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Oryx and Crake
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Oryx and Crake - What did you think of the book? (October 2013)
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Sophia
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rated it 3 stars
Oct 04, 2013 05:44AM
What do you think of the end of the novel? What do you think is the future for Atwood's created world now?
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I wondered if Crake made Oryx. Is that nuts?
She was a perfect amalgamation of their shared ideal. Crake was proprietary. The way he was willing to get rid of her. She was a gift to Jimmy in many ways, but also Crakes.
She was a lot like the crakers I think in a way that's hard to pin down.
She wasn't aggressive, certainly - and she struck me as naive. Or was her naivety an act?Was she trustworthy?
And was the making up the past Jimmy wanted her to have ?
That certainly occurred to me. I wonder what sort of brief Crake gave her. I can't believe he didn't know all about her relationship with Jimmy - he doubtless engineered it.Were you surprised when Jimmy shot Crake?
No. And of course neither was Crake, I think.
Ha!What had Crake been up to in the outside world (with Oryx)? He returned covered in what must have been blood?
I had that question too. Would love it to be answered. I tried to speculate that (view spoiler) In fact, I haven't figured out Crake much - his role as a cynic is clear, but his intentions and actions often baffle me.Since it would be too long if I copy-pasted my views, here's my review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Thanks for this – your review resounds with a lot of my 'complaints' now that I've read the book for the third time. I guess I've matured as a reader in the ensuing years; I've become a lot more demanding (!)
I expected a lot better from Atwood - perhaps, coming from an indie writer, or a young writer, I would have been lenient, but Atwood has written far better works, so I've become a bit miserly as well. Of course, no matter who has written it, the problems remain.
Jenny wrote: "I have questions. The biggest one is, why wouldn't Crake want to experience the world he created? What good is it to be the supreme master of a new creation without seeing it happen? "Presumably because he knew it had become too dangerous… But then that begs the question why create it in the first place? Was he just on a power trip?
Yes, indeed. Is the idea good enough to warrant a rewrite? (Not that Atwood is going to oblige, for one moment!!!)
The world was already failing when Crake developed the pills. Maybe he was a compassionate designer giving the earth a second chance (hard one to stomach.) But did he work alone? Where did the idea come from? You don't realize how much you don't know.
That would require a lot of effort - not only was it quite unbelievable, but also very clichéd and flawed. The clichés were repulsive.
Lit Bug wrote: "That would require a lot of effort - not only was it quite unbelievable, but also very clichéd and flawed. The clichés were repulsive."I definitely get that you didn't like the book. I wonder if others who enjoyed it and want to discuss it will feel like jumping in. I'd rather discuss than defend, just a personal preference.
Sophia wrote: "Indeed!Does the concept of morality have any part to play in Oryx and Crake?"
I think that's what Jimmy is left to deal with. Choices he didn't make have left him as a caretaker. His sense of moral obligation is clear, I think, even if he's a bit of a bumbler.
I don't think it's necessary to defend. I think we can all own our reactions. It's ok to like things people hate and hate things people like. In fact, I think it speaks well of books if they polarize.
Jenny wrote: "Lit Bug wrote: "That would require a lot of effort - not only was it quite unbelievable, but also very clichéd and flawed. The clichés were repulsive."I definitely get that you didn't like the bo..."
Ah, well, the discussion went off on a tangent - I did like certain parts of it - the world-building, for instance, the biotech part about producing mutants and producing cures was a very good idea. I liked that part very well. Similarly, the distinction between the pleeblands and the safer part was also a great idea.
Moreover, even the negative aspects of a book warrant a discussion. I wasn't defending my stance, but looking to discuss it.
I agree. I'm curious as to why Crake contaminated the BlyssPluss Pill. Do we find out in the other books?
Sorry my connection is slow; I'm not getting my responses in fast enough! You can tell I live in the middle of nowhere.
Lit Bug wrote: "Moreover, even the negative aspects of a book warrant a discussion. I wasn't defending my stance, but looking to discuss it. "Okay, so, what can we discuss. :)
Sophia wrote: "I agree. I'm curious as to why Crake contaminated the BlyssPluss Pill. Do we find out in the other books?"
Yes. Originally I thought it was a megalomania thing, but after reading the other two books, (view spoiler)
The world turned to prayer when JUVE hit and death was a reality for everyone. Do you think this novel allows for a concept of God?
Sophia wrote: "The world turned to prayer when JUVE hit and death was a reality for everyone. Do you think this novel allows for a concept of God?"The Crakers think of Crake as God, even if we know the truth. Crake is kind and good, etc. I imagine their truth morphing as they start populating.
And Jimmy talks to/hallucinates Oryx, and those memories almost seem to serve as his higher power.
Otherwise, god seems nowhere to be found, which is probably how I'd feel if I thought I was the last human on earth.
Deborah wrote: "I wondered if Crake made Oryx. Is that nuts?"Deborah, I haven't been able to get this idea out of my head. Clearly he has the scientific ability to create things, why not his childhood fantasy? And nothing says "I created this" or "this belongs to me" as much as what he did to her at the end. I think you're right, although I hadn't thought of it while reading.
Jenny wrote: "Deborah, I haven't been able to get this idea out of my head. Clearly he has the scientific ability to create things, why not his chil..."Especially since Oryx functioned as a link between humans and crakers. Having her as Crake's prototype, if you will, is a very tempting theory.
"Human beings hope they can stick their souls into something else, some new version of themselves until times get better, and live on forever."Are the Crakers a better version of ourselves?
They are at least a newer version of ourselves. All shiny and free of sin. But there seem to be hints of the unintended.
Deborah wrote: "I wondered if Crake made Oryx. Is that nuts?"This is a great idea... or did he model the Crakers on her?
In which case how much do we believe of *her* story?
I really got the sense she was in many ways appeasing him. And it's hard to parse where the lies were, but you definitely got the feeling she was lying about something. Maybe many things.
She never answered any of his questions directly. I always assumed that was because she didn't know the story, that it wasn't her story. That Crake had created her or manipulated Jimmy into believing it was her... Either way she seems to serve a purpose.
I always gathered the impression she was telling Jimmy what he wanted to hear. Imagine if he and Crake had sat down and talked to one another about her."She told you what now? What she told me was...."
So not their style, unfortunately. (More's the pity)!!!It occurs to me that someone else may created Oryx. This is a society obsessed with physical beauty and a youthful appearance.
If Crake can do it, then why not someone else?
I never gathered the impression she was manufactured. I also wondered if anything she told Jimmy was true, namely the early childhood stuff.
This might be far left field, and I only read this book in the trilogy, and there might be no textual support for this, but what if Oryx and Crake were created by Snowman, as in his imagination? He gives them a mythological creation story for the Crakers and Snowman becomes their Prophet. Everything Snowman hates in himself, and desires to be or be with etc. he attributes in his mind to Oryx and Crake. This would give Snowman a God complex in an otherwise meaningless and dying world. Maybe Jimmy/Snowman was always alone and self-loathing and he had to create these fictions or attribute his suffering and void, his love and passion to Oryx and Crake to compensate? In other news, I was actually rooting for the Pigoons to find a way to climb the stairs and finish off Snowman. I mentioned in the General Discussion thread I didn't find any of the characters likeable. Maybe the Pigoons though. ;-)
Mark wrote: "This might be far left field, and I only read this book in the trilogy, and there might be no textual support for this, but what if Oryx and Crake were created by Snowman, as in his imagination? He..."Regardless of whether or not O and C were *really* only created inside the mind of of Snowman, he is definitely re-creating them in the (hearts and) minds of the Crakers.
Also, 'death by pigoon'--I like it! :-)
