A review by parkbenj
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

adventurous challenging dark sad 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

3.5

Like many others the only other Margaret Atwood book I have read is Handmaid’s Tale. Unsurprisingly Oryx and Crake is also deeply disturbing, with multiple chapters containing unnecessarily graphic descriptions of the physical and sexual abuse of children. I say unnecessary because I skipped over these scenes and did not feel like I’d missed anything important. Especially as the abused child in question (Oryx) has zero character development and seems to only serve as a plot device to move Jimmy/Snowman’s story forward.
That being said Margaret really is a beautiful writer and as she said of Handmaid’s Tale “nothing went into it that had not happened in real life somewhere at some time.”
I don’t agree with the reviews that say this book is slow and boring, her descriptions and storytelling are truly captivating.
I think this book is worth a read as long as you go in prepared to read many deeply disturbing scenes.
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