You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

One of the group reads for January is Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. Please discuss the book in this thread.

In order to receive a badge you must:
1. have completed the book before or during January 2016.
2. discussed it in this thread. Discussion must be more than "I read the book and I liked it". Discussion requires something more substantial and analytical of what you read, for example, thoughts, opinions, impact it had on you, what was your favourite part, was it what you expected it to be like etc. You may also like to review the book and post a link to the review in this thread.
3. Report that you have read AND discussed the book in the reporting thread (include a brief summary of what you thought of the book).

General Rules:
1. Please mark your spoilers with the spoiler tags along with mentioning what stage of the book you are at so other's don't get a nasty shock. Chapter numbers/titles are generally best as they are the same across all formats and editions.
2. The book may be combined with the Year Long Challenge, Topplers, and Monthly Challenges.

Happy reading!

I liked this book so I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on this one.

I am starting audio this weekend but I have the ebook as backup in case it doesn't go well. :)

I put a hold in my local library. I've wanted to read something by Margaret Atwood for so long.

I'm finding this audio to be really good. I'm not usually a huge fan of scifi/fantasy but I am a fan of Atwood and this is good listening. :)

This is the cover of my ebook, it's beautiful.

I just borrowed my elibrary copy. Starting now.

That's great news, Tasha, you had me worried for a bit.

I'm really enjoying it, Lynda. The audio is well done and the narrator's voice seems to go really well with the story. I'm not tempted to read along at all which is a good sign. ;)

The story is very intriguing! I'm finding it really fascinating and can't wait to find out more about how this world all got going.

I finished the audio last night. It was really good, I gave it 5*. Atwood is an amazing writer. I'm not usually one for dystopian stuff but she makes it so appealing to read and unputdownable.

The story is creepy to me bc (view spoiler)[ I feel like what she creates is not impossible, although I'm certain unlikely, at least for the near and rather far future. I have my opinions about certain big corps and certain government things and while I doubt it will ever get to this, it's not SO far fetched that it makes for a pretty creepy story. I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next one in the series as Jimmy stumbles across an interesting group! (hide spoiler)]

I loved the writing which is so wonderully Atwood. The audio was so well done. I'm not sure yet whether I'll be listening or reading to the next. I do miss reading when it's such a great writer like Atwood but the audio production was so good it didn't see to matter so much.

I liked the audio of Year of the Flood Tasha.

And i agree (view spoiler)[that it's because you can see our world heading that way. A plausible reality. (hide spoiler)]

That's good to know, Sarah. I'm listening to The Sherlockian right now and depending on how that goes I may listen to Year of the Flood right after.

I read this book last year and it was one of my favourite reads. I really liked the storyline and the development of Jimmy/Snowman.

I find Atwood always borders on the unnerving possibility of things that might happen while remaining grounded in known human behaviours that are familiar and shocking. She is one of my favourtie storytellers.

My very short review (at the time) is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm looking forward to seeing what others thought about this novel (and joining in discussions once it has been read by more people)

My only experience with Margaret Atwood before this was The Handmaid's Tale. Like that story, Oryx and Crake is both exciting and eerily prophetic...the advances in genetic engineering in the decade since the book's publication make the events of the story even more unnerving.

I don't know if anyone else in this group plays tabletop RPGs, but my group has just started playing one called Mutant Year Zero. It explores similar themes but from the perspective of characters similar to the Crakers, so I've recommended this series to the entire group.

I can't wait to see if my library has The Year of the Flood available!

I'm listening now to The Year of the Flood and it's really good as well.

I'm worried that I'm not going to have the opportunity to get around to listening to this. However, if I have to renew and listen to it later, I will, as everyone seems to be enjoying it.

I cannot figure it out. I was positive I owned this book, but it is not on my Nook nor on my bookshelf and I am #14 in line for the audio book from the library.

I'm with you, Lynda.

Brittany wrote: "I don't know if anyone else in this group plays tabletop RPGs, but my group has just started playing one called Mutant Year Zero."

Ooo checking that out.

I just finished reading this today. I had to look at the year this was published to see how Atwood's fiction compares to what is going on the world today. I believe her theory of product development based on supply and demand is more than plausible. Especially in the area of cancer research. As long as this research has been going on, there should be better treatments for cancer available. Everything has unfortunately become about the $dollar$$$. One man's hubris could certainly lead to the apocalyptic outcome seen in the novel.

So, yay! I was able to renew the audio, and plan on starting it tomorrow. I should be able to finish it before the month's out.

I'm about halfway through the audio. This story is a good, slow burn. I really like the structure going back and forth through "Snowman's" memories and thoughts. I feel like the world both then and now, is slowly being peeled back. It's lonely and haunting. Snowman breaks my heart. Distopic without an overabundance of flash. I like that it's so grounded in his perspective.

I am reading the chapter where we meet Crake.

A Pachinko machine is mentioned. It brought back many fond memories for me. My Uncle was a jet fighter pilot in the Marine Air Wing and when he came home from Vietnam in the late sixties, he brought one of these machines home with him. He had it in his garage and had I loved to play it until all of the quarters were gone. It was fascinating watching the tiny steel balls bouncing all around and the lights and all. It was amazingly loud!

I remember hunting for all of the ball-bearings once when the box got knocked over. There were hundreds.

I finished the audio today while I was getting food ready for the week. I've never read Atwood before, but I will definitely be reading her in the future. The story was deeply compelling for me. I loved Campbell Scott's narration, too; his nearly deadpan delivery seemed to convey Snowman's despondency and Jimmy's depression effectively.

(view spoiler)[I think what I found so chilling about the story, is that it's not too hard to imagine. I think genetics is perhaps the 21st Century's bogeyman the way The Atom was in the to 60's sci fi. Also, with the current conflict over the state of our food (at least here in the US), this isn't a future that is too distant. Yet, these are just a few of the modern-era criticisms of the story. Nothing is left untouched - internet/reality TV culture to the self-help industry to overpopulation. This is dystopia firmly rooted in the here and now.(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Lynda, I agree with your comments. I feel the same. Definitely (view spoiler)[ with the state of our food and big pharma's hands in so much including our government this story is eerily too close to home. (hide spoiler)] Which is exactly why I can't usually read this kind of stuff but since it's Atwood I had to. She is an amazing writer.

I'm glad you enjoyed the audio as well. I think if you move on you'll enjoy the other 2 audios as well. They really are well-done.

I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series.

I like the easy writing style of the text very much. This is my first Atwood. I have been very calmly following along in the story line, waiting to see what was going to happen next.
What a lurching chill I got tonight though, in the chapter where Jimmy is visiting Crake over Thanksgiving vacation! (view spoiler)[the conversation about putting viruses in the vitamins and the maximum profit line - where the patient would die or get well just before all of their money would run out. OMG! It was so casually spoken. All I can think about is - how awful!

The animal tinkering has bothered me and the way the people of Crake were designed too. So hard to imagine even thinking it up. Moving from Jurassic Park to this is has my heart pounding and my stomach churning. (hide spoiler)]

I think there is just over 100 pages to go in my ebook. Snowman is in the Compound in the security "cave" waiting out the twister/storm and Jimmy is telling about his job at AnooYo, after he got out of College. The serial killer comment about sending clues to the police cracked me up! (view spoiler)[ his walking around the bodies outside and in the house is like so many other dystopias where the MC is the last human left. In the timeline - it has been 25 years for him since "it" happened? I am getting the picture and hoping to find out what happened before this books ends. (hide spoiler)]

Crake's people (view spoiler)[too weird by far (hide spoiler)]

I wanted to listen to the audio, but I am still #12 on the list at the library.

I finished! (view spoiler)[ darn I hated the cliff hanger but I could see it coming. At least there were answers - what happened to O and C and where the Children of C came from and how the dystopia event happened. (hide spoiler)]

Now I just need to figure out when to read the next one.

Glad you liked it too!

(view spoiler)[I think it's interesting that by the time we find out Jimmy killed Crake, we were ready for him to die. In that, I think Atwood did a good job of presenting Crake as a sociopath.

I was curious why others thought Crake killed Oryx...was she infected, or was it because she told Jimmy that Crake was the one who distributed the plague. (hide spoiler)]

Re Lynda's spoiler (view spoiler)[ I think Crake killed Oryx because it was the only way to get the kind of reaction out of Jimmy to make him kill him. He needed Jimmy to stay behind and protect the Crakers and eventually get them out of the dome. I think it was his plan all along and he had no intention on leaving Oryx behind with Jimmy. I don't think it mattered that she told Jimmy that Crake had distributed the plague. I don't think it even mattered to him that Oryx and Jimmy had been having a relationship behind his back. He had always known that Jimmy loved her. (hide spoiler)]

Note do not read this spoiler or the one from Lynda until you have finished the book.

Interesting, Cherie, (view spoiler)[I didn't consider that Crake wanted to be killed. I do think it's interesting that he thought Jimmy should be one of the survivors. (hide spoiler)]

Lynda wrote: "Interesting, Cherie, [spoilers removed]"
I wondered about this too Lynda, (view spoiler)[I assumed that Crake didn't want to survive to see what he had done, but it seemed an odd choice to not just leave Oryx, who the Crakers trusted and who could keep teaching them. Was it just because Jimmy was his only friend? (hide spoiler)]

I started this yesterday. I probably will not finish it in January but well...
I have only a few chapters in (I am at the chapter when Crake appears) but so far I am liking it.

As long as you read it now, and report at where you are when the month is done, you're all good Esther. Also, people are always happy to discuss books for a few more weeks (or years...)

Arghhh
Spoilers!!!!'

Naomi, please could you put your comment in a spoiler tag as some people are still reading and that's one heck of a spoiler. Thanks.

I deleted Naomi's comment because it was posted over 6 hours ago and I don't know when she'll be by to edit it.

Naomi, please feel free to rewrite your comment, but in spoiler tags.

Lynda wrote: "Interesting, Cherie, [spoilers removed]"

re Jimmy - (view spoiler)[ I think Crake chose him to be a survivor because the new people needed a way to get out of the dome. He was not remotely technical, nor especially driven to do anything. He could not really contribute anything to them except some kind of protection to get them settled out in the world outside. I also think there was an element of revenge in Crake's murder of Oryx. It deprived Jimmy of everything he loved or cared about. (hide spoiler)] Do not read until you are finished with the book.

I tried to add some warnings about when to read my responses to the comments above.

Sorry, Esther, if you read any of them before you were ready. I am knind of in the same boat with The Nightingale buddy read. Everyone else is done, but I have dragged it out and just getting back to it.

Cherie wrote: "Lynda wrote: "Interesting, Cherie, [spoilers removed]"

re Jimmy - [spoilers removed] Do not read until you are finished with the book."

I'm not sure...(view spoiler)[I think there was something that Crake admired about Jimmy, even if it was something he disdained at the same time. Such as his relationship with women, and his affinity for sex in general. Or, maybe he thought Jimmy would be able to take care of the Crakers and then, just, die. No harm, no foul...I'd buy the revenge killing of Oryx. (hide spoiler)]

Hmm. I can't remember exactly what I wrote. I can't do the script to put in a spoiler tag when I post from my phone so here goes from a computer. (view spoiler)[I believe Crake killed Oryx because she is the only "human" he seemed to love. Jimmy observed Crake's obsession with Oryx and Crake more than likely knew Oryx was in a relationship with Jimmy. Crake seemed to have the mentality of 'if I can't have her, then no one will'. And maybe he was punishing Jimmy in a way by leaving him alone with just the Crakers to look after. (hide spoiler)]

I read this book for my "live" bookclub last december and thought it was so good that I imediately bought the rest of the trilogy.

At the xmas meeting I was amazed to discover that hardly anyone had made it past the first few pages. They all found it bleak and depressing. I'm glad to see so many 5* reviews here - I really was starting to question my sense of humour, which has always been a little dark. Maybe it wasn't the best choice for a christmas read, but I bless the person person who chose it for introducing me to Margaret Atwood ;-)

Naomi wrote: "Hmm. I can't remember exactly what I wrote. I can't do the script to put in a spoiler tag when I post from my phone so here goes from a computer. [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I think Crake killed Oryx simply because he knew that it would be the trigger to Jimmy killing him. The ultimate assissed suicide! (hide spoiler)]

@Naomi - Yes it is annoying you can't copy and paste the spoiler tags when on the app but if you know how to write out the spoiler tags you can do that - that's what i do.

I don't copy and paste I just write the code, but the bracket symbols aren't in my phone's keyboard. Would regular parenthesis work?

It needs to be those arrow style brackets. I have to cycle through the number/symbol keypad a little to get to them but they're there. I'd have thought all phones have them somewhere.

Oops. Found them. There are 2 pages of symbols apparently. I really dislike using my phone for anything but talking, emailing or an occasional internet search and Facebook check. I can't get the GR app to show me the notifications either. The numbers are there but when I click it next to my name there is nothing listed. So I usually just use GR on my computer.

I'm with you, Naomi, I think the GR app is crap, I barely use it.

Lynda wrote: "Cherie wrote: "Lynda wrote: "Interesting, Cherie, [spoilers removed]"

re Jimmy - [spoilers removed] Do not read until you are finished with the book."

I'm not sure...[spoilers removed]"

Re Jimmy (view spoiler)[ It certainly was not no harm, no foul for Jimmy, after Crake killed Oryx. If Crake intended to kill off every last human with his plague, he surely was making sure Jimmy would have no one to have sex with. Yeah, he needed him, but he was definitely going out of his way to punish him too, by killing Oryx. He gave him protection from the plague, but Jimmy didn't even know it until he found the papers Crake left behind. (hide spoiler)]