Oryx and Crake

Oryx and Crake

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood is a tale of human existence on the brink and speculative fiction at its best with strong dystopian overtones. Atwood introduces the protagonist Jimmy, a.k.a. Snowman, in a post-apocalyptic world destroyed and taken over by biological contamination. Jimmy lived in a wealthy scientific community isolated from the poor and contaminated population of the Pleeblands. He grows up being the latter end of a generation of geniuses and holds a rather uncaring and sardonic view of life. Jimmy's best friend Crake is a genius and becomes a successful bioengineer and innovator of complex organisms. Upon Crake's location of Oryx, an adolescent object of Jimmy's thoughts, a complex love triangle suddenly precipitates between Jimmy, Oryx, and Crake just as the world falls into disaster. After the catastrophe Snowman struggles to survive in the vicious world after human habitation and tries to reconnect with the past. The climax of the novel is a convergence of Jimmy's two timelines in an epic déjà vu revelation and suspenseful conclusion.
In her novel Atwood presents a possible future of the human race according to a modern view of human nature. Her transcendence of science fiction into speculation and contemplation evokes shock and disgust at the path society is on. One branch of that path and hidden theme in the story is the sick and ironic nature of perfection: one can strive for perfection, but the flaws will always be more explosive. Like the engineer of a time bomb, Atwood locks up secrets and understanding to the complex and at times, confusing story; only when the time is right are they revealed to give the reader an overwhelming sense of epiphany. This technique stimulates the reader intellectually by drawing out predictions and hypothesis as to the origins of some of the developments. Atwood's characters are particularly inventive; their personalities are very normal, but seem out of context in a futuristic world. Her utilization of characters as conveyors of theme does not lessen the attachment and fondness for the characters that grows in the reader. Perhaps the most intriguing and amazing aspect of the novel is the possibility of some of the same events playing out in the human world in the near future. Atwood's startling realism in her fiction gives her work life, uniqueness, and awe.

8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

A More Realistic Version of 2012

This book is intriguing, disturbing, yet entertaining all at the same time. My main interest in the book was actually the past story told within the present. Many times during the present I felt as if the book had slowed down to a halt in the midst of entertaining action and ideas. The disasters discussed in the book are completely plausible with current technology which raises insightful thought about our current state of the world. I gave the book 4 stars rather than five because despite being entertaining for the most part, Atwood seems to castigate the majority of the human population and provides a constant sense of pessimism to any new science, technology, math, business, or "non-word" type of people. Eventually I came to feel that Atwood would be happy if everyone was an English or art fanatic from the way she glorified "Jimmy" yet continually dished technology oriented personas such as Crake. I feel scared to do a simple math equation after this book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Very Thought Provoking

Read it, it's worth your time if you ever think about the grim possibilities of our future if mankind lets it's quest for perfection get out of hand. A thought provoking story filled with dark humor and frighteningly realistic scientific possibilities. You will care for the protagonist and understand him more and more as you read his story unfold in a series of flashbacks. 5 stars.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Read this before it's illegal.

Somehow both stunning and frightening. The story, the characters, and the message are beautiful--not that anything else should ever be expected from Atwood. In my opinion, this is the best she's ever written--and that's saying something.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Read this before you read "The Year of the Flood"

If you read "Flood" first, you'll have trouble liking the main character, Jimmy, in this one. And there are good things about Jimmy. I empathize with him, because, like me, the things he's good at are not particularly marketable. In a world where saleability is the only thing anyone cares about, an actual genius could be considered inferior if they weren't good at the things someone is willing to buy. We're on our way to this world, but I don't think we're there yet. A depressing glimpse at a possible future.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Brilliant and fascinating

One of my favorite Science Fiction books. It was a little difficult waiting for the climax of the story, which came more towards the end, but it was worth waiting for. I dreamed about this book for weeks. Loved it.

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Another futuristic masterpiece

Ms. Atwood does it again with this wonderful story that looks at a future when clones are all that is left of the human race.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great book!

Very good. Different approach to most dystopian novels.

Highly recommended

Oryx and Crake was the first book by Margaret Atwood that I've read, and I really enjoyed it! I found the writing so accessible and readable, and loved the plot, I thought the two stories, and how they relate to each other, very engrossing; I cannot wait to read The Year Of The Flood!

An incredible book

This book is certainly in my top 5 favorite books. Margaret Atwood imagines a future not so far away.

Futuristic & a fun read.

I enjoyed this book, as I do all of Margaret Atwoods work. So many twists & turns, but no real explanation at the end.

Do Not Buy It

This book was recommended highly. I don't see why.

Blah

I didnt read it but the sample is really good !!!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is the way the world ends...

An excellent piece of science fiction showing the decay of society from within, without getting preachy.

Loved it!

This was an awesome book! I had to read it for a college class but it kept me inrerested the whole time. I would def. Recommened reading this

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Post-Apocalyptic

After reading the Handmaid's Tale I thought I'd give a few more of Atwood's books a try, finding my new favorite book to date. I'm a big fan of both post apocalype and genetic modification stories and this one will give you both. I love the way the story slowly brings you to the end of the world from the thoughts of a survivor on his way out. The future of mankind as depicted here is creepily all too plausable.

A well-crafted story

Thusfar I have only read two books by Margaret Atwood, and I have enjoyed them both! She creates characters that are so real and believable.

Oryx and Crake is very creepy at times, but in man aspects does ring true to the science-ruled world that is springing up all around us. Like The Handmaid's Tale, this novel is eerily insightful, but, unlike The Handmaid's Tale, Oryx and Crake is at times very funny!

As usual, Atwood reveals more than enough of the story to enlighten the reader, but holds just enough back that redaders at actually forced to think and speculate on their own. Well done! I am looking forward to reading The Year of the Flood, which is sitting on my shelf right now.

Recommended for those interested in futuristic and scientific books

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood provides a possible prediction of the world's future that we live in today. It has a futuristic setting that seems to be the unthinkable to reach when thinking about it in today's society. However, the human race has proved many advancements in shorter periods of time than expected, especially with medicine and technology. However, Atwood's setting as the reader first imagines isn't very modern. Many scenes take place in the wilderness, and everything the reader knows about the main character Snowman (later revealed as Jimmy) is based on flashbacks of his life. The title Oryx and Crake is the best title to call this book because those are the names of the two most significant people in Snowman's life.
Atwood's style of writing includes a switching back and forth between the different experiences of Snowman when civilization was substantial and existed comfortably with more advanced technologies than today. Then, the novel switches to Snowman's life in a later time, and how he's living currently. The chapters in this book are not numbered, but rather they are known by starting off the chapter with a word or a phrase at the top of the page, and this word/phrase is related to the chapter in some way. This style relates very well to the book and Atwood's writing because as the reader comes to the end of the novel, the flashbacks Snowman has lead up to where he is living and why he is living in this manner. The novel does not have a true ending, which makes the reader ponder the themes and questions brought up in the novel even after closing it.
Nature versus technology is an uncommon theme in books that I've come across. The book's title corresponds directly to its main point. Oryx is a young girl in the novel who represents nature. She grew up in a village where the people worked together to earn their livings until she was taken for the "uses" of the modern society. The point in the novel is that the value on technology becomes far greater than the value for nature and its natural beauty. Crake, another character in the novel, represents technology and scientific developments. Snowman is greatly influenced by Crake in his younger years, just as children and teenagers of the current age are with computers, ipods, cell phones, and other devices. Crake's main concern as the novel progresses becomes business, and how he can use his talents in science to create a better world for people. For people. Nature is in fact foreign to Crake because he himself grew up in a rather "artificial world" which, according the the novel, is what everyone calls society.
Oryx and Crake is an exquisite novel for those who enjoy scientific and futuristic books. It deals with the concept of Armageddon, and the destruction of the human race because of technology. I would recommend this book to a mature audience, and those who enjoy a book that makes them think.

Great dystopian literature

If you liked the Handmaid's Tale, you will definitely like Oryx and Crake--I didn't think Atwood could outdo herself but she has with this one!

A very unique read

This book is very unique to anything I have ever read. Atwood follows the dystopia genre while making it her own. Her non-linear approach to the story keeps the pages turning. I honestly am jealous of her writing talent. By all means pick up or download a copy.