Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood

Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam #1) – Margaret Atwood

Oryx and Crake is at once an unforgettable love story and a compelling vision of the future. Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey–with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake–through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining.

My Review of Oryx and Crake

Okay, so I have only read one other Margaret Atwood novel and that was the Handmaids Tale, years before it became hyped up with the TV show. I’m talking back in the 90’s. Anyway, if all those years have taught us nothing more about this author, can I just ask: WHAT THE HELL GOES ON INSIDE HER HEAD!!????

Snowman (AKA Jimmy) seems to be the last surviving human after a plague wiped out the majority of civilisation. Now he is left with the People of Crake, a genetically engineered species of humans and all that is left of a remnant of humanity. Switching back in time and forward to the devastation, Snowman recounts his tale of life and his part in the end of humanity.

My Thoughts

If I said I didn’t enjoy this book I would be lying. But there was just something that didn’t capture me like the handmaids tale did all those years ago. Perhaps it is because I am so much older now… Or perhaps it is because the talk of the pandemic and devastation is hitting a little too close to home right now… Whatever the reason, I did not enjoy this one quite as much as a lot of others seemed to.

Although her writing is eloquent and beautifully fluid, I just found a lot of it dull. It took me a while to get through the first half. The second picked up the pace a bit which I was thankful for, but it was still just a bit drawn out for me at the moment.

It was not all bad. She sure knows how to write a story! The atmosphere she captures you get immersed in. The world that she creates is vivid and terrifying. Not because of the scary hybrid creatures, but because it is not too far off reality. It’s not too much of a leap to imagine that something like this could happen.

I found Jimmy’s story to be too long winded. Too much of nothing happened. Too much repetition. Wash, rinse, repeat. Although I understand that this is the way she writes and her way of capturing the atmosphere and depth of the characters, I just found myself tuning out too much.

When we finally got into the grit and truth of the story and climax between the characters was where it all picked up for me, but by that late stage I felt it was too late to salvage the reading (or listening) experience.

I listened to this on audio, which in this case was a saving grace I think. The narrator was brilliant, especially with the characters and the People of Crake.

Wound I recommend this book?

I think it was worth the read, I am not sure if I would read the sequel, but a lot more people loved it than disliked it upon reading other reviews. There should be a trigger warning for child exploitation and acts of violence which are described in this book.

(3 / 5)