Book Club: The Martian
Andy Weir has created a story so intriguing, alluring, captivating, invigorating...ingenious. Welcome to Book Club: The Martian.
INGENUITY. The only word powerful enough to start off October’s Book Club Article, as today we’ll be discussing Andy Weir’s masterpiece The Martian. Each sentence has you on the edge of your seat, the immersive language captures you into the story, so vividly described it’s almost like you’re there.
Based on the planet Mars and revolving around a NASA mission, dubbed Ares 3, that has gone horribly wrong, Weir describes every suspenseful moment with dynamic and riveting words, creating a storyline and plot so complex and enthralling that you just can’t put the book down.
Every detail links to another; every event correlates to something later in the book at some point - even just by reading through the first ten pages, it’s clear the author has meticulously planned out the book with astounding precision and an innovative, creative mindset. From growing potatoes on Mars to reclaiming an old Martian rover to communicate with Earth, you’ll never know what is going to happen next.
The Martian has not only mastered the descriptive element of what makes a good book, but Weir has additionally hit the nail on the head with his vivid portrayal of emotion. Sadness, fear, rage, fury, loneliness, disgust - throughout the book, the reader is introduced to the character’s inner mindset and how it pulses with fear, anger or whatever emotion he is feeling. This helps build up the reality factor of the story and makes it feel like a true series of events. For instance, when Watney’s connection with Earth severed, the fear and loneliness the astronaut experienced were greatly described, allowing the reader to clearly see the thought process of the character.
The film based on this novel is a classic, but the emotion and description packed into the novel will no doubt have you surprised with the rich, intense quality of language. We recommend that you read this book - even if you’ve seen the movie and know the story - just to experience Andy Weir’s masterful writing skills.
Read the book? Let us know your thoughts in the comments area!
Thank you for reading this month’s Book Club! We’re delighted to announce that we have scheduled an exciting lineup for the rest of this month and November, and we are also able to confirm that the Best of 2024 article lineup will be returning in December, with new added features and articles.
THE MARTIAN is available on Amazon in the UK and US, and for other regions, large bookshops will likely stock this book.