The Martian - a Book Review

Kali's Review

I first heard of The Martian on, of all places, Martin Lewis' blog.  Martin Lewis the UK's Money Saving Expert, and one of the reasons he recommended the book was that, at the time, it was 77p, and also a "gripping page-turner" that he couldn't put down.

I didn't buy it at the time.  I was a moron.  Blame my large and unwieldy unread pile, which, in 2013, was around 250 books high.

I finally got my hands on The Martian sometime early in 2016.  I got it as an audiobook and listened to it while I was walking around trying to get enough steps with my Vivofit and playing Six to Start's The Walk (an iPhone game which I also recommend, along with their Zombies, Run!).  I got it in February, and then listened to it again in May, while completing a twelve-mile walk around Dudley.

That last bit isn't quite true; I fully intended to spend the twelve miles listening to it, but I actually got adopted by an amazing little Russian lady who had lost her glasses and so bullied me into guiding her through the whole walk before making me join her rambling group.  It was a great summer, I miss them all.

Anyway, there were three main things I liked about The Martian.  The first is Mark Watney, the main character and the titular Martian. In-universe, he was chosen for the team as the 'social glue'; he's got the right personality type to keep the rest of the team laughing and hopeful, and I absolutely believe in it.  I liked spending those 11 hours with Mark (and R. C. Bray, the reader).  I liked how he looked at the world, he made me laugh....he's a character I really connected with and became fond of.

The second thing I liked about the book was the same thing that appealed to me in three of my other favourite books, Rose Madder, Nation, and Where the Heart Is.  These four books may not seem like they have anything in common, but they do, and it's the same thing I like in Swiss Family Robinson - the life-building.  In all of these stories, someone has to start again, in a new place, building a new life, from nothing.  Rose leaves her abusive husband; Mau and Daphne are survivors of a natural disaster; the pregnant Novalee is abandoned by her boyfriend; the Swiss Family wash up on a desert island; and Mark Watney is left behind on Mars.  There's something my brain finds very soothing and satisfying about someone starting from nothing and building it up.  I think it's the inherent hope and optimism in such a position; even starting from terrible positions, people can make their lives work.

The final thing I like about the book is the science.  Last year, I completed an Access to Science course, because I'm 28 and I didn't do A Levels when I was younger, and listening to The Martian really helped make practical applications of chemistry clear to me.  Really simple things like being able to make water by burning hydrogen based fuel in the presence of oxygen.  It was like, yes, these things I'm learning about aren't just theoretical, they actually happen all the time.  I quite like reading about scientific people, something I also enjoy about both Nation and Rosmary Kirstein's Steerswoman series.  Perhaps it's to do with a reassurance that the world does obey natural laws, and if we understand them, we can make predictions and work with them.  It makes the world an ultimately very simple place.

I haven't yet seen the movie.  Since most of the story is told as logs, I'm not really seeing what a movie format can add to it.  I'm happy with the audiobook.  That said, I hear good things, and if you prefer movies, more power to you.  It's on Sky Cinema, which I have access to, so no reason I won't get round to it someday.

I also quite like Andy Weir's short story The Egg, which describes what I would prefer to believe about life after death, and I'm quite disappointed to find out that it's not unique to me.  I don't believe it, but it's an interesting premise.

Alice's Review

Like with many other books that I read “the Martian” was recommended to me by my father long before it became a bestseller. I don’t even know how he always finds these books before they come to fame. It would be a massive understatement to claim that I like science fiction. Having grown up with Perry Rhodan  (I dare you, read it), I always had a special fondness for stories that took place in outer space, or in this case: on Mars.

The local library didn’t have an English copy so I was forced to read the German translation but unlike with many other novels, it was fine. “The Martian” remains until today one of the funniest books I’ve ever read.

Reading about Mark Watney’s time on Mars was in a way like a throwback to a picture book, I read when I was significantly younger (though not smaller).  “Lausbiber-Alarm!” takes place on Mars and features the adventures of three young “Mausbiber”, an alien species in the Perry Rhodan universe that has colonised Mars.

Laubiber-Alarm! 

In contrast to the Martian they are a whole society but even, if hilarious, the book showcases the difficulties of living on Mars, just like the Martian does. To be honest, Jumpy and Mark Watney look nothing alike but they have a similar sense of humour and I think that I why I liked the beginning so much. 

Mark Watney

Somewhere in my subconscious, I associated Mark Watney with the science fiction heroes of my early childhood and from there it could only get better. And it did get better.

When I read the book, I was not yet a Genetics student at university but I did want to be a scientist.  It was nice to see a space adventure from the perspective of a Biologist. In many ways, Mark Watney is a role model, not only for aspiring scientists. He managed to stay curious when he faced the greatest danger of his life. We should all be a bit more like Mark Watney.

And on top of all of this, the science in the Martian isn’t even unrealistic. Of course, there are cosmetic measures to fit the plot but after all, “the Martian” is a work of fiction. It is no peer reviewed paper and we shouldn’t treat it like one.

But let’s get back to the wit. Only Mark Watney can insult all major disciplines of science and Pythagoras,  make a joke about breasts when faced with having to complete what is probably the most difficult mission a human could face and get away with it.

I’d like to officially thank Andy Weir for having written this book. It just made me happy.