Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam, #1) in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Sep 10, 2010 Dana Berglund rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-for-grown-ups

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Advice: pay attention to the details in the beginning of the book. I thought they were all just window dressing to fill out the setting and cast, and discovered later that I would rather have remembered those details we're given. Alas, I can't write a review of this without spoilers! I'm also a little hesitant to give it a full 5 stars, rather than 4.something, but it'll have to do.
I used to be a big Atwood fan, but the last 2 of her books I picked up, I never got into and wasn't able to finish Advice: pay attention to the details in the beginning of the book. I thought they were all just window dressing to fill out the setting and cast, and discovered later that I would rather have remembered those details we're given. Alas, I can't write a review of this without spoilers! I'm also a little hesitant to give it a full 5 stars, rather than 4.something, but it'll have to do.
I used to be a big Atwood fan, but the last 2 of her books I picked up, I never got into and wasn't able to finish. I figured that my Atwood phase was over, and at some point I'd try again. Well, after hearing from two unconnected friends that I should read this, and probably the new companion to it, I thought it was time to try her again. I am so glad I did.
I enjoy a good dystopian end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it story. I thought Jimmy/Snowman was a sympathetic character, and switching between times and places in his life worked as a narrative structure. About halfway through, though, I called my friend to ask for her assurance that I would, indeed get a payoff from all of this back story. (Yes, she said.)
Fortunately, I saw this world as several steps beyond what our society would stoop to. It was close enough to keep me engaged but not too close as to make me want to throw myself off a bridge (before I get pushed...ha ha--spoiler inside joke). Infact, I was engaged enough to drop all other books I was reading and focus solely on this one.
I love Snowman's struggles and his relationship with the Crakers. I think Crake himself would cringe to hear Snowman telling stories, setting up a cosmology and religion for them, but I think it is in Jimmy's character to be the mythmaker.
2 things I wish had been a little stronger in the book: the tie between Jimmy and Crake should have been a little more grounded in emotion--some childhood event that was more than just playing on computers together. I didn't entirely buy their connection after years apart. More importantly, though (here's the big spoiler alert) I was outraged by the foot wound toward the close of the story. Really? A foot wound as we fly toward the conclusion? Being realistic, he's not going to survive that. I feel her optimism as he walks toward the Homo sapiens at the camp, but I can't feel much hope that his foot will magically heal itself. That feels like a low blow, and one I could have done without. ...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Carla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, ebook, 2014

I never know what to say after I finish a Margaret Atwood's book, and this is only my second book by her! But I can say I want to read everything she's ever written.

The pace is slow but so perfect to understand how Snowman lives and how Jimmy used to live, how it all ended up that way. The second half seems to speed this a bit up just as Snowman's memories while having to face what has happened. I have to say I did get scared on one part, that world really got to me. I guess that's it! The post- ...more

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Sep 19, 2013 Lori rated it it was ok

Shelves: audio

Oh how I wanted to like this! But this was Margaret Atwood meets Cormac McCarthy and the whole reliving the apocalypse through the survivors sad memories just did not do it for me. It only got 2 stars because the ending was as last intriguing.

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