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Group Fiction Read - March 2014 - Oryx and Crake - SPOILERS ALLOWED
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Paul
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Feb 06, 2014 12:12PM
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I have read the first two books which I appreciated but found quite harrowing. I haven't started Maddaddam yet because I am worried it will be too upsetting for me!! Anyone here read it yet?
Just started reading this. I'm liking it so far.
Have you read the next books in the series?
I have read the year of the flood which is kind-of parallel to oryx and crake and written in a very different style. Quite upsetting in parts though.
I'm reading it now. Upsetting, yeah I know what you mean. I really like the first book, this one the jury is still out.
I still haven't read the final book. I just think it will end up with all of them dying or something like that and I will find it too traumatizing!!
I preferred the writing in Year of the Flood and agree with Michelle, its quite a parallel to oryx and crake. I'm waiting for the third one to come out in paperback
I have so much to read right now I'm not sure if about the third book. I would like to see what happens. :)
OK, here goes. I'm going to start the third book. I'll let you know what I think!
I am still only in the first half but I am addicted! No matter how dark her subject, Atwood manages to inject humour into every situation. I'll let you know how I get on!
Oh my goodness - I feel wiped out after finishing the trilogy. The third book is not what I expected - which is a good thing! It was like the others in that I can't exactly say that I enjoyed it, but it was totally compelling and a roller-coaster of emotions. Definitely recommend it!
I guess I'll have to read it now. : )
WOW! Another fantastic work by Atwood. What repeatedly struck me was how possible it all seems, and the utter logic involved. If we develop the means to do these kinds of things, what or who is to stop us? Poor Jimmy! Despite the post-apocalyptic world he is wasting away in, I never felt irritated by his inevitable self-pity. It doesn't overwhelm the plot, just keeps the tone on a downer, with peaks and troughs created through the unravelling of the events that led to the 'red plague'. The pace was just right, and i am very grateful that it wasn't all rushed to squeeze in the possibility of other survivors...that we are left wondering what will Snowman decide to do. At times I was reminded of Charlie Brooker and his Black Mirror series. The websites and organisations described in Oryx & Crake had the same sickening humour and feeling that this could actually happen if we are not careful, e.g. Alibooboo. Some horrific ideas brought into play. Can't wait to read the others!
Read Oryx and Crake several years ago without (doh!) realising it is the middle part of a trilogy. I intend to go back to square one and re- read O & C in its correct sequence.
Charlotte, have you read "Never Let me Go"? Another great example of this genre. Chilling, and so believable.
No, I haven't..will look it up :)....just did and there are heaps of books by that name! anthers name? ta!
Didn't know was a trilogy. We recently read Oryx and Crake in our book group. I loved it. May read the rest now, part of new challenge too. Thanks for that.
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....just did and there are heaps of books by that name! anthers name? ta!"
Have recommended the book to you Charlotte
If it's the Kazuo Ishiguro novel you mean, the film is on some time this week - on Film 4 possibly - I'm recording it. No idea if it's any good, but worth a try I thought.
I love Ishiguro. Oh no another book recommendation to look at. Haha
Paul wrote: "Charlotte wrote: "No, I haven't..will look it up :)....just did and there are heaps of books by that name! anthers name? ta!"
Have recommended the book to you Charlotte"
Cheers Paul!
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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It is very cleverly written, and sinister and disturbing too. The world that she has conjured sounds horrendous.
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Do we think Oryx was definitely the girl from the video? It is left a little ambiguous. She felt more of a cypher than a real person. Jimmy was also quite a passive character in many ways.
I finished this a couple of days ago. My opinion on it kept changing as I read. Started off thinking it would be the BEST THING EVER. I have a penchant for post-apocalyptic fiction. However, for me it really meandered at around 45-60 per cent of the way through, when Jimmy was in college (though it certainly picks up afterwards). And I gather that the point is that you don't know the entirety of Crake's motives or indeed Oryx's decision process, but I really wanted to know.
So perhaps there's nothing wrong with the book, it's just not quite the right book for me. Great writing, good premise, but just missing that something to elevate it further.
I have looked up reviews for the next two in the sequence but they seem quite mixed? I'd like to know more about Jimmy but (vague spoilers) apparently he only appears in a bit of the last one?
Hmmm. So it's a 3.5 for me I think.
Does it matter if she is the girl in the video? Does it matter that we never find out her real name? I find her lack of external identity fascinating, but I'm not sure what it is supposed to mean.
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I guess it doesn't matter if Oryx is the child in the video, it is more what she represents. When she looks at the camera and they freeze her image, it is as if she can see them and what they are doing. She is an ethereal character and for me somewhat confusing. I think Jimmy has empathy for her and loved her. She represents a loss of humanity for man and hope for the Crakers???
It's a bit strange and depressing mind, that this is a world where watching child pornography is so normalised that even the main character does it very casually. Yes, he feels guilty about it later, but even so, I think if a character in a contemporary novel did that, the audience would feel differently about it.
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Bit late, but I just finished this one. Post-apocalyptic fiction really isn't my thing, but I haven't read anything by Atwood before and wanted to try this. I found the world she creates convincing, but like Helen found the story really dipped in the middle when Jimmy and Crake are in college. I also found myself getting irritated with all the punning names for genetically altered foods, species etc - I wanted to say enough, I get it! Something about the style of the writing didn't appeal to me, but even so there were enough question marks at the end for me to want to read the next one, particularly as some people have said it is written in a different style.
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