Thursday 1 January 2015

Book Review- The Martian - Andy Weir (5 stars)

PublisherEbury Publishing
ISBN-100091956145
Book TypeFiction Book
ImprintDel Rey
Number of Pages384 Pages
Publication Year2014 August
LanguageEnglish
ISBN-139780091956141
BindingPaperback

The Martian (Buy on flipkart)

My first book of 2015 and boy! Did I choose wisely! This was the geekiest book I read and also the most hilarious. Mark Watney is the stuff heroes are made of. This book displays the most attractive thing about men- their sense of humour in the face of adversity. Isn't it why we love Iron Man and Spider-Man? It's the story of a guy can say 'fuck you' to a dinosaur coming to trample him and then think about an exit strategy with a cool head.

The novel is geeky and there is a lot of fascinating space-y stuff thrown in. There are calculations and measurements. The novel is about smart people being emotional which is a rare combination and that's what makes it endearing.

Watney's exasperation with disco music, the jibes in the emails he writes to NASA are all made of stuff great comedies are made of. The novel has an American heart and it speaks warmly to the Indian in me. I think Americans and Indians share affinity toward the same kind of humour which may have been a result of cultural exchange between us through movies and transmigration. The book is heavy on drama and all the moments when things go wrong bring the reader to the edge of the seat.

I would not be ashamed to say that I shed a tear when the novel came to an end. It was an epic saga and there was a lot at stake. Andy Weir has done justice with the language and the genre. I was so tempted to turn to the last page and read what happens in the end but I am proud that I didn't. The novel is going to go in my cherished list and I think I might re-read it for motivational purposes or just to cheer myself up.

Thank you, Andy for this bundle of joy.

5 stars without a doubt.

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