I devoured The Martian over two long evenings, and I loved it from the moment it began. I actually went to see the film a couple of months ago so I knew most of the story before reading the book, but this didn't remotely detract from the experience. The plot of the book and the film are pretty much the same, but there's something gripping about the way in which the book is written. For me, it was definitely something to do with the various narrative perspectives and the way in which they're relied upon to structure what is actually an epic story of survival against all the odds.
Throughout the book, Weir uses three different perspectives to tell the story. The majority of the book is told in first person diary entries from Mark (the main character) who's stuck alone on the surface of Mars. It's through these entries that we're introduced to the novel's plot, and to Mark. His personality is a really important component of the novel. Mark is funny and sarcastic, and his responses are lightening quick and unfathomably practical. There was almost certainly a possibility that his character could appear unrealistic, and at times he demonstrates almost superhuman resilience. However, the diary entries do a good job of representing his give-it-a-go personality, and his humour keeps his situation from ever feeling (for the reader, anyway) truly bleak. All in all, Mark is a well-managed construct and the medium of the diary entries play an important part in that success.
Occasionally there's a change in the perspective and we're given a third person perspective on characters back on Earth who are in some way connected with Mark. These interludes really help to add tension to the plot, and they also widen up the "universe" of the novel to include so much more than Mark's psyche. These chapters add a political (and financial) dynamic to the story which makes it much meatier - and also reduces the possibility of readers getting bored with the first person perspective. However, they're also important as they add an emotional dynamic to the story. Although we're given Mark's first person perspective it's only ever through the medium of logged written diary entries which chronicle his time on Mars. Naturally, these have a certain distancing effect as they're always documenting events after the fact. Additionally, we're periodically made aware (especially as the plot develops) that Mark knows people will eventually read these entries, and therefore there is the suggestion of at least subtle self-editing on his part. In contrast, the events documented in third person perspective portray events as and when the happen and they capture unfiltered reactions of the characters. Together, these perspectives create a sort of multi-world surveillance that draws the reader in and out, subtly working to alter the tone and pace of the story. I think it's a really effective mix.
However, there is also another perspective which Weir relies upon sporadically throughout the narrative; another, almost creepy, third person perspective observation of Mark whilst he's on Mars. It feels creepy because we are routinely reminded that Mark is alone on the planet, and the third person observation of Mark is done in a different way from that which occurs on Earth or on the Ares 3 space craft. The third person narrative voice on Mars assumes an ignorance of Mark's identity and the intentions behind his actions, as if it's completely cut-off from the other two narrative perspectives. It really does feel eerie, but it has a place within the narrative. It's use is nearly always reserved for when something bad is about to happen to Mark, particularly events which benefit from being explained to the reader as and when they happen. In this way, this particular narrative voice is another tool used to add tension and subtly affect the pace of the story. At first you don't notice how or why this particular perspective is being used, but towards the end of the novel you begin to expect catastrophe whenever this narrative perspective makes an appearance. Weir masterly relies upon and subverts this expectation, which, in turn, creates even more tension. Initially, I found it a weird addition to the novel as it felt like an unnecessary tool, but in hindsight it does actually do a good job of keeping the story moving at an exciting pace.
Obviously there's a lot more to The Martian than its perspectives but that's all the commentary I've got for you this week. What I can say is that I'd highly recommend both the book and the film, and I don't think it matters too much which order you enjoy them in. Personally, I enjoyed knowing the story before reading the book as it allowed me to better pay attention to other aspects of the novel. However, if I had read the book first then I can certainly imagine that I'd have found it even more gripping - as soon as you're introduced to Mark you want to know what happens to him.
Book 2/50
