Staff Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

I am late to the party. Almost everyone I know has either already read The Martian by Andy Weir or seen the movie. Aisha even wrote a post about the movie's (then) upcoming release on this blog. In a way, this is awesome. It's a very lonely feeling to read an awesome book and then have no one to talk about it with because (seemingly) no one else has read it yet. It's much more fun when everyone responds to "I really like this book I'm reading" with "OH YEAH THAT BOOK IS GREAT!"

Mostly though, I'm kicking myself. Two years ago I had access to an ARC (advance reader copy) of The Martian, but I never made it past the first page. I'd just read The Last Policeman and didn't feel up to reading another book where everything is balanced on the edge of disaster. Over the next two years as more and more people mentioned how much they loved The Martian, I became more and more convinced that this wasn't a book I wanted to read. I'm sure we've all had those moments where we tried something popular and thought, "What's the big deal?"

Avoiding something because it's popular is a guaranteed method to miss out on awesome things. However, I suspect that if I'd picked up the print edition, I would've been overwhelmed and disappointed. Happily, I listened to the audiobook narrated by R.C. Bray and that made all the difference. Bray is a perfect match for Mark Watney, the novel's main character and primary narrator. Bray's delivery captured Watney's wry, yet juvenile, humor and incredible optimism, as well as the personalities of the other characters. Bray somehow made even the most technically detailed descriptions of, say, canvas fabrication incredibly engaging. Seriously, there was a chapter that went into great detail on the design, manufacture, testing, and deployment of some fancy space canvas that had me on the edge of my seat.

I tore through the entire 11-hour audiobook over the course of four days. This is saying something because I had to give myself a break for a day after a particularly tense section (see above) and read a comic book. I haven't seen the movie yet, so I don't have an opinion on how they match up. I'm just not ready to live through that tension again, but I'll probably check it out once it's available on DVD. First though, I'll be checking out Packing for Mars by Mary Roach.

If you haven't read The Martian yet, it's not too late!* On Tuesday, January 12th we'll be discussing The Martian by Andy Weir at our first book club meeting of 2016. We hope to see you there!

~Sarah, Adult Services


*It's never too late to read a good book!

From Page to (Small) Screen - Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Thanks to Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife, period dramas are all the rage, especially if they take place in a foreign country and are produced by a foreign country's broadcasting corporation.  Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is a period drama, produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) which makes sense, because the show takes place in Australia, specifically Melbourne in the 1920s.  ABC, BBC, it doesn't matter who produced this show, it is a wonderful period drama with an amazing lead character and oh my, the costumes!  I'll get to the costumes later.

Kerry Greenwood created the Honorable Phryne Fisher for her series of detective novels starting with Cocaine Blues in 1989.  Phryne (pronounced Fryne) is a wealthy aristocrat living in St. Kilda, Melbourne in 1928.  She is a 28-year-old detective who solves all types of crimes with the help of her maid, Dot, and a couple of taxi drivers named Bert and Cec.  Phryne was not always rich, when all the other male heirs in her father's line were killed, he inherited a title and a great deal of money.  She worked as an ambulance driver in France during WWI, as an artist model in Montparnasse (an area of Paris, France) after the war and eventually ends up in Melbourne.  She is an amazingly accomplished woman.  She can fly a plane (gasp!), drives her own car (the horror!) and sometimes she wears trousers (stop! I'm having heart palpitations!).  Phryne is a bohemian, but she is incredibly stylish and classy at the same time. 

When ABC was looking to adapt a crime novel for television, Kerry Greenwood's series was brought to their attention.  In June of 2011, ABC commissioned a thirteen-part series to air the following year.  Thus, the wonderful, visually appealing, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries television show was born. 

The main cast of characters from the book appear in the television show. In addition to Phryne there is:

• Detective Inspector John "Jack" Robinson - a police detective who reluctantly works with Miss Fisher

• Dorothy "Dot" Williams - Miss Fisher's companion/maid, she is a devout Catholic and often acts as Miss Fisher's moral compass and voice of reason

• Constable Hugh Collins - Inspector Robinson's right hand man

• Mr. Butler - Miss Fisher's loyal butler

• Bert Johnson and Cec Yates -Taxi drivers, devout communists, often assist Miss Fisher in her investigations

What makes this show so wonderful is the fantastic cast, the interesting (and sometimes over-the-top) cases Phryne gets involved with, the chemistry between the characters and last, but not least, the clothing.  Phryne's wardrobe is an incredible collection of 20s and 30s fashion.  The costume designer for the show, Marion Boyce, deserves an Emmy (in my opinion) because every single thing Phryne wears is amazing.  Boyce did all the costumes, not just Phryne's, and though more understated, the other costumes are just as wonderful.  Dot, for instance, dresses very conservatively in tweeds and cardigans, offering a nice contrast to Phryne, who has no problem showing off a lot of skin.

To date there are 20 books and 34 episodes.  The episodes with the same name as one of the books will have the same plot, though there are usually deviations due to artistic license.  Do you need to read the books to enjoy the tv show?  Absolutely not! I binge-watched the entire first series before I read Cocaine Blues.  I don't often say this, but I like the show better than the books.  Maybe it is because I need the visual of Melbourne in the 1920s, or perhaps it is because I saw the show first.  I'm not sure, but I will say you should give the books and the show a chance.  Read then watch, watch then read, just read or just watch. The decision is up to you.

~Amy, Adult Services

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