Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake opens with the main character, who has renamed himself Snowman, waking up, crawling out of the tree he’s been sleeping in, blowing the bugs out of his genuine-replica Boston Red Sox baseball cap, and wrapping himself up in a sheet. A sheet he wears all the time because he has no clothing and can’t bring himself to go naked as the rest of the people who are left—the Crakers, as we come to know them—do so unself-consciously.The world as Snowman (who was called Jimmy back then) knew it has ended.
And he’s the only real person left behind. The Crakers, so called because they are the product of genetic design experiments performed by Jimmy’s old friend—and evil genius—Crake (a name he chose because of the bird), are simple, unquestioning beings whose bodies were engineered to eat only plant matter and whose social group remains peaceful because all aspects of competition, namely that created by sex, that could potentially lead to violence and war have been removed. The Crakers, like most mammals, do not date or marry or bond as pairs. Rather, the females go into heat on a regular cycle, and the males respond by taking turns mating with them.
Crake planned it all out this way. He wanted to reduce the population size and remove the flaws from human nature. But he also wanted to remove critical thinking and art and independence and spirituality. How he thought he could do that without causing major damage, I’ll never know.
The bulk of the story in Oryx and Crake follows Snowman as he journeys away from the home he has made with the Crakers and goes back to the world of the Compounds to scavenge for food and survival materials. In the time before, the elite people all lived in Compounds, each one dedicated to producing a certain type of product and moving science and technology forward. Those less fortunate lived out in the pleeblands and had to struggle against poverty, violence, and life-threatning bioforms (the Atwood word for disease) that were frequently introduced into their environment by unseen, unnamed malevolent forces.
Not much really happens on Snowman’s journey, but that’s okay because he spends a good chunk of it reflecting on what happened, on how he got here and how the world went from the world he knew to this frightening post-apocalyptic place populated with wild pigoons (pigs genetically engineered to grow human organs), snats (a nasty rat/snake combo), and rakunks (racoon/skunk) . Snowman’s memories of his friendship with Crake and of watching Crake grow from a precocious, anti-social young boy into a wickedly smart scientist with the power to change humanity fill in the gaps created at the beginning of the story.
We begin to understand, as Snowman does, that there were signs, clues that Crake’s intentions were not wholly for good, and we join him in wondering why he didn’t attempt to do anything about it and whether any potential attempts would have had any chance of making a difference. And we learn about who Oryx was and what role she played in the events that led up to this present disaster.
Oryx and Crake is Atwoodian dystopia at its very best. The world Atwood creates is so frighteningly believable that it causes us to examine our own ideas about science, religion, humanity, and exactly how much control humans can or should have over nature, and it offers us no choice but to consider the consequences of those ideas and decisions. Atwood never reveals exactly how far in the future Oryx and Crake is set, and that increases the story’s power because it feels like this world—this disaster—might not be that far away.
Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, Oryx and Crake is a relatively fast read that I found impossible to put down. Atwood’s use of language and her reflections (through Snowman) on the comfort and beauty of language are like no one else’s. And though the book has a very clear sociopolitical message—almost a warning—Atwood doesn’t beat us over the head with it. She doesn’t have to.
If you enjoy dystopian fiction (or hell, even if you don’t…Atwood is just that good), you don’t want to miss Oryx and Crake. 4.5 out of 5.
And just in case you hadn’t heard, Atwood’s forthcoming The Year of the Flood (September 22nd) is a parallel story. Word on the street is that you don’t have to read Oryx and Crake first, but I think it might help.
Filed under: Book Reviews | Tagged: Book Reviews, books, dystopia, fiction, margaret atwood, oryx and crake, reading
I really, really enjoy Atwood, and I loved this book. And now (with your great review) you’ve given me a lovely excuse to re-read Oryx and Crake AND buy the next book. Thanks
Always happy to give you an excuse to buy a new book
I have got to read one of Atwood’s books!
I’d start with The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s just amazing.
Great review. And first one that convinced me to tackle this book!
Yes, tackle it! And really, there’s not much to be tackled. There’s a lot of plot and very subtle symbolism. You don’t really have to work for it, and it’s a great read.
I read and loved The Year of The Flood (Have to get that review written too…) so I just got my hands on a copy of Oryx and Crake and look forward to it.
I have an ARC of Year of the Flood and am holding on to it for another couple weeks. I’ll look forward to hearing about your experience reading them in reverse order.
Lovely review. I loved this book. I read it for a class I was peer educating and the class loved it. It’s difficult to put down once you begin because it’s just that good. Atwoods writing is eerie and terrifying at times, but believable. Nothing is pure fiction but a possibility for our future. Her writing is accurate and vivid in its descriptions and I adore that bout her! Lovely review – I hope it encourages people to go out there and pick this one up.
And thanks for sharing about The Year of the Flood – I hadn’t heard about it yet and now I’m incredibly excited to get my hands on it ASAP!
This sounds very intriguing! I may add this one to my TBR pile!!
Wonderful review. This was recommended to me, but I never did read it. Maybe now.
I really didn’t like the last Atwood book I read, but this one sounds so good, I’m going to give her another try.
I loved Oryx and Crake. Trying to fit in a re-read before Year of the Flood comes out
Ack! Am I the only one that thinks that cover is a bit creepy?
No. I totally think it’s creepy. And I definitely like some of the other covers better, but this is the edition I read, and I have a weird thing about always using those.
I’ve never read an Atwood novel. Is this is her Dystopian at its best, I suppose I should start with this one? Thanks for the review.
This is a different kind of dystopia than in some of her other novels. I really liked this one, but I think Handmaid’s Tale is the best place to start.
Like other folks, I must confess that I’ve never read Atwood! And I’m not (entirely) embarrassed to say it’s because she intimidates me.
Just the name — ATWOOD — seems to scream intimidation! I’m not sure where these feelings of literary inadequacy are stemming from but they are OH! so very strong. haha!
Still, I’m definitely on a dystopia kick right now — just finished The Hunger Games (and gearing up for Catching Fire!) and currently reading How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff! Perhaps I shouuld add this one to the pile? If I can put aside all my anxiety
I was introduced to Atwood when I took a lit course focused entirely on her in college. It was one of my favorite classes from my college experience.
I’ll have to re-read Oryx and Crake now to get ready for The Year of the Flood–and thank you for mentioning it, since I wouldn’t have otherwise known about it!
I’d also recommend, if you love Atwood, to read The Blind Assassin and Alias Grace–my two other favorite books of hers.
I’m a big Margaret Atwood fan as well — can’t wait for The Year of the Flood. Have you heard that she has started a blog (and even a Twitter feed!) to promote her new book? It’s really fun to read her first forays into the blogosphere! Check it out here: http://marg09.wordpress.com/
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