The Martian

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Average customer rating 4.2 (20 comments)

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I just finished reading "The Martian", and I must live on a different planet from everybody else who has read and loved this book. The characters, including main character Mark Watney, the astronaut who is stranded on Mars, are all two-dimensional, without any depth or complexity. The plot is a monotonous cycle of catastrophes which Watney survives through improbable good luck and overcomes through pluck and ingenuity -- the novel as video game. The narrative point of view starts out as Watney's first-person log, and then after a few chapters shifts jarringly back and forth between Watney's log and the sort of bland third-person perspective typical of genre thrillers, with occasional forays into a God's-eye view during crucial moments. The most interesting aspect of the novel is author Andy Weir's detailed imagination of a credible NASA mission to Mars. But even as a story of engineering, it quickly becomes unbelievable. No human body would survive all the disasters Watney suffers, and he would not really be able to get off the planet and back to the mother ship Hermes in the way Weir constructs. The hard physical truth is that if you experience a series of disasters, any one of which should kill you, eventually one of them will kill you. People seem to read this novel as a testament to the indomitable human spirit. To me it is a horrifying catalog of some of the things that will go wrong if we are foolish enough to send humans to Mars. Mark Watney died on Sol 6.

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The Martian almost lost me while reading it. I know there are raves that it is scientifically accurate, but it still has to be entertaining. I was bored reading about how Mark Watney was figuring out how to make his food last. His situation was not boring, but I felt like I was reading a textbook. Then I finally reached chapter six and everything changed. The structure of the novel shifted. It had slowly been going in one direction, but finally something else was happening. I had also warmed up to Watney and his sense of humor. At first, I found his humor too corny and was rolling my eyes when he claimed to be the best botanist on the planet. As I came to know the character, I liked his sense of humor more. It was needed since he was in a seriously dire situation throughout the entire book and without that sense of humor, I don’t know if he would have survived. Even when he has plans, things go wrong or some crazy wind storm comes through. I did find myself holding my breath through certain parts of the book and raced to finish it. I’m glad I finally did finish. Overall, it isn’t a very long book, but I did struggle with those first few chapters. I’m glad I pushed through to see what all the fuss was about since I really enjoyed it.

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He is just so witty throughout. Could not put it down, time we'll spent!!

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The plot is fine - it follows a continuous escalation of action and you really do end up rooting for the main character (well, not everyone, apparently). The character is likeable, funny and (possibly too) upbeat, the issues he faces are realistic and his "fixes" are ingenious. Therein lies my main problem with this book. If you've ever read a real astronaut's memoirs, or even some of the better science fiction authors, and then read this book, you instantly realize that the writing skill or the ability to express thoughts and ideas eloquently should be better developed in an astronaut, who has had to be the best of the best from high school on up. The solutions the main character applies and describes for each disaster pull me in, and then the author breaks my suspension of disbelief with some prosaic comment or thought, leading me to the conclusion that whoever was writing about these events simply did a whole lot of research about what might happen in a Mars environment and did not actually have an advanced education. That, though, is really my only negative comment. I enjoyed the book; I just got pulled out of the story a few too many times. Worth the read, but if you like it and don't normally read Science Fiction, you will be pleasantly surprised at the more advanced writing of other authors - so please branch out and try some of them!

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This is really a good book to read.

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Imagine you're an astronaut, a botanist and a mechanical engineer. Now imagine you are on a mission to Mars. On your sixth day on Mars, a severe storm threatens the mission and the crew of six must abort and leave immediately. The ascent vehicle (the MAV) is about to tip over. As you and the crew make your way to the MAV, you are struck by an object and knocked unconscious. Your commander tries to find you but cannot see through the storm. Your biostats are flat; they presume you are dead. They must leave immediately or there will be no escape for the five remaining crew members. And then you wake up. Somehow, you have managed to survive. But you are alone on Mars. Somehow you must figure out how to survive. Exciting, riveting, and scientific, yet very readable and accessible, the novel sweeps us along on a tale of survival against all odds. Mark Watney shares his thoughts with us through the log that he keeps, as much for himself as for NASA or those who will find it if he perishes. We follow along as he solves problems, makes mistakes and, through it all, keeps his humor intact. Limited by the tools at hand, we witness this ingenious man as he struggles to survive until he can be rescued or dies. As with all grand human endeavors, we hope for his survival and the acquisition of knowledge that his survival will ensure.

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Andy Weir’s The Martian offers a convincing look at the near future, with earth’s first steps toward manned investigations of Mars. The protagonist is a scientist, well-trained and well-informed. Unfortunately his training can’t stop him being left for dead in an unforeseen accident. So now he’s alone on an alien planet, with the next manned mission not due until long after his food runs out. Reading his journal of measuring needs, calculating possibilities, and facing nature’s fury is fascinating and fun. It’s all written in a convincing voice, with compelling and wholly believable misfortunes, and an insistent sense of hope. The story’s told mostly from the castaway’s point of view -- a document left for posterity should he not survive. Interleaved, as time progresses, are tales from the astronauts who left him behind, from the media, and from the earth-based scientists who have to deal with the media feeding frenzy after disaster. There are occasional typos and errors, but for the most part the science feels sound, and the novel soars with its sense of basic realities and man’s need for, as well as thirst for knowledge. I love the earth-based scenes with their balance of media, politics, possibilities, and behind-the-scenes cooperation -- prepare to have your faith in human nature at least partially restored. I love the humorous insights into what an astronaut might watch on TV. And I love the sense of real science saving real life. Gritty, complex, compelling and scarily authentic, this is real science fiction at its best, and a really great read. Disclosure: I bought it to read on a plane, not a spaceship, and I really enjoyed it.

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I have to say that overall this book was fantastic. There's a few things that I didn't love about it, but it's a great read. First what I didn't like about the book - the shifting in point of view was confusing. There's really nothing that distinguishes when the perspective is going to change and there seemed to be some random perspectives that were in italics that didn't seem to fit. I read the kindle version but there were times I was wondering some things got italicized as action and others didn't. Second, while I'm not one to harp on the personality of characters the overbearing sarcasm at times of Watney when interacting with other characters. Also some of the other characters in general - while there was some good representation it felt like there was a lot of really general female characters and the way that the NASA and JPL staff also felt very superficial and sarcastic in terms of trying to bring a man back from Mars. Granted the story is not about the people back on Earth but there's very little development or perspective from anyone that seems involved with the ground side of the mission and it felt overly comical or forced at times. That being said this book is funnier than I expected. I think the premise was fantastic and even as Watney tried and failed and tried again I was sucked in to the intensity and what was at stake from the start. Sure there are some things that aren't particularly realistic but with the dark humor and facing of our mortality and the idea of achieving human travel to Mars the whole thing ties together so well and really captures the drama of human survival.

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This book was such a blast to read. There were so many moments of true danger, yet Watney's "well, let's see if this solution doesn't kill me" attitude was one that kept me rapt while often giggling. Sad it's over, but so damn glad Mark Watney got stuck on Mars.

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Once again, I'm probably the last person around to read this. However, this time at least, there is a good reason for it. It was the selection for my book club this month and I try to read the selections within a month of the meeting. So, I've owned a copy of this book for months but had to wait (well, made myself wait) until just recently to read it. The big question is: does it live up to the hype? Yes, yes it does. I was actually a little wary of this book going in. From what I had heard about it, I was afraid it would be a Castaway scenario where it would be one character talking to himself (or to an inanimate object). Thankfully, that is not the case. Yes, the bulk of the book is Mark Watney trying to survive on Mars, but there are also scenes with NASA and with Watney's crew as they travel away from him. And Mark never talks to a soccer ball, or personifies any other non-living thing, so that is a plus. There is a a staggering amount of science in this book, but don't let that scare you off. I do not have a scientific mind at all and I was able to get through it. I will say I did better when Mark was going through the science than when the people from NASA or the Hermes crew were relaying it. Weir created a great voice with Mark, which is necessary since the bulk of the book is in his voice. He has a great sense of humor and even the driest science monologue was entertaining when it was coming from him. However, I am kind of amazed at how much chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering he knows as a botanist (yes, I know everyone had multiple roles but...wow....) The movie version will be out later this year and I am in now way making a dig at the book when I say I think it will make a great movie. It does have a very linear plot which translates well to film but doesn't always work on the page. Here, however, is an exception. The fact that Weir has directed everything in this book to one point is truly effective and I think that, if he had deviated at all from that, the whole narrative may have fallen apart. I read this book in one day, which I am rarely able to do these days. Once I picked it up, I just couldn't put it down and I'm pretty sure that most people would have the same experience.

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This book opens with "I'm pretty much f#@ked," so you know you're in for something intense right off the bat as you find astronaut Mark Watney stranded on Mars. But it's the reader who's f#@ked at the end because the book is over, and as it's a debut novel there's nothing left to read by Andy Weir (yet). Weir has an easy writing style that makes the highly scientific parts of the book not only accessible to the layperson but engaging. And Mark's charming, self-deprecating snark makes him an ideal loner protagonist, making his way through an unimaginable situation with no one on the planet to help him. I tried to slow myself down when reading this book because it was so much fun. Whether it was Mark's log entries, the conversations on Earth, or the interactions on the ship carrying the rest of his crew, every part of this book was entertaining. Action, adventure, wit, suspense, and disparaging remarks about disco��"what more could you possibly want?

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Most authors will say (and I concur) that there is no such thing as a perfect book. OK, then let's call this one merely flawless. There are moments where the mathematical calculations our hero is making are eye-crossingly complex, but those are balanced with scatalogical sophomoric humor and everything in between. Throughout, the author keeps the reader riveted by one man's struggle to survive alone on Mars, alternating with the efforts of the Earth-bound scientists and his fellow astronauts to aid him. There's few books I recommend without reservation; if you're a fan of science fiction (with this more akin to near-future fiction), you should enjoy this book immensely.

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Excellent book! I can't speak for the archaic "written" format, but the audiobook is great! Focused, intense, and funny. Read the book before the movie with Mat Damon (as Mark Watney) comes out!

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Ugh... I wanted to like this book, but it wasn't for me: I came to hate the main character. I thought being abandoned on Mars might take more of a mental toll but no, the main character is relentlessly upbeat - wisecracking and ductaping his way through it all. Not one hallucination, not one fit of sobbing rage. These days being abandoned anywhere without a smartphone might make me sweat at least a little. I started rooting for Mars halfway through. I just didn't think the enemy, if you can call the planet Mars an enemy, was that compelling. Way too much explaining. Explaining how to plant potatoes is boring. Explaining how to plant potatoes on Mars is still pretty boring.

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A man alone on mars how is this going to be exciting for over 300 pages. Every time you feel comfortable in a situation and think our man is going to be alright something comes out of no where in a very organic way. A mix of problem solving, fighting to stay alive, and a little I think I may be going crazy humor make this book hard to put down. You will find yourself lost in a world cheering and worried for our hero.

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I picked up a copy of Andy Weir's The Martian when it was released because, frankly, I absolutely adore survival stories. I blame my love of them totally on Swiss Family Robinson and The Myserious Island. I also have a major fascination with space (and the ocean) - basically anything that represents places that have been left completely unexplored and have the potential for so much. However, once I'd purchased The Martian, I found myself diving into required reading for my first semester of graduate school so, alas, it had to be put on the back burner. My father read it, and laughed out loud several times - also, he took the time to update me on the spectacularly hilarious, crass opening line. It's a doozy, folks. But it's perfect because it sets the story up remarkably well. Mark Watney is the perfect character for a story like this. He's filled with humor and just the right blend of sarcasm and hope. The book, similarly, was also filled with a perfect blend of science, implausible plausibility (oxymoron? it works though), and outright funny moments. It deals with everything from human waste, immature behavior that comes as a result of massive responsibility, and a message of hope for the working together of the humans of the world. What I also loved was that the book dealt SOLELY with the survival aspect. There was no extended story about everything that happens after, it revolves completely around the obstacles Watney faces and how it all works out in the end. I very much recommend this book for science lovers, adventure lovers, and people who just enjoy a good laugh at some pretty crude jokes. My dad and I both loved it and I enjoyed chatting with him about it once I'd finished.

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Heard good things about this, but have to disagree with most of the commentators. The main problem with this book is how poorly written it is. The bio of Andy Weir describes him as a "space nerd" with a background in computer programming and, not to sound like a snob, it's clear that has little experience writing fiction. The narrator's voice is glib and annoying, like something you'd read on an internet message board. Typical statements are "In your face, Neil Armstrong!" and "Gay probe coming to save me." The plot is also overly familiar, drawing more from films than sci-fi lit: "Apollo 13," "Castaway," "Armageddon," "Gravity," and the 60s movie "Robinson Crusoe on Mars," which could've been the title of this.

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A crew of astronauts have to leave Mars in a hurry due to a storm. It appears that Mark gets killed so they leave him. Turns out he survived. The reader is treated to every minute detail as he aspires to survive and then attempt to get rescued. Swearing.

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Well- paced Sci-fi thrillers don't come by too often and sci-fi aficionados and other thriller fans will definitely enjoy the creative problem solving and determinism exhibited by the ever-so-pragmatic astronaut, who becomes-by way of accidental residence -- the Martian. Don't go looking for character development, romance, mature relationships, moments of despair; in fact the astronaut appears to be a shoot from the hip type, steady as cement guy, likely to annoy technocrats and bumbling fools who get in his way. You will enjoy his igenuity and the responding home front activities when they realize that they have left a live body behind.

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Castaway on Mars, how is that going to work? Pretty well, actually. I knew “The Martian” was highly acclaimed. I knew it was considered one of the best Indie books to come out in the last five years (it was originally self published before being picked up by its current publisher), and it was on a Goodreads list of top reads for 2014. Still, it took me several months from when I added it to my ‘To Read’ list to the time I actually picked it up. Perhaps the summary didn’t sound as exciting as the other books in my virtual pile. Perhaps I was worried about how well I would like a book that contained one voice. I don’t really know why I put it off, but I am glad I finally read it. It takes a gifted author to keep the reader entertained when a story is absent of any other voice, as “The Martian” is for a large chunk of the book. Eventually the point of view changes and you get a glimpse into what his crew, NASA, and even the world is thinking as astronaut Mark Watney fights for survival on the red planet. Mark’s voice is so incredibly entertaining that even when he was rattling off paragraphs of heavy scientific explanations, I could not help but keep reading. He has an unrelenting sense of hope and an ability to laugh at himself and his horrifying situation that makes him feel like a real person. His resourcefulness actually feels like a product of his intelligence as a well education botanist and electrical engineer, and not some magical deus ex machina contrived to get him from point A to point B. Because he felt so real, I was fully invested in the story, feeling both fear and relief as obstacles were met and overcome. The narrative changes quite a few times from Mark Watney’s logs on Mars, to the inner offices of NASA, to NASA worker bees, and even small expository asides that explain how Mark Watney became the first man left behind on Mars (with so many other firsts to come), and what people are willing to do to get his feet back on terra firma. I could have kept reading Mark’s narrative and not been upset, but I truly appreciated the fullness of story that the introduction of supporting characters brought. If you are looking for a smooth and easy read in the hard science fiction genre, I would definitely recommend this. “The Martian” illustrates the strength of the human spirit and shows us how one person’s life can bring a world of people together, how one man’s struggle can cause millions to hold their breaths and send their prayers and well wishes into the sky. In some ways, the hopeful tone reminded me that most people are in fact good people and that our strength as human beings is in our creativity, our spirit, and our ability to love. It is hard to believe that this is Andy Weir’s debut novel and I look forward to seeing more from him in the future.