Book Thoughts: The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The book, made somewhat more famous by the recent movie release, has been on my to-read list for awhile, and I am glad that I finally got a chance to read it. The book does not disappoint The set up is simple - Mark Watney (our primary narrator), is on a crew of six that walked on Mars. But due to a dust storm, an evacuation must occur just a few days into the mission, and the rest of the crew believe that Watney is killed during the storm. Obviously, he is not, and so begins "The Martian," told primarily through entries made by Watney as he utilizes his knowledge (and humor) to survive on the red planet.

For a story that deals primarily with one character (though there is others involved eventually), the story never gets old; the pacing is perfect. Watney, to me, has to be one of the more memorable characters I've ever read. His narration blends the technical knowledge needed for survival, along with the description of the planet and NASA equipment, as well as humor; as such, it speaks to the wonderful crafting of this story by the author, Weir. Its impossible to read Watney's narrative portions without eventually feeling the isolation that a human would have to feel; and thus it makes it so much easier to understand and relate to the elation and joy Watney has when contact is eventually made.

The two most surprising things for me when reading it was, first, how many parts I found, truly, laugh out loud funny. Perhaps I just identified with Watney's humor (and others may not), but despite being a book about bleak survival, I was chuckling throughout. Second, (and I know I mentioned pacing earlier), but was how well paced the book was. Its a story that you know from the first pages has two possible outcomes for Watney. Despite that, its a book that maintains the tension and surprise of mystery that makes it near impossible to put down. Terrific read.

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