Challenge Corner discussion

Oryx and Crake is at once an unforgettable love story and a compelling vision of the future. Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey–with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake–through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining.

12%: End of part 3

(view spoiler)[I really enjoy the way Atwood is depicting Snowman's insanity. He's clearly traumatized and delirious, but still cohesive enough to be compelling and tell a good story. I'm really curious what ends up happening to make the world melt down - I'm thinking it might be a virus or something from the pigoons. (hide spoiler)]

28%: End of part 5

(view spoiler)[I feel like I now know more about Atwood's internet history than I ever wanted to. But the plant-people vibes from the Children of Crake is super interesting, I'm excited to learn how they came to be (and where Crake is now). (hide spoiler)]

56%: End of part 8

(view spoiler)[At first I was sort of ignoring the fact that every woman in this book is a manic pixie dream girl, but it's bothering me more and more. And I know Atwood can write amazingly complex female characters, so it feels like a purposeful decision, but if that's the case then idk why she decided this. To make a point about Jimmy? Or the world writ large? Idk, hopefully when Oryx becomes a bigger part of the story she'll get more actual character development. (hide spoiler)]

Finished

(view spoiler)[I sort of feel like the whole virus bit was too quick. Like, all this lead up but we don't really get to see the destruction up close. And Crake and Oryx taken out in the same scene? I was waiting for them to have survived somehow. But I did enjoy the ending, sort of a cliffhanger without being totally unsatisfying. I'm excited to get to the next one. (hide spoiler)]

finished as well :)

(view spoiler)[I don't know if I'll read the rest of the series, but this book felt endless to me lol.

I think the genetic engineering speculation is quite realistic—I recently read an article about how genetic engineering has barely any controls on it. anyone with access to those labs could whip up some homemade virus or spread an existing bacteria strand, and no one would find out until it was too late.

I still find there are a lot of loose ends, though. why did Crake destroy the vaccine? and kill Oryx? I suppose if he truly believed in restarting the human race, he would have wanted everyone to die. but there was no proof that the Crakers would have survived outside of the dome or could have reached a population numerous and therefore genetically diverse enough to continue on. and did Crake wish to continue living himself? he didn't seem like an eco-warrior to me; I don't think he had planned on Jimmy killing him. (also, if the bullets on a spraygun are virtual, how do they harm things?? I need to know...)

the examination of corporate greed was pretty interesting. the fancy RejoovenEsense Compound screamed Apple headquarters to me. I liked when Crake pointed out that curing every medical illness would bankrupt the very companies that made it possible, so they would have an incentive to make people sick just to turn a profit. it's funny that the CorpSeCorps person who called Jimmy thought Crake sold out their company, going after pure profit, when that is exactly what the companies do. meanwhile Crake did it all for something even worse—his own screwed up ideologies. also, I just realized is CorpSeCorps meant to be CorpseCorps? lol.

I agree with you that Oryx was basically devoid of personality. this novel seemed to be very much a "male" view of things—his mother leaving, a string of girlfriends Jimmy calls "lovers," an obsession with a girl with a very disturbing backstory. (hide spoiler)]

Mango - Crake: (view spoiler)[The way Snowman/Jimmy is telling the story of his past and how the world came to be how it is at present is kinda scary ngl. There is no doubt that he is losing himself to insanity and is really traumatised with whatever events unfolded in his life. However I still do not understand the love story aspect of the book. I am guessing whatever experiments are being performed on the pigoons would be ultimately responsible for the plague destroying everything. (hide spoiler)]

End of Part 6: (view spoiler)[I am reading this at a snail’s speed ngl because there is just so much information to absorb and a hell lot of trauma to deal with. I did not understand Snowman’s comment about how he should have thought more before laying out the rules, it sounded like he was in some kind of simulation? Judging by what he and Crake used to be upto, i was really uncomfortable imagining what else they might have done that hasn’t been revealed yet. The romance angle is becoming clearer with Oryx’s story coming into play. I guess what I am liking the most so far is how flawed Snowman is and the author is not trying at all to whitewash his image (hide spoiler)]

Sveltana - Hike: (view spoiler)[For a love story, I am annoyed that we so less of Oryx (if that is who is supposed to be the love interest). I am confused as to what exactly would have caused so much destruction. Jimmy/Snowman sure didn't seem eager to believe Crake's claims about the organisation being corrupt and creating diseases in order to maximise their profits. Maybe one such disease mutated out of control causing the population to decline rapidly? This is a very interesting but confusing read imo. I am liking Crake more and more as the story is developing. Snowman looks like more of an anti-hero that a protagonist to me (hide spoiler)]

RejoovenEsense - Paradice: (view spoiler)[This immortality project Crake is working on seems to be so dangerous and unnatural. Even the pill they talked about was so morally wrong and I am kinda amazed seeing the characters' descent into crazyland as they grew up and graduated. Still not sure what exactly would be the reason for the plague though but I am guessing the Crake children mentioned in the book are these creatures he has been experimenting on, the immortal ones? I am excited to finally learn about the fate of humanity (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Everything progressed so quickly that I felt like the world ended in the blink of an eye. I would have appreciated more details about how the virus spread, what exactly in the pill malfunctioned and the terror people faced in the eye of the plague. There was such a strong build up to it that I feel a bit letdown because of the quick progression of the virus and eventual downfall of humanity. I am interested in finding out who these other humans were who approached the children of Oryx and Crake and whether they'd end up being friends or foes to Jimmy/Snowman (hide spoiler)]

@Saige, I am interesting in continuing the series too, let me know if you'd like to BR the remaining books as well!!