Review: The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It rarely happens, if at all, that one enjoys and rates highly a book that for it's better part was actually too complex to be understood, however when it does, you could be bloody damns sure that it must've been a hell of a book. Well...that's exactly how good 'The Martian' by Andy Weir is!! This is science fiction in its truest most conventional and practical sense. No romanticization or ultra futristic scientific jamboree but real and serious scientific principles, applications and explanations to a fictional situation and setup. It is definitely a tribute to the author that despite using some fairly heavy science and space technology as a part of his story, he manages to draw the reader so deeply into the characters and the situation that the science becomes only academic and a minor obstacle to what is a thrilling and enthralling tale. As a layman reader like myself, who could not make much sense of the science, the major interest lied in knowing just how this man, Mark Whatney, botanist/astronaut, who gets left behind on Mars by his team, after their mission gets aborted mid way. would survive this extreme situation and if he would ever make it back to earth. This in short is also the plot of the story. It is the ultimate story of survival, of overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds but it is about the capacity of the human spirit to take on adversity and of humanity coming together for a cause. The writing here is clever, witty, vivid and extremely intelligent. It is also heavily researched lending it great detail and factual support. What is however most admirable is the way Andy Weir handles the science while still keeping the flow of the narrative fast, gripping and most importantly entertaining. The use of wit and humour keeps the story from getting burdened by the heavy concepts while the science adds credibility and plenty of realism to the incredible events. I enjoyed reading this book despite my problems with science and was greatly invested in how the story developed and the fortunes of Mark Whatney changed with every passing chapter. This ability to hold the reader is the strength of any good writing, 'The Martian''s position as the No.1 Bestseller is fair evidence that this book is better than good.

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