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rebeccazh's review against another edition
Atwood's dystopias are always terrifying because of how plausible they are. I enjoyed this one.
illusivelf's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I had a hard time getting into the book - I was glad I finished it, it picked up towards the end and had intrigued me enough that I wanted answers.
I really liked the switch from present to past narrative. I also found the different incarnations of Snowman (little Jimmy, high school, post college) really interesting because they showed some development and maturity as he got older.
Snowman is not the narrator I usually read, and Jimmy is not the stories I usually hear.
I loved Snowman's affinity for words, and the voice in which he was written. The situation is grim, and yet he "steps hoppity hoppity hop". The contrast of the situation, his cynicism, and the verbiage was awesome.
I really liked the switch from present to past narrative. I also found the different incarnations of Snowman (little Jimmy, high school, post college) really interesting because they showed some development and maturity as he got older.
Snowman is not the narrator I usually read, and Jimmy is not the stories I usually hear.
I loved Snowman's affinity for words, and the voice in which he was written. The situation is grim, and yet he "steps hoppity hoppity hop". The contrast of the situation, his cynicism, and the verbiage was awesome.
forestwith1r's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
ellieoopsie's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Weird book to say you enjoyed given the subject matter. Atwood manages to talk about some of the worst human impluses with a dry humor which stops the on-the-nose commentry from feeling too preachy. The mixture of past and present in the chapters keeps you engaged, wanting to pull the treads and find out what happens. The creation of world is so strong and intriguing, familiar and futuristic. This book made me think of Cat's Cradle and Our Missing Hearts with a tone more aligned with the former. Give the content warnings a squiz before you read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Trafficking
Moderate: Child abuse and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Animal cruelty
thechaliceofaries's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, I didn’t think Margaret Atwood would be able to come up with another book as horrifying and clever as The Handmaid’s Tale, but I was so wrong. This novel is set in a post-apocalyptic world in which a terrible supervirus has wiped out most of the human population. As one might imagine, that hits a little extra hard right now because of the COVID-19 pandemic we’re all living in. But more than that, I found this book to contain scathing criticisms against a whole array of other issues in our world - consumerism, overpopulation, and environmental destruction. It delves into book club-worthy discussion topics such as where the line should be drawn when it comes to things like genetic engineering and theology, and forces the reader to evaluate really how far our current world is from the disturbing yet uncannily parallel dystopia the author presents. This book gave me a lot to think about and I’m sad that I didn’t realize it’s part of a trilogy, as it ended on a huge cliffhanger and now I really need to get my hands on the rest of this series.
trcovino's review against another edition
3.0
I fell in love with a man who brought up this book on our first date. It took me longer to read this book than our time together lasted. I guess that says something about how good the book was.
kellerko's review against another edition
4.0
I love Atwood’s writing. I always think . . . That could never happen, then recognize the ways we are heading directly toward it. A fascinating story that slowly unfolds. The last man recalls his life and why he is still there.
katiescho741's review against another edition
3.0
This is re-read #3, and my rating has gone down a bit.
Oryx and Crake is about a man called Jimmy who was in the inner circle during the end of civilisation but had no idea about anything. I find books told by lesser characters in the plot to be interesting - the Great Gatsby and Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption for example.
Crake is a scientific genius, and Oryx is beautiful and mysterious...unfortunately that's all we get from the female protagonist of this book. The lack of answers about certain things is frustrating. Some larger questions are answered, at least in part, in the next books in the trilogy, but the more intimate questions are left for us to guess at. And we have so little information to go on.
We learn of the dark childhood of Oryx, but she remains calm about everything...Jimmy tends to come off as a pervert for looking on dodgy websites and constantly asking for details about her time as a child slave. I struggle with their relationship because we don't see much of them together. Love, desire and passion are mentioned but the reader never gets to see any of it.
Atwood combines wonderfully terrifying ideas of pills for all occasions, intense plastic surgery, horrific spliced animals, and food that's almost entirely processed to create a heightened version of the 21st century. A definite read if you're a fan of bleak future-scapes, but it will leave you wanting more.
Oryx and Crake is about a man called Jimmy who was in the inner circle during the end of civilisation but had no idea about anything. I find books told by lesser characters in the plot to be interesting - the Great Gatsby and Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption for example.
Crake is a scientific genius, and Oryx is beautiful and mysterious...unfortunately that's all we get from the female protagonist of this book. The lack of answers about certain things is frustrating. Some larger questions are answered, at least in part, in the next books in the trilogy, but the more intimate questions are left for us to guess at. And we have so little information to go on.
We learn of the dark childhood of Oryx, but she remains calm about everything...Jimmy tends to come off as a pervert for looking on dodgy websites and constantly asking for details about her time as a child slave. I struggle with their relationship because we don't see much of them together. Love, desire and passion are mentioned but the reader never gets to see any of it.
Atwood combines wonderfully terrifying ideas of pills for all occasions, intense plastic surgery, horrific spliced animals, and food that's almost entirely processed to create a heightened version of the 21st century. A definite read if you're a fan of bleak future-scapes, but it will leave you wanting more.
liakeller's review against another edition
3.0
I so wanted to like it with the interesting idea, but I never got “hooked”.
ollie_w's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25