Martian, The
Weir, AndyAstronaut Mark Watney has cause to be very grateful for his green thumbs. Stranded on Mars with limited resources and a long wait for potential rescue, being able to grow food could make all the difference. Fortunately Mark is an engineer as well as a botanist and he will need every skerrick of knowledge and resourcefulness he has to stay alive in the Martian environment.
This is a gripping survival story of nail-biting tension and plausible science so convincing that you'll be puzzled as to why you can't remember the coverage of the mission launch. [Small font]
Comments from Groups
A very positive reaction by everyone. Best book this year! Great discussion followed. Highly recommended. Whangarei 023 Half of our group really enjoyed this book, and the other half were lukewarm, but everyone had read it, which is unusual in our group! It was very technical at times, but not beyond the realms of possibility. It was thought-provoking in many ways. Christchurch 239 Several of us thought it was the best book we had read in a long time. Some did not enjoy it at all, finding it too scientific. Palmerston North 029 We all loved this book! It led to a great discussion of human nature and individual human worth. Personally, I had to keep reminding myself that it was not a true story! Auckland 236 'The Martian' scored a 7 out of 10 by those who finished the book. Our group found the story an interesting concept, a light read, and enjoyable particularly as unexpected things happened to the hero. Of interest was the manner in which Watney kept finding ways to stay alive, despite all sorts of impossible odds. Most found the ending poor and a "let-down'. The book highlighted the enormous logistics (and cost!) involved in such a mission, and the potential for massive problems if every contingency isn't planned for. A most enjoyable meeting. Christchurch 320 Loved it! Auckland 143 Those who finished the book enjoyed it. The discussion was animated and wide ranging, with an interesting variety of opinions. Some enjoyed the book more after seeing the movie, others vice versa. Most found the technical information boring. Northland 003 There was too much detail, however most really enjoyed the book and found it humorous. It would be a great book to introduce to College students, to gear them towards science studies. Mangawhai 001
Pages
370
370
Year
2014
2014
Reviews
18-10-2023
A couple of the members described the story as a "galloping good yarn" and "a 'boys own' adventure". On the whole we enjoyed the story and found the logs to be very 'conversational' which made it easy to keep the readers interest. One member was pleased to have seen the movie 1st as it helped to picture the landscape of 'Mars'. Our conversation centred around survival, the unimaginable amount of money spent on space exploration and the 'junk' left 'floating in space'.
06-10-2023
Surprised how many of us really enjoyed it. Some found it a bit hard to get into at the beginning, but then really got into it. We enjoyed the humour, and it provided a great discussion.
17-09-2021
Intelligently written. Inspirational.
25-08-2021
Some preconceived thoughts about the book changed with reading. Most enjoyed - liked description, humour, concepts/challenges.
29-01-2020
Well liked. Humorous. Would recommend to others. A bit technical at times but then it balanced out.
28-11-2018
We were all surprised we liked the book - all of us were reluctant starters, and we can't remember who requested it! Many thanks.
28-11-2018
Mixed feelings about book. Some loved it and re-read it. Others couldn't get into it and didn't finish it.
28-11-2018
A great read. Such a good humoured character - no matter what he encountered he didn't blame anyone. He was extremely resourceful and forward looking, and constantly positive. Very clever writing. Enjoyed by all our group , even the non-science ones.
28-11-2018
We had a great evening. Nobody loved the book really, but we had some good chats about it. The detail in the text was enjoyed.
28-11-2018
Great discussion - heartily enjoyed.
28-11-2018
Most people really enjoyed this book, and liked the humour and the sheer tenacity and inventiveness of the lead character. A couple of the group found it too "nerdy" for their taste.
28-11-2018
We all really enjoyed this book. Actually the best we have read so far, so interesting as well as believable - made for great team discussion on how we would have coped facing a similar situation.
28-11-2018
The book was not a good fit for our group. Too many technical details, and some members would like to know how valid the science is. Members felt that the characterisation of the protagonist was lacking - what was his story before the expedition We would not recommend it to other groups.
28-11-2018
We were all surprised about how much we enjoyed it! It is not the usual genre that we read. We were fascinated by the science and the tenacity to live.
28-11-2018
Cool story - very technical at times with facts and figures, but the underlying story was interesting and gripping.
09-11-2018
An awesome science book that is pure fiction but has a variety of scenarios of what could happen and what you could do with a potato. One of our higher ratings.
28-03-2018
Yes, 5 stars! Given the diverse range of preferred books in our group it was a real surprise to find that everyone really enjoyed this book . Even more surprising is that it is science fiction. I think for some of our members it was a revelation that sci-fi could be this good, I think in a lot of peoples' minds sci-si is seen as rubbish. Incredibly well written, totally engaging and not to be missed, add this to your list now!