Oryx and Crake

I'm learning to appreciate sci-fi, and this book was very well written. But not sure I'll ever be a total fan of the genre!

Nice book!!

Amazing book. Though the plot development is sort of predictable, the execution is flawless. Awesome characterisaton, so many little details that make the world and participants vivid and believable. I absolutely adored tie ins across many chapters to some background filling charachters like a 'reading of makbeth'. I had a several good chuckles and even a few loud ones which adds some sweet flavor into the mix of sorrow and even horror the book emanates. Lots of controversial themes are covered from eugenics to child pornography and even the latter the author managed to present in a standard-challenging ways. I had a blast, hope you will also.

I liked this book a lot. It’s classic Margaret Atwood, so if you like her other dystopian books, you’ll like this one too. I could have done without the kiddie porn. Oryx could have had a different back-story that was just as plausible. I liked the ending a lot, although I saw that other reviewers thought it was a cop-out. Ending the story with a big question mark about what will happen next gives the reader an opportunity to write their own ending.

Margaret Atwood can really tell a story and she can create a very credible guy protagonist.

I Loved this book! The narrative slowly unfolded and i couldn't stop listening! I love Atwood's dystopian future settings, and the way she incorporates science into her fiction without being completely over the top.

This is a Frightening but realistic view of where our world is heading, and should serve as a warning.

I think the idea of this trilogy was so creative, but poorly executed. The first book is about jimmy, then he barely makes an appearance in book 2 or 3.

This book is fairly long, but it has many elements I enjoy. It is a dystopian novel with elements of child abuse and neglect, terrible parental figures, an unreliable protagonist who is absolutely miserable, interesting female characters, and a devious anti-hero. It has sci-fi elements all throughout, including computerized components, hacking, genetically altered people and creatures, voluntary body modifications, and secret altering elements in the drugs. There are conspiracies and clones. I loved this book. If you are sensitive to graphic language--mostly sexual, including rape and child-pornography moment--and terrible events involving mass genocide of a species, you won't like it, but it is excellent. I cannot wait to read the others!

Wry, intelligent, unsentimental writing,,,good narrator...interesting characters...depressing (at times distasteful) apocalyptic subject matter.

I CAN'T GIVE IT LESS THAN 3 STARS CUZ I REALLY DIDN'T GIVE IT A CHANCE. I STOPPED LISTENING PRETTY EARLY IN THE BOOK BECAUSE THE WRITING STYLE WAS MAKING ME CRAZY. WRITING IN THE PRESENT TENSE IS VERY "JR HIGH" AND I COULDN'T GET PAST IT.

Oryx and Crake is an outstanding futuristic novel - with well-developed characters and a frightening scenario which involves genetic manipulation gone bad. Protagonist Jimmie, aka Snowman, moves the story along and links us to the misguided genius of Crake, the anti-hero. The female lead is equally mesmerizing. This is one story you won't want to turn off, and the final chapters constitute a very scary ride.

I really enjoyed the incredible imagination and suspense in this dark tale. I enjoy books by Dean Koontz and this reminded me of the plots of his books, but Atwood's writing style is much superior and with beautiful descriptive passages. I was very disappointed with the ending as Snowman's difficulties were not resolved in any way. I am hoping for a sequel! I did not like when the narrator used his whisper voice for the dialogue. It did not fit the story.

I just couldn't get into it. I'm an avid reader (listener) and download dozens of books, but I couldn't get into Oryx and Crake. It seemed disjointed to me and I constantly had to keep going back to figure out where I was - if you know what I mean. I never did finish it (maybe it gets better later?) At any rate, it's not one that I will transfer to CD and save . . .

Wow... if you're looking for a great page turner with a futuristic sci-fi twist, keep clicking because this ain't it. I actually had to stop listening and skip ahead... it was slow, the reader was awful and overall it was simply a giant letdown.

Minus the kiddie porn parts it was pretty good story.

Couldn't get past about the 3rd track, 1st disc. The vision of animals being burned with their eyeballs popping out and the their flesh burning as smelled by a young boy was enough to turn me off!

Great book....the ending was a little anti-climatic...only reason I didn't give it a 5 star

Good story, fabulous writing. I was left wanting more and feeling unsatisfied with the ending however.

Atwood weaves fact and fantasy into an enthralling story which kept me glued to my stereo. Also the reader is one of the very best I have heard- great expression.

I really enjoyed this book. I had no trouble getting into it or staying with it. The end was a bit sudden, but completely in keeping with the tone of the book. The only reason I did not love the ending was because I did not want the book to end. The only other M. Atwood book I have read is Handmaid's Tale. This is similar in that it portrays a somewhat depressingly possible future for our civilization. It really makes the reader examine our society in terms of the choices that we are making and the path we are on, as a group. If you liked Handmaid's Tale, you will like this as well, for very similar reasons. It was also really really well read! Campbell Scott was great!

I liked this book so well I am now listening to it a second time, about eighteen months later.

I could not get into the book at all. I could not get past disk 2. It just was not for me!!!

Excellent book. This Margaret Atwood story is like a braid, the individual pieces come together to make a strong interwoven story. The hardest piece to grasp is, unfortunately, the first couple of chapters. Keep listening and you won't be able to stop. I confess, the ending fell a bit flat but perhaps that was because I listened to it in traffic and couldn't give it my full attention. The story was extremely well narrated which only adds to the pleasure.

This book was slow! So slow!! It took forever to get to a point where I was understanding what was going on. There's alot of jumping between present and past. One of those books that starts at the end...and ends at the begining. Good story, if you can get far enough into it!

Great book by M. Atwood. The sudden changes between present and past make this book puzzling but incredibly enjoyable. Narrator does a great job into bringing Snowman to life and adds a deep sense of emotion to what is happening to him and what made him end up where he is. One of the best audiobooks I've 'read'.

Atwood is in my Top 3 list of favorite Authors. This would not be one of my favorites, though I didn't think it was bad. I enjoy her style of writing, and my favorite work by her is another story about a not-too-hard-to-imagine dystopic future, "The Handmaid's Tale." A few problems I have identified with "Oryx & Crake": 1. There isn't much that is endearing about the protagonist, Snowman/Jimmy. I have no reason to root for him. 2. Margaret Atwood is a poet, which is good in some ways, but it also means she sometimes has a tendency to use overly flowery language where it doesn't really fit, & it actually detracts from the story. 3. The story doesn't end so much as it stops. This is a book where I get the feeling the author didn't know what else to do with it, so she tried to tie things up as quickly as possible, which leaves the reader unsatisfied. Still, I am not sorry I read this book. It was still an entertaining read, & I would recommend it to any fan of Atwood's.

I'm not sure what all these folks are talking about regarding the first disc being "slow." I got right into it. Perhaps you have to pay attention a little bit b/c Atwood drops you right into the middle of the story with no real explanation -- but then the fun of it is to figure out what's going on. I did find the ending a little -- I don't know if "disappointing" is the right word. More of a tad of a letdown. Maybe Atwood wrote herself into a box and wasn't sure what to do at the end. I have no idea how else she could have ended it, so I won't complain too much. At any rate, worth the rental. I enjoyed it. Loved the narrator's voice.

I nearly stopped listening during the first CD but was very glad I continued. Hang in there for a great story done with extraordinary imagination. This book will haunt your thoughts long after it is finished.

A little slow at first but really a wonderful book. My first Margaret Atwood book was A Handmaid's Tale. I've been a fan ever since and this book doesn't disappoint.

Very thought provoking. I recently saw a news story about how scientist have recreated a heartbeat of a rat in a test tube. Atwood fictional story may find some truth in the near future.

I didn't like this book at first but kept listening since I had nothing better to do during my commute and wanted to be able to say I'd read something by Margaret Atwood. Stick with it -- it gets better! I have returned it to my queue to listen to again, and purchased it for my brother as a holiday gift. It's a creative and stark apocalyptic tale, somewhat in the order of A Brave New World but with added mysteries and twists. If you can bear through the first half, it ends up being a good story that makes you think!

I couldn't even get through disc 1. What a boring book. I tried to give it a chance and to get interested in it but it just didn't happen.

I loved this book. I am not typically a science fiction reader and have not read Atwood since the Handmaid's Tale -- but I was not disappointed. Much credit also goes to narrator Campbell Scott who does a superb job. The blurb above calls the book prescient and that's the perfect word...you can see how this all played out as you listen. She blends poetic language with reality and a fascinating plot. I really recommend this compelling read.

This story is unlike any other book I can remember reading. I have read a number of books that take place in the future, after some sort of apocalypse, but the way this story unfolds had me figuring out how to stay in my car just a little bit longer to hear what happened next. I liked how the story doesn't just unfold from oldest event to the most current. A very interesting view of the future AND the present.

This book is just plain weird. The author speculates what the future may be like. But it's so outlandish and bizarre that even if it is possible, it's just too hard to relate to. The synopsis suggests that your view of the world may forever be changed after reading ths book, but quite frankly, the only thing it made me do is not want to rent any more of this author's books.

The book took too long to get to the point. By the time the story developed, I lost interest.

This has got to be one of the strangest books I've listened to. You stop to think, "Someone actually thought this up." I cannot say I enjoyed it exactly but I did want to know how it ended. It ended with an unanswered question. A bit slow in MANY parts and we never truly get to know all the characters (there are only a few). I felt a bit cheated. It was pleasant enough to listen to on my commute but I will probably stay clear of Ms. Atwood's other books.

I love, love, love this book. So very interesting and fresh and new. Keeps you hanging on to every word.

This is definately the most boring book I have yet listened too! If this is Ms. Atwood at the "absolute peak of her powers", I hope this is her last book. The book may have been a little better if read by a better reader. His voice just droned on and on and never once put any life into the few characters in the book--even when Snowman was driven to the top of the tower by the pigoons! Sorry, but this is not worth the reading!

Atwood is one of my favorite authors and she never fails to give me chills. This book is no different. The narrator is wonderful and adds to the tale of this dystopia. This is a wonderful novel and Margaret Atwood's use of interesting vocabulary is just the icing on the cake. Best novel I've heard all year!

Entertaining premise and superb writing skills. A bit too fixated on pornography and gets a bit too close to the edge for my comfort. Would have appreciated a warning -- and probably would not have rented the book.

The writing of Margaret Atwood was indeed masterful. The imagery was interesting, lyrical .. pigoons and wolvogs, clever! The reader was good. I don't know what it was .. except that the material was too odd to hold my interest. If I were reading it, I probably would have finished .. but listening to it .. ? Well, I found after disc 5 that I wanted to hear no more of this strange tale, didn't care what came next. Maybe if you're a futuristic kind of person, you'll like this book on tape better than I did.

The title of this book intrigued me. Once it began I was uncertain as to whether I would like to continue,though. I am not a fan of stories of the future or science fiction, in general. However, it was good company on my commute so I continued. Now I am anxiously awaiting the second section. The author offers small bits of information as you go along, but there are continuously questions in your mind regarding a character or some detail. Eventually the listener finds the answers to more questions and the story and relationships begin to make sense. The subject matter is very thought-provoking. With the current pace of technilogical advances, one would wonder how things will end up in the future. The author gives us a look at one possibility. I like books that cause you to ponder a BIG subject.

Imaginative,extraordinary and disturbing view of a not so distant future. This novel is very well read by Mr.Campbell.

I've read and written a lot of reviews on SAB, but none seem to have polarized readers more than this book. It was clear love or seething hate. I'll cast my lot with the former group. This is my first foray into an Atwood novel, but it won't be my last. With O & C, she has created a post-apocalyptic world of intrigue and interest. It is fresh and fluid as it paints a portrait of one potential future. The main character, Snowman, is an anti-hero in the best way: fault-filled, uncertain, indecisive, weak. The creative gene-splicing elements and the resultant raccunks and wolvogs, to name a couple, lend a morbid flair to the story, but also a ring of truth. Could cloning lead mankind in this direction? At it's heart, O & C is still a love story. Jimmy's (Snowman's) search for his missing mother in the arms of other women, and the end destination of his love for Oryx. This is a fascinating yarn that could parallel a unique human future. The narraration was unremarkable and bland.

This had an interesting premise and I kept waiting for it to grab my interest but I just could not get into it. I only finished disc 1 and then gave up.

Interesting premise, somewhat slow character development.

Like all of Margaret Atwood's other books, this one makes you think about what global warming really could mean. The narrative is discriptive, even if the reader is at times, uni-dimentional. Good choice for a long drive - adults only.

Excellent book, interesting look at the future. The ending leaves a lot for the imagination. Perhaps there will be a sequel.

i did not like this book. i just listened to the end to see how much worse it could get! Atwood can certainly write this kind of book well but its not pleasant reading.

When I started listening and realized that this was a science fiction novel, I almost stopped listening right there. (I guess I should have read the description more closely). I didn't even like the narrator at first. But I am glad I hung in there. The more I listened, the more I got pulled in. Atwood does a great job of getting into the psyche of her main character. I like the fact that you get to hear his inner most thoughts, even when they are nonsensical - that makes it more real to me. Without going into a lot of detail I will just say that the story is really interesting and unusual. There is alot an edge to this book that is out there but not over-the-top. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to be entertained by something a little unusual.

Another fascinating book by Atwood deliciously read by Campbell Scott.

Great book, but you'll either love it or hate it (as the reviews seem to reflect). It's a book where the characters really get under your skin, I listened to this book last week and I still think about . As another reviewer said like a Modern Huxley (his book The Island comes to mind). The narrator is great, really captures the Character's moods and traits. So if you're an Margaret Atwood fan, you'll enjoy this, lots of food for thought.

Perhaps the lifeless reading style is at fault, but I just could not get to the end of this book. I enjoyed the writing, and may try to read it myself, but nothing could make me listen to the last disk.

Dark and apocalyptic but with a story that draws you in. Atwood builds her characters with unusual depth. Suspense is created less by the outcome but more through the drama of who are Crake, Snowman and Oryx and how they came to be. So good, I had to read the book after listening to the audio. A modern classic.

I listened to this on a long trip, and found it satisfying. Despite the length it was not too complex to follow the story line while driving. The story was far-fetched but compelling, and the author fixed on a few simple but powerful ideas. Listeners who fail to understand that the book is largely allegorical run the risk of becoming bogged down in the details and unable to suspend their disbelief.

I liked the concept of the plot, but not the execution. The story drifts in and out of past and present and never really gives any satisfing explanations of character relationships. The ending is so completely disappointing that it seems the story was never finished but published anyway.

Odd. The notion of a genetically engineered apocalypse is interesting and very imaginative. The characters are unique, as well, though frustratingly helpless. But, as science fiction it struck me as a bit far fetched. I also found the ending abrupt and unsatisfying. It did keep my interest, though.

I gave this 2 stars because I did manage to read the whole thing. I love when a plot is different from the norm but this was not well done. I was hoping the ending would be enlightening but that was a disappointment also.

This was my first audio book of this type (dark, futuristic). The story is interesting, almost fascinating (not quite). I found the narrarator very difficult to listen to. He speaks in a very low voice, and I had to turn the volume WAY UP to catch everything. But if you like futuristic books of how we could all possible end up dead, then you'll probably like this.

I was hoping that the book would get better the farther I got into it. I was wrong. It was the most boring book I have ever read.

The narrator did an excellent reading but I could not get into this story. This was the first novel of Margaret Atwood that I have read. I am a fan of Ann Rice and Toni Morrison, but found this story slow and uninteresting. Very seldom do I not finish a book, but I listened to the first set and returned the second set without opening the package.

I was simply unable to get through this. I didn't find the story compelling, the characters interesting or the "futureland" of any interest whatsoever. I believe I am in the gross minority on this, but it just didn't work for me.

A beautifully presented, bittersweet and compelling parable dressed up as a science fiction work. The book narrator does an excellent job.

Aweful, waste of time. The man reading the book was monotone and boring. I wish there was a zero stars rating. While it is scary ,that in the future it may be possible to clone and create a whole new civilization this was too far fetched.

I couldn't make myself get interested in this story. It was just too weird.

Fantastic story. Really makes you think the whole cloning idea over again. Should they? Could they take it too far? Can you trust those doing it?

More than a month after listening to this fascinating tale by the once- again brilliant author Margaret Atwood, I often think of the outcome of mankind in a world divided by elitist and corporate control. Viruses and genetically manipulated species marketed by huge corporations to "improve the quality of life", instead result in health or economic chaos and destruction. Recent problems with bird viruses, pain killers, cholestorol reducing drugs, sexual stimulating drugs, etc.... come to mind. Inevitably, humankind's most brilliant individuals test our ability to survive their genius, Oppenheimer and the Manhatten Project come to mind.

A beautiful piece of art, masterfully written and read by an excellent narrator. The story itself breaks your heart and keeps your mind occupied long after the book has ended. It haunts you in your dreams, because it echoes our worst nightmares. Not everything that is possible in science , should be done. Where are our ethical limits? It has been my first book by M. Atwood, but it shall not be my last. I have a long commute, but when listening to this book it was not long enough!

This is the first Margaret Atwood book I have ever listened to or read and it shall not be the last. Each sentence is an illustrative work of art in itself and Ms. Atwood's story is not only plausible, but also terrifying in its all-to-real possibilities. She tackles two current-day issues in one book; genetic engineering and viral engineering for biological warfare. The characters in this book are mutli-layered and diverse, each with their own set of demons. The character of Snowman, the narrator, is darkly hilarious in his outlook of his status and the world around him. This audiobook is perfectly narrated by Campbell Scott. His intonation is slightly detached and ambivalent, as Snowman is much of the time, hinting at the true frustration and yearning of the character just underneath his calm facade. Excellent audiobook - I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys sci-fi and post-apocalyptic fiction.

It was difficult to stop listening when I would arrive at work! The thing that struck me the most is the plausiblity of the events. Characters and events that are so unbelievable are easy to forget. However, Oryx, Crake and Snowman will stick with me for a long time since it could happen anytime. The descriptions of genetic altering and bio-terrorism certainly give you plenty to consider and hope that only sensible minds prevail in this day and age.

One of the best books by Atwood that I have read/heard. Snowman is unforgettable and the similarities to today's headline are frightening. The narrator made the book even more enjoyable so that some days I didn't want my very long commute to end.

I really liked this book, even though I found the waiting for the back and forth in history to come to the conclusion of exactly how it all came down frustrating. You could figure out the big picture pretty quick, but the little details were excellent. The ending wasn't my favorite, but still a great story.

Always a fan of the post apocalyptic genre, I found this to be among the best. Packed with cynicism and nihilistic thought, it is extremely literary and thought provoking. The story engages completely and challenges the reader to deeply consider the human condition. We may have the will, but do we have the right to survive?

This was a disturbingly compelling book that captured my undivided attention. Like in most of Atwood's works, the characters are well developed and utterly believable. Her well-detailed vision of the future could be comically charming it wasn't also so very frighteningly realistic. I thought was a well-paced novel that would have been harder to read then it was to listen to. I always find that tales with these kind of larger then life theories introduced in flashback are easier to digest in the spoken form. Kudos also to the narrator, who gave each major character enough twist of voice to be interesting without resorting to mimicry. Please read this book; it will keep you thoughtful for days.

I did not like it. It needed some introduction. It was hard to follow and not as interesting as I thought it would be. The story was okay.

This is classic Atwood - dark and futuristic. I found the story compelling and well-narrated. This is a long CD book to get through, but worth the time.

I loved this book. It was one of those books on CD that kept me sitting in my car long after I had reached my destination. The story was throught-provoking and interesting, and kept me interested all the way to the end.

Although this book was too dark, morose and disturbing for me to complete, the creativity of the author has compelled me to look up her other works. The sale of children and the child pornography was too unsettling and I had to stop at the 4 th disc. I did however, skip to the last disc so I could have an understanding of the story and found it to be thrilling. I wished I could have stomached the whole book.

I was mesmerized by this book. Atwood is a truly unique and gifted writer. The story pulled me and held me from beginning to end.

As the previous reviewers stated the book is slow to develop. Even so, the story did keep me interested.

I love science fiction, but not this piece. The trite descriptions of everything went on and on and on and on. I couldn't finish listening.

I think the reviews on this are a mixed bunch. While the story was well written, the majority of the book was boring and spent all the time explaining the characters. It never really got to the point until very close to the end. The end was also left abruptly for you to decide. I really didn't care much about the characters. The story was apocolyptic in nature but the majority of the time was spent in the past reflecting back.

Boring! I didn't finish listnening to it. I found it hard to stay interested in the story. I had to stop listening to it in fear that I would fall asleep at the wheel.

This was a very disappointing choice. I never found the characters likable or interesting enough to care what happened to them. I only finished it because another selection had not arrived.

This book is a masterpiece. I’ve never read (or listened) to anything by Margaret Atwood before, and I’m thoroughly impressed. This book is not only a good listen on the drive to work, but is extremely well written. This grim telling of our societies future had me caught in the story right away. I want to listen or read it again just to see if I missed anything subtle.

I kept expecting a story, something to catch my interest but after 8 chapters, reading cereal boxes seemed preferable. Because I was planning to write a review, I had two other people listen to it. Neither would read it willingly. We all decided it was a one-star book.

This was my first read from Margaret Atwood. I did not expect much, but what a refreshing surprise ! She grabs you right from the first line and holds you totally interrested in these unique and fascinating characters. Each of them represents a different side of us, and the effect of these sides being pushed too much, or not enough. This is science-fiction, but not as you know it. It is our world of today, just pushed a few years into the future, where our main problems and concerns are amplified just enough to be belieavable. The result is scary. What if science gets too close to Godlike powers? The audiobook format was also excellent, flawelesly read and entertaining. Get this book and redefine your vision of today's world.