A Futuristic Narrative: The Martian
The Martian is a 2011 science fiction novel set in the year 2035 on the planet mars. This book which has since been made into a film, focuses on Mark Watney, an astronaut specializing in botany who has accidentally been left behind on Mars. While evacuating the planet during a harrowing windstorm, the rest of the crew falls under the impression that Watney was hit and killed although as we see later on, he actually survived, and is now stuck alone on a planet with no communication, no plan, and no way home. The novel, written in a diary or log format, follows Watney as he struggles to come up with a plan to stay alive and get home safe, while in unknown territory millions of miles away from earth. I would recommend this book to almost anyone, and it can be an enjoyable read for teens and adults alike.
One of the reasons I like this book, is that it is simply entertaining and funny to read. The book is told in a very raw journal format, which allows for a lot of Watney’s humor to show through. Without the humor in the book, it may seem too scientific or dull for some readers who aren’t as interested in the technical aspects. While recovering an extremely dangerous radioactive generator that was not supposed to be accessed, Watney comments “I wonder what NASA would think about me ****ing with the RTG like this. They’d probably hide under their desks and cuddle their slide rules for comfort,” (Weir ch. 7). While some people in this situation may be ridden with anxiety and try to find another option, he decides to cope by making a joke about the situation to give himself confidence about what he is doing. While this example on its own may not be mind-blowingly funny, and the humor doesn’t always present itself as a specific joke, the book has a witty feel to it, and it is apparent that Watney is able to take depressing and hopeless situations and make them positive.
One of the other reasons that I like The Martian is how it is exciting and suspenseful, and I like watching how Watney is able to solve problems that seem completely impossible, while living on the edge of failure. While I wouldn’t classify this as a mystery novel, it certainly has a lot of the same aspects. As one can imagine when accidentally living alone on a foreign planet with no plan to get home, Watney faces a lot of strange obstacles that he was not intended to encounter. In order to keep himself alive he must figure out how to grow crops, communicate with earth, live for years on a few weeks’ worth of food, and not die of hypothermia. I think watching other people working through difficult problems, even if it is in a book, can be interesting and also a learning opportunity. It can be helpful and fascinating to see how other people may approach problems, and this book is perfect for that. Reader’s can sort of play along with Watney and try to guess how he will figure things out which is fun.
Overall I would definitely recommend The Martian to most people as I think it is very well written and entertaining. I think that it is better for older audiences such as high school and up, but anyone younger may be bored. Even withing these age groups, if you aren’t interested in science, it may not be the best book for you. If you are however, and like mysteries, humor and books that you just can’t stop reading, then The Martian might be just the book for you.
This was a really well written post. You described in a clear and concise way that makes me understand the storyline easily. I liked how you also talked about how you enjoyed the book because it was funny and entertaining, because you don't always have to read a book to learn some grand valuable lesson. Great post and I will definitely be checking this book out
ReplyDeleteThis blog post was well written. I remember watching the movie adaptation in 6th grade and I really enjoyed it. I found it a little unrealistic how Watney was so relaxed about his situation and was able to make jokes. I feel that if I were in his position, I would be terrified for the whole time. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteI have watched the movie, but have not yet read the book. I like how you point out the suspense of the story because that is something I also noticed in the movie. You did a great job on this post!
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