Ashley's Reviews > The Martian
The Martian
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Ashley's review
bookshelves: addictive, nerd-lit, sci-fi, science-and-stuff, thrillers-suspense, audiobooks, five-stars-isn-t-enough, self-published-and-indie, favorites, is-there-life-on-mars, survivalist
May 10, 2014
bookshelves: addictive, nerd-lit, sci-fi, science-and-stuff, thrillers-suspense, audiobooks, five-stars-isn-t-enough, self-published-and-indie, favorites, is-there-life-on-mars, survivalist
Read 2 times. Last read November 1, 2017.
November 2017: Another comfort re-read. I'm beginning to sense a pattern here. I read the hardcover this time, but weirdly, I still heard the audiobook narrator's voice in my head the whole time. I listened to that back in 2014, so I guess he was just a super memorable narrator. Thankfully, I did NOT have Matt Damon in my head in any form. Though, weirdly, all the other actors from the movie were there. Except for the main character (and Venkat Kapoor, whose race they just changed entirely, but Chiwitel Ejiofor, so I forgive them), I think the casting in that movie was spot on.
Things that make me enjoy this book enough to re-read it:
1. Mark Watney. His fundamentally good natured personality, his refusal to give up against staggering odds, his vulnerability, his smartassness. I love it all.
2. There is something weirdly soothing, especially in audiobook form, about Mark telling you exactly what science he is doing and why. I also love the extremely practical nature of the book. There is no handwaving or technological deus ex machinas to be found.
3. I love all the NASA geeks. I love the way they bust their asses to save Mark, and how professional and good at their jobs they are. I also love how Mark teases them constantly.
4. It still amazes me how Weir managed to sustain interest and tension throughout a book where, for the most part, it's just one guy stranded on a planet by himself.
Not much else to say here because I wasn't reading it for thinking purposes, but for a little pick-me-up. It's nice to imagine a world where everyone truly cares so much about saving the life of one guy on a planet far away.
December 2014: Yeah, I still really love this book. (The audiobook is really good, by the way. R.C. Bray does a great job with voices and personalities, even if it did take me a while to get used to him. His voice was much gruffer than I had pictured Watney's voice being. I particularly liked his Venkat Kapoor.)
August 2014: Holy shit, this was good. Like, REALLY good. Instant favorite.
Which is really funny because I had myself pre-convinced that it didn’t sound like something I’d be interested in when I first heard about it. Like, ugh. Who wants to read about an astronaut stranded on Mars who has to use his wits to MacGyver his way to survival and it’s all tense and smart and thrilling and stuff. Ugh, ugh. ugh.
I’m not sure what drugs I was on when I formed that opinion, but it happened. And thank God for Jen and Nataliya’s reviews, which informed me that not only was the book totally awesome, but it was FUNNY, and funny like how I think things are funny, and the main character is a total smartass nerd, which is my favorite kind of person. So I reserved the book at my library, and proceeded to wait almost six months before it was available. That should also tell you something. Anyway, when I did manage to finally get ahold of it, I pretty much fell in love instantly and was entirely consumed by it until I finished it. I then talked about it non-stop to anyone who would listen to me, including my boss, who basically only reads weird inspirational and business type books.
It’s sort of hard to describe this book without using the word ‘awesome.’ It’s told mostly in astronaut Mark Watney’s first person POV, as he writes a log as a way to pass time, and to document his attempts to stay alive. You know, just in case the log is all that’s left of him when the next mission to Mars in FOUR YEARS comes along. (This is a problem because Mark doesn’t have four years of food left and everyone thinks he’s dead.) There is a lot of science in all of this (as Mark is a scientist and solves his problems with science), but by no means is it inaccessible. Mark’s voice is very human and very lovable, and he gets so excited about all the science and he explains it really well that you can’t help be just as excited about everything as he is.
Normally the nature of this type of story (man has to survive perils thrown at him) would just exhaust me and stress me out, but Andy Weir makes the incredibly smart decision to have Mark’s problems be ones that derive naturally from both his actions and his situations. He doesn’t just throw shit at Mark for dramadrama. Everything that happens to him makes sense. Mark is so resourceful, it’s thrilling to watch him overcome these obstacles, all while creating (knowingly or unknowingly) more problems for himself down the line. I finished the book and pretty much wanted to start it all over again (which wasn’t an option because: library, six month waiting list).
Plus, how can you not love this guy?
It’s apparently being made into a movie by Ridley Scott, with Matt Damon attached to play Mark. And honestly, I’m not happy about that at all. Matt Damon is a good-looking and fancy movie star with a sort of deadpan sense of humor. Mark Watney is a nerd with a seriously goofy sense of humor, and they are totally not going to mesh well together. I’m very upset because Mark Watney is my book boyfriend and I would like him to be a movie boyfriend as well, but it’s probably not going to happen. Also, also it’s hilarious that the guy who wrote this book is a total genius prodigy, and he wrote this book for funsies basically in his downtime from being a supergenius prodigy scientist.
Things that make me enjoy this book enough to re-read it:
1. Mark Watney. His fundamentally good natured personality, his refusal to give up against staggering odds, his vulnerability, his smartassness. I love it all.
2. There is something weirdly soothing, especially in audiobook form, about Mark telling you exactly what science he is doing and why. I also love the extremely practical nature of the book. There is no handwaving or technological deus ex machinas to be found.
3. I love all the NASA geeks. I love the way they bust their asses to save Mark, and how professional and good at their jobs they are. I also love how Mark teases them constantly.
4. It still amazes me how Weir managed to sustain interest and tension throughout a book where, for the most part, it's just one guy stranded on a planet by himself.
Not much else to say here because I wasn't reading it for thinking purposes, but for a little pick-me-up. It's nice to imagine a world where everyone truly cares so much about saving the life of one guy on a planet far away.
December 2014: Yeah, I still really love this book. (The audiobook is really good, by the way. R.C. Bray does a great job with voices and personalities, even if it did take me a while to get used to him. His voice was much gruffer than I had pictured Watney's voice being. I particularly liked his Venkat Kapoor.)
August 2014: Holy shit, this was good. Like, REALLY good. Instant favorite.
Which is really funny because I had myself pre-convinced that it didn’t sound like something I’d be interested in when I first heard about it. Like, ugh. Who wants to read about an astronaut stranded on Mars who has to use his wits to MacGyver his way to survival and it’s all tense and smart and thrilling and stuff. Ugh, ugh. ugh.
I’m not sure what drugs I was on when I formed that opinion, but it happened. And thank God for Jen and Nataliya’s reviews, which informed me that not only was the book totally awesome, but it was FUNNY, and funny like how I think things are funny, and the main character is a total smartass nerd, which is my favorite kind of person. So I reserved the book at my library, and proceeded to wait almost six months before it was available. That should also tell you something. Anyway, when I did manage to finally get ahold of it, I pretty much fell in love instantly and was entirely consumed by it until I finished it. I then talked about it non-stop to anyone who would listen to me, including my boss, who basically only reads weird inspirational and business type books.
It’s sort of hard to describe this book without using the word ‘awesome.’ It’s told mostly in astronaut Mark Watney’s first person POV, as he writes a log as a way to pass time, and to document his attempts to stay alive. You know, just in case the log is all that’s left of him when the next mission to Mars in FOUR YEARS comes along. (This is a problem because Mark doesn’t have four years of food left and everyone thinks he’s dead.) There is a lot of science in all of this (as Mark is a scientist and solves his problems with science), but by no means is it inaccessible. Mark’s voice is very human and very lovable, and he gets so excited about all the science and he explains it really well that you can’t help be just as excited about everything as he is.
Normally the nature of this type of story (man has to survive perils thrown at him) would just exhaust me and stress me out, but Andy Weir makes the incredibly smart decision to have Mark’s problems be ones that derive naturally from both his actions and his situations. He doesn’t just throw shit at Mark for dramadrama. Everything that happens to him makes sense. Mark is so resourceful, it’s thrilling to watch him overcome these obstacles, all while creating (knowingly or unknowingly) more problems for himself down the line. I finished the book and pretty much wanted to start it all over again (which wasn’t an option because: library, six month waiting list).
Plus, how can you not love this guy?
“’He’s stuck out there. He thinks he’s totally alone and that we all gave up on him. What kind of effect does that have on a man’s psychology?” He turned back to Venkat. ‘I wonder what he’s thinking right now.’
LOG ENTRY: SOL 61 How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.”
It’s apparently being made into a movie by Ridley Scott, with Matt Damon attached to play Mark. And honestly, I’m not happy about that at all. Matt Damon is a good-looking and fancy movie star with a sort of deadpan sense of humor. Mark Watney is a nerd with a seriously goofy sense of humor, and they are totally not going to mesh well together. I’m very upset because Mark Watney is my book boyfriend and I would like him to be a movie boyfriend as well, but it’s probably not going to happen. Also, also it’s hilarious that the guy who wrote this book is a total genius prodigy, and he wrote this book for funsies basically in his downtime from being a supergenius prodigy scientist.
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Reading Progress
May 10, 2014
– Shelved as:
to-read
May 10, 2014
– Shelved
Started Reading
August 1, 2014
–
Finished Reading
August 27, 2014
–
17.0%
"“He’s stuck out there. He thinks he’s totally alone and that we all gave up on him. What kind of effect does that have on a man’s psychology?” He turned back to Venkat. “I wonder what he’s thinking right now.”
LOG ENTRY: SOL 61
How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.”
I actually and truly laughed out loud."
LOG ENTRY: SOL 61
How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.”
I actually and truly laughed out loud."
August 28, 2014
–
76.0%
"If somebody hasn't already bought the film rights to this book, then Hollywood is entirely broken."
August 28, 2014
–
84.0%
"![](https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1398971315ra/9490756.gif)
What a horrible place to leave off for several hours. Damn you, Andy Weir!"
![](https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1398971315ra/9490756.gif)
What a horrible place to leave off for several hours. Damn you, Andy Weir!"
August 28, 2014
– Shelved as:
addictive
August 28, 2014
– Shelved as:
nerd-lit
August 28, 2014
– Shelved as:
sci-fi
August 28, 2014
– Shelved as:
science-and-stuff
August 28, 2014
– Shelved as:
thrillers-suspense
December 4, 2014
–
1.0%
"Doing this one for the second time this year, this time on audiobook! Love it :)"
December 5, 2014
–
5.0%
"Not sure how I feel about this narrator. He's got a really gruff voice, and in my head, Mark Watney was, I don't want to say less masculine, but . . . this guy doesn't sound like a nerd. Honestly, no narrator could probably have lived up to the voice in my head. I seriously love Mark Watney."
December 6, 2014
–
22.0%
"Mark Watney, I want to have your magical fiction babies. Not sure how that would work physiologically/logistically, but WE SHALL OVERCOME."
December 7, 2014
–
33.0%
"I'm sure there are people who don't think Mark Watney is funny, but I don't want to know who they are. I would have to shun them."
December 8, 2014
–
44.0%
"You guys . . . if they get it right, this movie is going to be SICK. Plus, the cast? COME ON! The idea of Matt Damon as Mark is growing on me, and they've also got Donald Glover, Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Sebastian Stan, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor . . . holy shit, do I love Chiwetel Ejiofor."
December 10, 2014
–
55.0%
"I already know what happens, but it's still so hard to turn my car off and leave this story."
December 10, 2014
–
66.0%
"I ran errands at lunch instead of going home like usual to watch TV, just so I could listen to this while driving around for an hour."
December 12, 2014
–
77.0%
"Mark has entered Arabia Terra, and NASA is shitting itself. I honestly think my favorite parts in this book are the parts where Mark makes fun of or sasses off to the suits at NASA."
December 15, 2014
–
94.0%
"Will probably finish this today. Will once again have Martian shaped hole in life. Must fill with food."
December 15, 2014
– Shelved as:
audiobooks
April 30, 2015
– Shelved as:
five-stars-isn-t-enough
July 27, 2016
– Shelved as:
self-published-and-indie
Started Reading
November 1, 2017
–
Finished Reading
June 23, 2021
– Shelved as:
favorites
September 2, 2021
– Shelved as:
is-there-life-on-mars
April 14, 2022
– Shelved as:
survivalist
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Jen (NerdifiedJen)
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rated it 5 stars
Aug 29, 2014 09:08AM
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