Podcast: Reading ‘The Martian’
Samantha Joice: So I’m reading “The Martian” by Andy Weir. This is a book that was on my wish list for a long time, um, particularly because I’ve seen the movie about five times and I just thought I’ve really got to read the book that it’s based on.
Samantha Joice: Um, and it turned out to be, uh, on- in an e-book sale. So I got it for a few dollars, um, which is awesome. And I love discovering books that way.
Samantha Joice: Eh, and it is- pe-people keep asking me, oh, is it- is it different to the film? You know, you know, is it not as good? Or is the- is the book better than the film?
Samantha Joice: And I would have to say, they’re probably equally fantastic. Uh, reading the book, and having seen the movie so many times, it is actually a fantastic adaptation of the book itself.
Samantha Joice: I think Matt Damon did a great job. The writers did a great job of really capturing the voice of Mark Watney in “The Martian.”
Samantha Joice: Um, and I think coming into it after seeing the movie, uh, I’m definitely envisioning the- the film characters as I’m reading the book, which is probably helping me.
Samantha Joice: Because it’s Mars. It’s a very stark, um, landscape. So, the mo- having the movie in the back of my mind is really helping me flesh out those kinds of details. And it’s similar with the other characters.
Samantha Joice: I would say that Andy didn’t spend a lot of time, uh, describing what they look like. You get a real sense of the other characters’ personalities, which I think is a good thing?
Olivia Fricot: Yeah, I like that approach cause sometimes you get a bit too distracted by descriptions of the riveting emerald green eyes. It’s like we get it.
Samantha Joice: Yeah, it’s- it’s not necessary and I- it’s more fascinating to see, you know, who these people are and all the characters.
Samantha Joice: So yeah, I- I’m really enjoying it. Um, I’m really glad I picked it up and I think, uh, I’m probably gonna pick up, um, the other books, you know, that he’s written as well.
Samantha Joice: I really want to read “Hail Mary.”
Olivia Fricot: “Project Hail Mary.”
Samantha Joice: “Project Hail Mary,” yeah.
Olivia Fricot: Mark’s turned in his review for that and he’s just like, “I cannot say anything about it because it’s- like to say anything would like ruin it, but it’s just, uh, it’s so good.” So, Mark is a big fan, and Mark is hard to please.
Samantha Joice: Okay, well, uh, I’m going to have to, uh, have a look at this review and see what I think.
Vocabulary:
wish list – a list of things or experiences that a person really wants to have, buy, or achieve, “The new digital camera has been on my top wish list for several months.”
turned out to be – (phrasal verb) proved to be or was discovered to be in the end, “The long afternoon math exam turned out to be much easier than I originally expected.”
adaptation – a movie, television show, or play that has been adapted or changed from an original source, such as a book, “The new fantasy series is a highly accurate adaptation of the classic comic books.”
capturing the voice – successfully representing, writing, or portraying the unique personality, tone, and perspective of a specific person or character, “The young actor did a brilliant job of capturing the voice of the historical president.”
envisioning – imagining, picturing, or forming a clear mental image of a future possibility or a specific scenario, “She spent the morning envisioning how her creative project would look once it was completed.”
stark – completely empty, simple, harsh, or severe in appearance, without any comforting or decorative features, “The snow-covered mountains looked beautiful but incredibly stark against the gray winter sky.”
landscape – the visible features of an area of countryside or land, considered in terms of their physical appearance, “The artist loved painting the rolling green hills of the Irish landscape.”
flesh out – (idiom) to add more details, information, descriptions, or substance to a basic plan or outline, “The design team needs to flesh out the project proposal before presenting it to the executive board.”
get a sense of – to gain a general understanding, feeling, or impression of a person, place, or situation, “You can easily get a sense of the company’s creative culture just by looking at their bright workspace.”
riveting – completely fascinating, highly interesting, or transforming in a way that totally holds your attention, “The detective told a riveting story about how he solved the mysterious office robbery.”
picked it up – (phrasal verb) purchased, collected, or started reading or using something, “I saw an interesting biography at the bookstore yesterday and immediately picked it up.”
hard to please – (idiom) having extremely high standards and being very difficult to satisfy, make happy, or impress, “The famous food critic is notoriously hard to please, which makes the kitchen staff incredibly nervous.”