The Martian - Andy Weir

[Oleh]

The Martian – Andy Weir Review by Oleh Yeromenko

In the not far future, people are finally managed to successfully land on the fourth planet from the Sun. The Mars. There’s unknown period has been passed away from our time, but it should be long enough because beyond of merely dropping rovers on the Mars, people even have managed to build a planet base, “Hab”, with all required living functions so astronauts can make themselves as at home. Well, not really. However, it’s only limited number of astronauts can work on the Mars. And yes, I said work on the Mars; there’s still a lot of work should be done, and there’s still a lot of stuff should be observed and learned to make living on the red planet more accessible for other people. The Ares 3 is the crew of 6 astronaut-scientists, which had been chosen for the 3rd mission on the Mars, to land and make observations. Everything was fine before and during the landing, but suddenly, the weather conditions on the red planet got worst and the dust storm made the crew to evacuate from the planet. One person in the crew, engineer and botanist, accidentally has been hit by the spacecraft and been took away from the group by the powerful Martian storm. Crew was devastated; they didn’t know whether Mark Watney was dead, or still alive. And with having no choice, they left the planet Mars, without Watney. But it turned out, he survived! Mark Watney is the main character in this novel; he faced with the one of the worst things that can happen to person – loneliness. During the whole novel, Watney will have to fight against the red planet’s conditions, solving incredibly difficult problems, and live with the hope that he will see tomorrow’s Martian sun rise…

When you read this book, you gradually become to understand the main character. The tone of this book is the prominent sense of isolation with some themes of fear for the main character which has many chances to die while being still isolated from the entire world. Watney had been alone for about two years on the Mars before he left the red planet, however, he didn’t end up with any psychological problems while being alone for that long time. Scientists prove that being alone for one day – is like smoking 10 cigarettes; means that beyond having extreme environmental conditions, it could be very logical if Watney would have some psychological “shifting” and having some outrage of it (depression, anxiety, PTSD or other psycho-diseases). But there’s nothing even close about it in this book. Therefore, I would say that this novel doesn’t tell us all information of what the main character goes through and what he experiences while being only one human on the dessert planet for two years. Instead of it, we have a very interesting science-fiction story with elements of isolation and surviving themes. As I said, you get know Watney more and more while flipping page after page, especially when he faces with a tragic situation such as when he almost exploded his Hab, lost all his grown plants, or survived in the Martian atmosphere with the broken suit. There’s a lot of crazy moments in Watney’s fate and sometimes, when you get to such places in the book, you rarely think that he will end up as a winner. Sometimes, you, the reader, do not believe that he will survive and will get back to home! This book is a perfect scientific novel where you can gain new knowledge about some stuff, which you will not learn at school. Crazy settings, unexpected trajectory of events, multiple sides conflicts, and the main character’s sense of humor – made this novel’s atmosphere unusual and unforgettable for me.

[Trevor]

I watched the movie and it sounds like the book is a bit different.
I like the point you made about Watney not having any psychological issues, I also wondered this while watching the movie.

[Oleh]

Trevor wrote: "I watched the movie and it sounds like the book is a bit different.
I like the point you made about Watney not having any psychological issues, I also wondered this while watching the movie."

Well, if you really like the movie - I would strongly suggest you to grab this book and start reading. To compare that movie with this book - it's like about first 1/4 part of the book is that what you saw in the movie.

[Tushar]

i have seen the movie with Matt Damon and i liked it. And the way you wrote this review sounds like the book is better. And i think i will read it as it seems to have more than the movie.

[Jacob]

My dad read this book and he really liked it too. I also like science so I'm going to have to read this sometime.

[Jeremy]

I can't remember is this book based off that one movie where this kid was born on mars and was brought down to earth then made a friend which later in the movie falls in love with him but then the kid dies or something like that? or is this movie about some guy that lives on mars and tries to fix a rocket that he then later in the movie takes home but in the middle part of the movie he grows all these plants and is living off of food he has found in his base or something like that?

[Anthony]

Oleh wrote: "The Martian – Andy Weir Review by Oleh Yeromenko

In the not far future, people are finally managed to successfully land on the fourth planet from the Sun. The Mars. There’s unknown period has been..."

I watched the movie a couple of years ago when it first came out and thought it was amazing. Although it was a little vague it was enough to satisfy my interest in space. I'm wondering if the book is more detailed than the movie so ill have to read it.

[Finn]

if what you say about the movie only covering about 1/4 of the book is true then i may just have to give it a chance. It would, however, bug me that we don't understand the severity of his mental health as he goes through this experience

[Oleh]

Jeremy wrote: "I can't remember is this book based off that one movie where this kid was born on mars and was brought down to earth then made a friend which later in the movie falls in love with him but then the ..."

Well, in this case, it is movie based on the book, not book based on the movie))
The movie, which is based on this book, is like you said,
"...some guy that lives on mars and tries to fix a rocket that he then later in the movie takes home but in the middle part of the movie he grows all these plants and is living off of food he has found in his base..."
But I like the book more. I watched the movie (before i found this book) and I thought that book will be very boring because i very liked the movie, so I didn't expect anything from this book. But I was wrong, the book is awesome.

[Dreysen]

Ive really wanted to read this book and havent seen the movie yet. I like space adventure/exploration books.

[Nicholas]

this book sounds really interesting and me being a space lover i think i could really get into this book. although the way you explain it, it seems way different then the movie.

[Oleh]

Jacob wrote: "My dad read this book and he really liked it too. I also like science so I'm going to have to read this sometime."

It's very cool!
This book really has a lot of science; i found there parts of space physics, math, biology, and chemistry. And plus, there's a lot of crazy moments where the science takes a main role of how the trajectory of events will change. I think you will like this book.
Good luck.

[Oleh]

Tushar wrote: "i have seen the movie with Matt Damon and i liked it. And the way you wrote this review sounds like the book is better. And i think i will read it as it seems to have more than the movie."

Yes, I'm highly encourage you to read this book, but be ready to the censure language; there's a plenty of F-words, but it doesn't change the story itself, and I even think that the small presence of swear make this story a little bit more realistic or so...

[Oleh]

Oleh wrote: "Jacob wrote: "My dad read this book and he really liked it too. I also like science so I'm going to have to read this sometime."

It's very cool!
This book really has a lot of science; i found ther..."

And yeah, I almost forgot, be ready to the censure language; there's a plenty of F-words, but it doesn't change the story itself, and I even think that the small presence of swear make this story a little bit more realistic or so...

[Oleh]

Anthony wrote: "Oleh wrote: "The Martian – Andy Weir Review by Oleh Yeromenko

In the not far future, people are finally managed to successfully land on the fourth planet from the Sun. The Mars. There’s unknown pe..."

It is definitely more detailed than the movie! I'm sure, after you'll finish this book - you will like the book more than the movie! Good luck