Oryx and Crake

Margaret Atwood
Oryx and Crake Cover

Oryx and Crake

spectru
4/18/2014
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Oryx and Crake is the first book in a trilogy. It is told in a similar smooth subtle style as Atwood's famous novel The Handmaids's Tale. Oryx and Crake is the back story for whatever takes place in the remainder of the series. It has no climax. It introduces what presumably is the main character, Jimmy/Snowman. The end-of-civilization-as-we-know-it world in which Jimmy finds himself is largely of Crake's making. We find out how he got into his situation through his remembrances. We are introduced to the characters Oryx and Crake in the memories of Jimmy/Snowman, but they didn't survive the flashbacks.

Oryx and Crake was published in 2003. I'm so glad I didn't read it then. The next book wasn't published until 2009 and the third was published in 2013. At least I don't have to wait six years to read the next book in the trilogy. So really, Oryx and Crake is simply the first third of a long novel (about 1250 pages) that was published in installments. If I had known that, I probably would not have begun it. I'm uncertain as to whether or not I will continue it.