I always read a book before I watch its movie adaption. For some reason it's so much easier for me to enjoy a movie even though I already know the story, but reading a book when I already know everything that is going to happen just bugs me. It feels so wrong.
That is exactly why I haven't seen 'The Martian' yet, even though everyone keeps praising it - I wanted to read the book first, but as I hardly had any spare time since the beginning of the year, it just sat on my shelf and judged me.
But I finally managed to pick it up, and man, it really was a ride!
But I finally managed to pick it up, and man, it really was a ride!
'The Martian' by Andy Weir tells the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut who strands on Mars after he is pierced by an antenna in a crazy sand storm, leading his crewmates to believe that he is dead - so they just abandon him. On a planet where Mark should be doomed.
But Mark Watney isn't just an astronaut, he's an engineer and also has a degree in botany, so after he miraculously survives his accident, he's as inventive as one can be to find a way out of what seems like a lethal situation.
He uses some of his supplies - potatoes, to be precise - and works out a crazy way to actually grow them in his base.
The storm destroyed his base's means of communication, so he cannot contact NASA to let them know that he is in fact not dead, so he takes a tiny Mars rover that is supposed to be used for short distance drives only and drives for twenty days just to find an outdated communication system that he tries to fix up - and manages to do so.
He uses some of his supplies - potatoes, to be precise - and works out a crazy way to actually grow them in his base.
The storm destroyed his base's means of communication, so he cannot contact NASA to let them know that he is in fact not dead, so he takes a tiny Mars rover that is supposed to be used for short distance drives only and drives for twenty days just to find an outdated communication system that he tries to fix up - and manages to do so.
Meanwhile, Mark notes his experiences down in a log - at first, just so someone could find it long after he had died, but as the story progresses, it becomes so much more than that.
As all of this unfolds, the entire world is watching.
NASA works day and night to work out means to get supplies to their stranded astronaut and eventually, how to save him - but the pressure of time prompts them to make some horrendous mistakes.
NASA works day and night to work out means to get supplies to their stranded astronaut and eventually, how to save him - but the pressure of time prompts them to make some horrendous mistakes.
And then there's Mark's crewmates on the Ares 3, lightyears away from their friend as well as Earth.
At first, they're kept in the dark about Mark being alive, but how will they cope when they have to face that they just left him there? What insane ideas will it make them have?
At first, they're kept in the dark about Mark being alive, but how will they cope when they have to face that they just left him there? What insane ideas will it make them have?
'The Martian' is honestly one of the best books I've read in a long, long time.
Mark obviously is the driving force of this story - and he's the realest damn person to ever be a character in a book.
He's funny, dorky and relateable, and even when he is faced with situations that might possbily kill him - which there are a lot of on Mars - he keeps his wit. But then he also writes an e-mail to his best friend, telling him how to explain their sons death to his parents. There are many faces to Mark Watney, the geeky botanist, the clever engineer, the reckless survivor - but also the somewhat broken human. And it's wonderful.
He's funny, dorky and relateable, and even when he is faced with situations that might possbily kill him - which there are a lot of on Mars - he keeps his wit. But then he also writes an e-mail to his best friend, telling him how to explain their sons death to his parents. There are many faces to Mark Watney, the geeky botanist, the clever engineer, the reckless survivor - but also the somewhat broken human. And it's wonderful.
I'm not going to lie, there's quite a lot of science involved, because we are technically talking space travel here.
But even though I was a little overwhelmed when Mark described the way he worked on all sorts of things or people working for NASA spat out some crazy terms, it's actually all explained fairly easily once you've settled in and gotten used to it, even for people like me who don't know the first thing about science.
But even though I was a little overwhelmed when Mark described the way he worked on all sorts of things or people working for NASA spat out some crazy terms, it's actually all explained fairly easily once you've settled in and gotten used to it, even for people like me who don't know the first thing about science.
What I also really loved about this book was the way its plot was structured.
There are so many twists and turning points that it always stays fresh and gripping - you don't get tired of this story at all. There's always something going on that keeps you turning the pages, muttering "just one more chapter" at three am.
There are so many twists and turning points that it always stays fresh and gripping - you don't get tired of this story at all. There's always something going on that keeps you turning the pages, muttering "just one more chapter" at three am.
All in all, I'd wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone.
'The Martian' is a book about space travel, but then it's also so much more than that. It's a story about how much one person can endure, a story about the lenghts humans will go to to help someone else, a story about insane devotion and friendship.
It made me laugh, it made me sniffle, and most importantly, it also made me think.
'The Martian' is a book about space travel, but then it's also so much more than that. It's a story about how much one person can endure, a story about the lenghts humans will go to to help someone else, a story about insane devotion and friendship.
It made me laugh, it made me sniffle, and most importantly, it also made me think.
If you're interested in reading this book yourself, it's available on Amazon for 7,58€.
Have you read any good books lately? Feel free to recommend them to me!
Ohhh I'd love to read this I must buy it! I've seen the film and it's fantastic you'll love it, it sounds just like the book! Only problem is it's a little bit long x
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Ooh I really want to watch the movie now! I really don't care about the length, it's nice to have some time to unwind once in a while :) x
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