khillyard's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
devinelybookish's review
4.0
I loved this book! A dystopian novel based on what could potentially be our future!
A novel where society has altered and genetically changed medicines, animals, and food to create a better and brighter future.
I love the descriptions and concepts of the novel. It was thought provoking and felt so real. A true insight to what may happen in our future.
A novel where society has altered and genetically changed medicines, animals, and food to create a better and brighter future.
I love the descriptions and concepts of the novel. It was thought provoking and felt so real. A true insight to what may happen in our future.
seismatic's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
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? No
4.0
threesixtyrhi's review
4.0
I was unsure about this one when I first started reading but it was actually really great once I got into it. Once the flashbacks started happening it really got interesting and everything started to tie together. I'm very curious to read the next book!
laviskrg's review
5.0
This.Was.Amazing.
Review coming tomorrow. Just got back from a party. Need sleep.
****having slept****
"Oryx and Crake" is definitely one of the most terrifying books I have ever read, but its power of raising the hairs on the back of my neck is not owed to paranormal elements, scary ghouls and that kind of stuff. I was scared to fall asleep at night because all the horror in this story could come true. It is speculative fiction, but, really, how fictional is it?
Needless to say, I completely believed in the society depicted in this novel. Why? Because in some aspects, humanity is heading straight for something extremely similar, what with the ever-increasing advances in science and technology. Also because behind the SciFi elements the eternal obsession and corruption of mankind are potently obvious. The clash of the political, the social and the biological is an ubiquitous factor in our society. This is the second of Atwood's novels that I have read and absolutely believed, feared and adored.
I loved the technique used for telling the story. The unreliable narrator, Jimmy, aka Snowman, is, in my opinion, a very well depicted character, one I could definitely identify with, a strong, yet deeply flawed individual, someone real and fleshed out. It was thrilling and depressing at the same time to witness his day-to-day life as, supposedly, the last homo sapiens sapiens on Earth. Also, it was fascinating to put together the immense puzzle of what happened while he made sense of his memories and relieved painful moments of his existence.
Crake, the main "villain" so to speak, is one of the most disturbing characters I have ever encountered in a book. It was not a surprise to see him take the role of the mad scientist bent on the extinction of the human race. Crake is profound and complex and, to be honest, I think he is also highly interpretable, not something that can be easily engulfed in the obvious and the mundane.
Oryx is not extremely present but she does manage to be an extreme presence. I liked her character. I did want to know more about her, but after I finished the book I did not find that her lack of development hurt the story. She was what Jimmy and Crake thought she was and it proved sufficient.
The ending...I will not spoil it for you guys. It is extremely open and up for debate. I will keep the interpretation for myself, though I did read some online commentary in order to bring my final opinion into being.
Please read this fabulous book. Margaret Atwood has easily become one of my favourite female writers and I am eagerly awaiting the finale of the MaddAddam trilogy (the next book is on my to-read-soon shortlist already)
Review coming tomorrow. Just got back from a party. Need sleep.
****having slept****
"Oryx and Crake" is definitely one of the most terrifying books I have ever read, but its power of raising the hairs on the back of my neck is not owed to paranormal elements, scary ghouls and that kind of stuff. I was scared to fall asleep at night because all the horror in this story could come true. It is speculative fiction, but, really, how fictional is it?
Needless to say, I completely believed in the society depicted in this novel. Why? Because in some aspects, humanity is heading straight for something extremely similar, what with the ever-increasing advances in science and technology. Also because behind the SciFi elements the eternal obsession and corruption of mankind are potently obvious. The clash of the political, the social and the biological is an ubiquitous factor in our society. This is the second of Atwood's novels that I have read and absolutely believed, feared and adored.
I loved the technique used for telling the story. The unreliable narrator, Jimmy, aka Snowman, is, in my opinion, a very well depicted character, one I could definitely identify with, a strong, yet deeply flawed individual, someone real and fleshed out. It was thrilling and depressing at the same time to witness his day-to-day life as, supposedly, the last homo sapiens sapiens on Earth. Also, it was fascinating to put together the immense puzzle of what happened while he made sense of his memories and relieved painful moments of his existence.
Crake, the main "villain" so to speak, is one of the most disturbing characters I have ever encountered in a book. It was not a surprise to see him take the role of the mad scientist bent on the extinction of the human race. Crake is profound and complex and, to be honest, I think he is also highly interpretable, not something that can be easily engulfed in the obvious and the mundane.
Oryx is not extremely present but she does manage to be an extreme presence. I liked her character. I did want to know more about her, but after I finished the book I did not find that her lack of development hurt the story. She was what Jimmy and Crake thought she was and it proved sufficient.
The ending...I will not spoil it for you guys. It is extremely open and up for debate. I will keep the interpretation for myself, though I did read some online commentary in order to bring my final opinion into being.
Please read this fabulous book. Margaret Atwood has easily become one of my favourite female writers and I am eagerly awaiting the finale of the MaddAddam trilogy (the next book is on my to-read-soon shortlist already)
bsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
zohead's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75