Leigh reviewed on 8/7/2015 + 378 more book reviews

If you're occasionally bothered by the nagging feeling that humanity is on a downward spiral, you'd do well to read this. Although I knew this was a fiction novel, I couldn't help but gain a bit more faith in our common humanity. This is the most positive science novel I've ever read. Imagine how happy I was when I learned halfway through that The Martian is now a movie. Twice I will have the pleasure of experiencing a boosting jolt of trust to my confidence in others.

After overcoming my initial irritation with Mark's very strong personality, I learned to appreciate who he was and how he coped with a nearly-hopeless situation. I respect resourcefulness and gratitude above all else; Mark brimmed with both. I liked that he was not resigned, panicked, or weepy. He retained a sense of humor throughout his experience. I'm not certain how realistic that is but I'm willing to accept it; we all deal with trauma in our own ways.

Weir gave us a sweeping view of how NASA and JPL and the Hermes crew saw the situation. There was no one answer to anything - just as in life. Things quickly became tangled with bureaucracy and ideas, which is incredibly realistic. I'll also mention the feel of isolation the reader gets when reading Mark's logs.

The only part that detracted from the story just a bit was the scientific detail. I'm sure chemical and mechanical engineers would admire the level of description Weir gave, but it didn't work for a lowly layperson like me. I still know exactly nothing about hydrogen and I didn't learn anything new about potatoes (and I actually do know a lot about them). The story became confusing and muddled during those sections and I tuned out. Still solid 4 1/2 stars. I'll read Weir's future books.

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