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Марсианин

Andy Weir,

Энди Вейер

Start date: May 19, 2015

Finish date: May 21, 2015

Discussion: Book Discussions

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What Members Thought

Mar 14, 2021 Vicki rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: survival, uno_2021, humor, fantasy, audiobook, thriller, science-fiction, pages_301-400, adventure

I'm definitely not a sci-fi genre lover; however, this book blew me away! The characters were likable, the plot was suspenseful, and there was humor sprinkled throughout. The sci-fi wasn't so steeped in the plot that it made me roll my eyes, which I too often do with sci-fi. I'd recommend this one especially to sci-fi lovers.

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Dec 03, 2015 Marie-Claude aka MC rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: its-a-cover-affair

Actual rating: 4.5*. Because some of the log entries were kinda slow. Otherwise, completely loved it. And it taught me something... I wouldn't live past Sol 20 if I were alone on Mars!!! Mark Watney is a badass genius! :) ...more

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Dec 10, 2015 Rachel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, reviewed, 4-5-stars, movie-watched, 2016

The main thing I would say about this novel is that it is hilarious, the main character Mark Watney who's point of view we follow throughout most of the novel, is very sarcastic, and this sarcasm and sharp wit comes across very well in the novel, its very funny!
This novel is written in the past tense, which means that a large proportion of the novel is told to you through diary-like day recaps from Watney on Mars. This means you don't really "live" the action as such, and I wondered how this wo The main thing I would say about this novel is that it is hilarious, the main character Mark Watney who's point of view we follow throughout most of the novel, is very sarcastic, and this sarcasm and sharp wit comes across very well in the novel, its very funny!
This novel is written in the past tense, which means that a large proportion of the novel is told to you through diary-like day recaps from Watney on Mars. This means you don't really "live" the action as such, and I wondered how this would work in the novel. It wasn't a problem at all, the novel was still exciting and tense even with this style of narrative.
The novel also uses 3rd person narrative to describe situations immediately before the "big" problems and action moments Watney faced, and I think this also worked well, you experienced the immediacy of the situation, and felt a sense of danger and worry for Watney and his situation!!
I also enjoyed the chapters of the novel which were set back on Earth following NASA as they tried to help Watney survive, and the chapters that followed the rest of Watney's crew back on Hermes. I thought these narratives really helped the story flow, it meant you were not just reading Watney's diary the whole time, which made his voice more distinctive and more enjoyable when you did read it. It also gave a fuller understanding of the bigger picture, of what was happening in the rest of Earth, and how others important to the story were coping and helping Watney. It also left me in the horrible position of knowing things that some of the characters didn't, which is so frustrating but makes for a very tense and nerve-wracking read!!
I also enjoyed the characters in this novel. The characters in the crew on Hermes were very interesting, and I really enjoyed learning more about them through the small insights we were given through the novel. I loved how different and developed Weir made all the characters in the novel, there were only a few females in the novel (perhaps a few more would've been nice, but he made the Commander of the Hermes a female, so I can't really complain!!) but they were all very different and well rounded which is definitely to Weir's credit.
The only element of the novel which meant I docked half a star from the rating was the large amount of scientific jargon and explanations that just went completely over my head. A lot of the science that kept Watney alive, and that he went into great detail to explain was incomprehensible to me, and although it didn't detract from the actual story, it was a little overwhelming so the novel didn't get 5 stars because of that!
Overall however, this is a very funny book, which is action and packed and quick to read, and I definitely recommend it, even if you're not interested in space and sci-fi, its a great read about human strength and adaptability. Also check out the movie if you haven't, it's really good!!! ...more

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Dec 29, 2016 Julie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I loved the movie so I decided to read the book. They did a fantastic job with the movie! Almost spot on with the book!

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Jun 14, 2015 Amy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy

Could not put it down. I can see how Andy Weir was able to write this as a series of blog posts and it makes for quick reading intervals. The transitions make sense and the tension building skills are right up there with the best action thrillers. The author's specific knowledge and interests (in addition to his mad writing skills) were perfect for birthing this brilliant baby. They say, "Only Nixon could go to China?" Well I say, "Only Andy Weir could write this book." Best part? Technically he ...more

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