Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

Rating: 9/10

Published: 2003
Number of pages: 436

Started: 6 April 2008
Finished: 12 April 2008


Summary (taken from blurb):
Pigs might not fly but they are strangely altered. So, for that matter, are wolves and racoons. A man, once called Jimmy, now calls himself Snowman and lives in a tree, wrapped in old bed sheets. The voice of Oryx, the woman he loved, teasingly haunts him. And the green-eyed Children of Crake are, for some reason, his responsibility.

Comments:
A very enjoyable, yet disturbing, read that contains all the elements that earmark a terrific piece of dystopian literature. It brings to mind some of the greats (Huxley, Orwell) and is a credible take on a world in the near future in which science has gone too far. Any novel that makes you despair for the future of mankind has done a pretty good job, in my opinion.

The story begins with Snowman (aka Jimmy) who may be the last living person on earth (apart from the Crakers). The story jumps between past and present as Atwood slowly unveils the circumstances and events leading up to Jimmy's current situation. Oryx and Crake are mythologised by the Crakers and revered as gods, but the reader is privy to their all-to-human faults.

Margaret Atwood has clearly done a lot of research for this novel, and it shows. Along with the knowledge of genetic engineering, she has done a terrific job of bringing her characters to life. The more I think about this book, the more I realise what an incredible job Atwood did with it. Highly recommended.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Rating: 8/10

Published: 1962
Number of pages: 217

Started: 28 March 2008
Finished: 30 March 2008


Summary (taken from blurb):
Charles goes searching for his lost father through 'a wrinkle in time' with his sister Meg and friend Calvin. They find themselves on an evil planet, where all life is ruled by a huge, pulsating brain known as IT.

The story of their journey through a myriad of dangers is now established as one of the most compelling fantasy classics of our time.

Comments:
A charming book and utterly enjoyable. As far as I was aware, this was the first time I'd read [i]A Wrinkle in Time[i] and yet I had a strange moment, as the children were first walking along the streets of Camazotz, when I realised that it was all sounding very familiar - I'd read this book before! It was such a strong feeling that I'm sure it must be true, in which case I'm glad I'd forgotten the plot as it gave me a chance to read and appreciate the story anew.

I loved all of the characters, particularly Charles Wallace. A lot of questions were left unanswered, but I hope that if and when I read the rest of the series these might be resolved. A very pleasant read.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Rating: 10/10

Published: 1945
Number of pages: 120

Started: 26 February 2008
Finished: 27 February 2008


Summary (taken from blurb):
First published in 1945, Animal Farm has become the classic political fable of the twentieth century. Adding his own brand of poignancy and wit, George Orwell tells the story of a revolution among animals of a farm, and how idealism was betrayed by power, corruption and lies.

Comments:
This is probably the most technically brilliant novel I have ever read. It's not exactly a page-turner, but it is perfection (or as near it as you're going to get). The story is neither too long nor too short; there is not a single superfluous sentence in the entire novel.

Animal Farm is a political satire of Soviet socialism - the Rebellion of the farm animals against the humans represents (as far as I can understand it) the revolution of the Bolsheviks against the Russian government. The human owners are driven off the farm and the animals finally have their freedom. They determine to create a society in which all animals are equal and must work together in order to survive, but, of course, things start to fall apart and we learn that some animals are more equal than others. This story works on so many levels and really does a wonderful job in exploring the concepts of power and corruption. Very highly recommended.

Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien

Rating: 7/10

Published: 1975
Number of pages: 188

Started: 17 February 2008
Finished: 20 February 2008


Summary (taken from blurb):
Lone survivor after a nuclear holocaust, Ann Burden sees her solitary peace threatened by this unknown intruder. She hides, he watches, they both wait. Is he a friend and ally, or the terrifying near-maniac she begins to suspect? Just as Adam was the first man on earth, so this man must be Zachariah, the last...

Comments:
This is a quick and interesting read aimed at young adults. It's a story concerning the end of the world and the survival of a 16-year-old girl who believes she may be the last person alive...until she sees someone else entering her valley. I wouldn't necessarily call this a dystopian novel - it's more post-apocalyptic. Still, I'll count it as dystopian because it's on Wikipedia's list of dystopian literature.

I thought the main character was a little too naive (or maybe just too optimistic) but I always love an ending that leaves something to the imagination. A pretty good read!

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

Rating: 9/10

Published: 1954
Number of pages: 176

Started: 7 January 2008
Finished: 8 January 2008


Summary (taken from Dymocks website):
Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth, but he is not alone, for every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire and they are hungry for Neville's blood. By day he is hunter; by night, the prey. How long can one man survive like this?

Comments:
Often the shortest books can pack the biggest punch, and I am Legend is no exception. It's quite fast-paced and had me on the edge of my seat several times. I thought Matheson did a great job of exploring the psyche of Robert Neville and a world without people. I found the medical descriptions dull, but knew they were necessary in order for the author to logically explain the appearance of vampires. An ending to a story like this has the potential to be hugely disappointing, but happily this wasn't the case with I am Legend: the ending was simply brilliant. An excellent read.

Dystopian Challenge

COMPLETE!

The eighth and final challenge I'm beginning this year is the Dystopian Challenge (DY). I find books about dystopian societies absolutely fascinating. The challenge is to read 5 dystopian books by the end of the year.

A little background on the subject (taken from wikipedia):
A dystopia is a fictional society that is the antithesis of utopia. It is usually characterised by an oppressive social control, such as an authoritarian or totalitarian government. In other words, a Dystopia has the exact opposite of what one would expect in a Utopian society.

An excellent list of dystopian literature can be found here.

DY reading in 2008: (currently reading)
Margaret Atwood: Oryx and Crake
Madeleine L'Engle: A Wrinkle in Time
Richard Matheson: I am Legend
Robert O'Brien: Z for Zachariah
George Orwell: Animal Farm

TBR books that qualify for the DY challenge:
Note: Books in italics have been read.
Margaret Atwood: Oryx and Crake
Pierre Boulle: Planet of the Apes
Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 (re-read)
William S Burroughs: Naked Lunch (ebook)
Isobelle Carmody: Obernewtyn
Philip K Dick: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (ebook)
Aldous Huxley: Ape and Essence (ebook)
Kazuo Ishiguro: Never Let Me Go (ebook)
Stephen King: The Stand
Madeleine L'Engle: A Wrinkle in Time
Cormac McCarthy: The Road (ebook)
Robert O'Brien: Z for Zachariah
George Orwell: Animal Farm (re-read)
Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged
John Wyndham: The Chrysalids
Yevgeny Zamyatin: We (ebook)

Other DY books I'd like to own and read:
Note: Books in italics have been bought/downloaded.
Richard Bachman: The Long Walk
Richard Bachman: The Running Man
Anthony Burgess: 1985
Anthony Burgess: The Wanting Seed
Philip K Dick: The Man in the High Castle
Harlan Ellison: I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
William Gibson: Neuromancer
Stanislaw Lem: Memoirs Found in a Bathtub
Ira Levin: This Perfect Day
Vladimir Nabokov: Bend Sinister
Philip Roth: The Plot Against America
Kurt Vonnegut: Welcome to the Monkey House
HG Wells: The Sleeper Awakes