getting stuck on a planet all by yourself is bad enough.