Oryx and Crake
Atwood, MargaretPigs might not fly, but they are strangely altered. Earth has been left devastated by an ecological and scientific disaster, leaving in its wake a nightmarish world. The narrator, who calls himself Snowman, takes a journey back into his own past and back to the high-tech bubble dome, where the Paradise Project unfolded and the world came to grief. How did everything fall apart so quickly?
Comments from Groups
Well written. People may think the subject matter disturbing.Created a lot of discussion. Christchurch 009 General agreement on Margaret Atwood's imagination and sense of humour. Oamaru 002 Most members liked it and thought it a useful warning of the perils of genetic engineering and progressive inequality worldwide. Wellington 156 A great book for interesting discussion regarding decisions we make today affecting our future. Auckland 155 All present [at the meeting] agreed there is a lot of resonance/relevance between this book's dystopia and current trends...Also that M.Atwood is an impressive writer. Dunedin 002 Excellent! Very stimulating. Not a novel to 'enjoy' but very provocative. Wairau 001 Everyone enjoyed this book. Some found it disconcerting, depressing or horrifying in its predictions but all agreed it was compelling and extremely well written. Nelson 015 This was an extraordinary book. ..Took all of us out of our comfort zone. Those who finished the book were pleased they had read it. Amberley 001
Pages
436
436
Year
2003
2003
Reviews
16-02-2022
For most of us the subject matter was too heavy/unpleasant. We did, however, appreciate her writing style.
16-02-2022
The group as a whole enjoyed the book. Its futuristic views, and some present day happenings, were food for in depth discussion. We enjoyed the prose and style of Margaret Atwood, and felt she was a very clever writer.
16-02-2022
We had a very entertaining discussion about the book- the speculation in the story about the 'future of the world' gave rise to many more options and scenarios from the group members.
16-02-2022
Most found the book thought provoking, and enjoyed the discussion about the consequences of genetic engineering.
16-02-2022
The book was popular - a good one for discussion.
16-02-2022
We absolutely loved this book. It provoked a very rich discussion.
16-02-2022
Interesting book - divided our group. Some really enjoyed it, others found it too 'far-fetched' and bizarre.
16-02-2022
Half the group liked the book, the other half did not. Good discussion however.
16-02-2022
This was a great read during lockdown, as it was very close to what could have happened. Scary!!
16-02-2022
A little difficult to get into, but once "in" you were hooked. Quite unnerving, the similarities between Atwood's dystopian future and current events.
16-02-2022
We felt that Margaret Atwood had an uncanny ability to anticipate Covid-19 - a virus which has appeared overnight and has the ability to spread voraciously. None of us really enjoyed the book, (although three were reading it for the second and third time), but we all admired Margaret Atwood's ability to inhabit the mind of young men, and to draw out analogies between contemporary fads such as online gaming, and the development of a sociopathic personality.
08-02-2022
Hard to get into at the beginning, but gets better. Very interesting/imaginative characters.