The Martian by Andy Weir | Audiobook Review

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Why Did I Listen To The Martian by Andy Weir?

I honestly started listening to The Martian by Andy Weir because of a twitter conversation. I think the conversation happened after I saw Jurassic World – not that this is totally relevant, just the timing of that sticks out in my mind. Anyways we were talking about adult books and The Martian was one of the books recommended. I am pretty sure it was one of the West brothers which recommended The Martian. As I take recommendations of non-YA books seriously (because I already know what I like when it comes to YA), I pretty much immediately plunked down an Audible credit for Weir’s story of a man left behind. Oh, and also the movie hype made me really want to listen to the book too!

What’s The Story Here?

The Martian by Andy Weir is essentially all about this astronaut named Mark Watney. Watney is on an expedition to Mars when something goes horribly wrong and they have to evacuate. Unfortunately, something goes wrong for Watney during the evacuation and he is left behind while his fellow astronauts are back into orbit. Watney is a total survivor though and for the next few months he must figure out how to make contact with NASA as well as how to grow food and survive. Let’s just say there are a lot of potatoes in his future. Meanwhile, back on Earth, various countries work together to figure out a solution for Watney, to bring him home, as they say. This is quite the rousing story to be sure.

How Is Mark Watney As A Character?

I doubt that Andy Weir’s The Martian would have been as compelling, had Mark Watney not been such a well written character. Watney has a sense of humor about his situation – which to be fair does suck. It is funny when he is going through the different entertainment hard drives of his fellow astronauts and lands on disco and Three’s Company. The reaction Watney has is priceless. I think that the sense of humor keeps this book from being too bleak, it also made me really root for Watney. He’s this insanely smart person who is also funny, so pretty much the total character package. Actually, come to think of it, now that I have finished reading The Martian I am very curious to see how Matt Damon pulls off Watney’s character.

How’s The Science In The Martian?

Honestly? I am not at all a scientist or a science expert by any means. However, I feel like what I listened to wasn’t bullshit. I think that Weir likely did a lot of research on botany and chemistry for The Martian. What I listened too of Watney’s survival story and the science involved did actually make sense to me, as in it seemed like it could logically work. So, there’s that. Also, there’s no aliens in this book, which was part of what I initially expected, however, given the climate of Mars, yeah that also makes sense.

How Is The Writing In The Martian by Andy Weir?

Friends, the writing in The Martian by Andy Weir is very action oriented. Honestly, if you like Robinson Crusoe type of survival stories where you see someone just roughing it and how they get through their environment, you will love this book. I was a tiny bit worried initially, because this is not my normal sort of book. It won me over though. I found myself very engaged by Weir’s tale of Mark Watney and even what was going on back on Earth as they rush around the clock to figure out a plan for Watney.

What About The Narration of The Martian?

The Martian is narrated by R.C. Bray. Bray does quite the bang up job narrating The Martian. I thought that his voice was perfect for Watney’s character. He really captures this self deprecating, goof ball spirit that Watney has. I think that Bray’s narration really enhanced my enjoyment of Weir’s story. I liked how the other characters were narrated too. This book is a superb listen and I think a good starting point for people who want to try audiobooks.

Sum It Up With A GIF:

LOL, that is the best part of the film trailer, and yes, there is so much science in this book.

Other Reviews Of The Martian by Andy Weir:

Reading Diva’s Blog – “an amazing story of survival”
Justin’s Book Blog – “Don’t pass up a chance to read this book”
Dear Author – “ the kind of science fiction that is accessible even to people who only read SF on rare occasion”

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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