The Martian by Andy Weir - reviewed by Karen Bush

The Martian

Okay, okay, so I'm late to the party ... I thought this was a fairly new book when actually it turns out it has been around since 2011 - that's why there are posters everywhere about the film of the book ... And there was I, thinking they had been unusually prompt off the mark.
But never mind all that. I've just finished 'reading' it on audio, and it certainly works brilliantly well as an audio book, with great narration on the whole although the Indian character in it does sound to my tin ear at any rate, worryingly like Arnie in Terminator. But don't let that stop you - this was recommended to me by Audible, but although I stuffed it in my wish list I put off actually buying it for ages. Until I thought what the hell, and pressed the buy button - and damn but it was good! I had been worried that it would be too technical, too hard-scifi, but no, even if you are a technotwit, there is no problem with that. Plot? Man stranded on Mars with limited supplies of everything, no communication with Earth and any possible rescue mission at least four years into the future. Will he survive? Will he get home? You don't know right until the very end, after Mars (and human error) has thrown every possible catastrophe at him. Think Robinson Crusoe meets Coral Island meets Castaway meets Apollo 13 meets Bear Grylls and Ray Mears on Mars ... all of those wrapped up and with its own personal spin lobbed in. Terrific.