Jason

Ugh... Don't know what to say.
I'm a huge fan of Simmons first two Hyperion books. These being the only books of his I've read.
So after seeing the tv version of The Terror and loving it, before realising it was based on this book by Simmons, it seemed like a no brainer to be my next read.
I want those two months back.
Yes.. two months. Only through my incessant need to finish any book I start caused me to complete this.
At 70% I even switched to the audiobook version just to try and get it finished. That was equally as painful and...just... wouldn't...end!
The book is bogged down in constant character roll calls, scurvy symptoms, descriptions of tents and equipment to the finest detail, Inuit myth complete with foreign language.
Things that are great to hear the once, but not in every chapter and going on for pages.
It...was...a ..slog
This is the first time that I've ever not only needed and audiobook to complete a book, but also needed to start reading a second book at the same time just to keep my love of reading intact.

I'm sorry, I know this book is loved by many, but this was the hardest reading chore I've ever accomplished.

I honestly don't think it was written by the same person that wrote Hyperion.

There's a great book in this, and it's 500 pages shorter

I'll be clear from the start, not much actually happens in this book. I won't say too much for fear of spoiling anything, but there's no actual clear major plot that the book focuses on. This is more like a biography.
I hate biographies. And I hate books where nothing much really happens.
I didn't gives a rat's bottom, because this was masterful writing. For the first time in a long time, I didn't want a book to end. I wasn't checking how much was left so that I could start on a new adventure. I was enthralled by the world created here, and the characters that were so beautifully fleshed out.
The writing from start to finish was such a beautiful, smooth flowing work of art, that reading every line was effortless.
Humour, anguish, day to day frustration, heroics, jealousy, grief. It's all here, but without making much of a big deal about any of it. It's written as just part of this persons life. It happens, then move on to the next part.
Every location was built with visual clarity and every character with emotional depth.

I absolutely adored this, and the only reason I'm not jumping straight into book two, is the hope that maybe book 3 will eventually be finished, so I'm stalling just that little bit to give more time for what looks like a pipe dream to eventuate.

ugh

I hate it

I love it

I hate it

I love it

That was my journey with this.

I originally started reading this a couple of years ago and DNF at about 20%. It's one of only two books I've ever not finished.

But it kept popping up as recommended and I had now seen the movie (loved!) and I though, "Give it another go".

15% in I was ready to drop it again for exactly the same reasons.

Mark Watney comes across as a know it all, condescending douchebag with terrible Dad humour.

I'm a Dad.. I know what bad Dad humour sounds like.

And I was forced to listen to him rabbit on for quarter of the book - which essentially amounted to a math's lesson. I swear there were more numbers in this book at this stage than words;

"I'm screwed. However, the body needs 2 litres of water every day to survive, which I can get if I split the atom of 376 oxygens and combine with 800 hydrogens, while parsing them over 65 potatoes under 200psi of pressure at a temperature of 100 kelvin. But I must do this over 56 hours under a strict light intensity of 100 lumens. The advantage of this is that it will also generate 25 pirate-ninjas of power".

ugh

UGH

UUUUGGGHHHHH!!

I feel like Mark Watney was just a vessel for Andy Weir to show the world how bloody smart he thinks he is.

But I'm a tougher reader now so I persevered.

And then something wonderful happened. Mission control. NASA. Other characters. People who were just people solving a problem and with a real personality and a PLOT.

I LOVED these parts of the book.

Unfortunately they kept being in interrupted by Mark F*cking Watney.

Seriously, just let the dude die on that cold red planet. It would have been more interesting just to follow NASA's attempt at retrieving his body for a memorial service.

5 stars for NASA. 1 for Watney.

Like others have said, this is a tale of pure brutality. An examination of fear, pain and terror. A story that serves no other purpose than to make you feel what it's like to explore pain and death.
Very well written and translated. Some of the sentences were too long, but other than that, this is a short, well executed book that achieves exactly what it sets out to do.
Don't read if you are squeamish.

Easy read, but pretty bland

This is one of those books that keeps you reading even though nothing is really happening. Lots of talking about what happened in the past and reactions to a single event in the present, before things started kicking into gear about 75% into the book.
I also found the writing style a little juvenile for my taste, and I'm not into pretentious books at all, so that says something.
I did enjoy it, but was just a bit meh.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good little story. Short, fast paced, and I enjoyed the historical link.
Definitely well written, decent characterisation and descriptive imagery.
Despite that, I didn't find myself hugely invested in it for some reason. This was possibly due to its short length, which is ironic because I was specifically looking for a shorter book to read in this instance. So I can hardly blame the author for delivering exactly what I was looking for.
I guess for me this felt like a popcorn book. Thoroughly enjoyed it, but didn't really care much.

Wow

So at 43 years of age I decided to start taking reading seriously this year. After completing about 10 books that I mostly enjoyed, I decided to really put myself to the test and tackle this one.
At over 1000 pages, I didn't really think I'd get through it.
But now I understand. I understand why people fall in love with this medium. When you find an author that can make to you physically feel, smell and hear the story, then it all comes together.
It took me about 7 weeks to get through this, but only because I'm time limited. Not once did I actually want to put this down.
Now it's over, I feel a loss. I'll miss these characters. I never understood what people meant when they talked about books this way.
Mr King, thank you for finally showing me the power of storytelling.

Just brilliant

This was a fantastic exploration of the power that religion, science and trade all play over the populace.
Many very clever setups are paid off beautifully, and several times I shook my head with a giddy smile over how well the characters meet their goals.
I'll definitely be reading more of this classic series.

Definitely some laugh out loud moments, but ultimately felt like I was reading a cartoon.

Epic and original

Some minor spoilers follow. Nothing major.
The premise behind this had me hooked from the start. Such an original and clever concept that had me champing at the bit to find out how it would all play out...
...until about half way through when it became more of a traditional post apocalyptic story with warring factions etc... At this stage I was beginning to tire as it seemed to stray from what made it so enjoyable to me. This was also a very long read so it felt at the time that these sections were unnecessary filler...
...until later in the book when you realise that this section is actually essential to the final outcome in what becomes a very circular tale.
The ending is as beautiful as it is tragic, and made me forgive the middle section of the book.
This one will stay with me for some time.

A fantastic debut.

This is a homage to the classic fairy tale. My first non horror King book and I admit I was still expecting there to be some horror thrown in, but there really isn't (outside of the traditional fairy tale type “horror”).
So if you are expecting that type of book, then look elsewhere.
However this is a typically beautifully written book by King with great characters, dialogue and world building, and it did take me back to my childhood a little with the wonder that came from reading those old books.

This was a well written story and a good premise. Character development was also very good, but for whatever reason by about 75% of the way through I was looking forward to reading a new book.
I can't put my finger on why I lost interest in this. The quality was solid all the way through, but eventually I just didn't care that much how it ended.

I think I understand why it's popular. But it's just not for me.
None of the characters give a damn about each other enough to even warrant referring to each other by their names, so why should I care about them?
This is very well written, but written in such a distant, emotionless manner that I really couldn't give a hoot about anything.
There's definitely mystery here, and an otherworldly feeling, but it reads like a science journal - which I understand is exactly what it is in a way, but that doesn't make for compelling reading.
I didn't hate it, but just wanted to get it over with.