Writing Otaku Book Club: Oryx and Crate

[Shy]

[size=1]Greetings, and welcome to the first ever Otaku Book Club thread! Anyone can join the Otaku Book Club, but I only urge members to join if they plan on staying committed to the group. Members of the club will select a book for us to read, it can be of any genre or time period, and we will discuss the story in this thread. You people know how a book club works, anyway...

We have let Queen Asuka choose our first book, the novel [b][u]Oryx and Crake[/u][/b] by [b]Margaret Atwood[/b].

[quote=Description taken from Amazon.com][center]

[url=http://www.oryxandcrake.co.uk/home.asp][img]http://otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=21788&stc=1[/img]
[size=3][b][u]Oryx and Crake[/u][/b][/url][/size]

In Oryx and Crake, a science fiction novel that is more Swift than Heinlein, more cautionary tale than "fictional science" (no flying cars here), Margaret Atwood depicts a near-future world that turns from the merely horrible to the horrific, from a fool's paradise to a bio-wasteland. Snowman (a man once known as Jimmy) sleeps in a tree and just might be the only human left on our devastated planet. He is not entirely alone, however, as he considers himself the shepherd of a group of experimental, human-like creatures called the Children of Crake. As he scavenges and tends to his insect bites, Snowman recalls in flashbacks how the world fell apart.[/center][/quote]

Any members who are interested in joining the book club must post in this thread to express their interest by Sunday, December 19th. By clciking on the book cover above, you will be taken to the book's official website where the entire first chapter of the book is available for reading. You are not expected to read the first chapter by Sunday, though. In this thread we will work out a reading schedule (IE: When you need to read each chapter by) over the course of the week.

After that you are expected to track down a copy of your own, whether it be at your local library or a bookstore. The novel itself is quite popular, and is available is Australia, England and the United States.

I encourage everyone to join. Please post any questions or comments you have here. Also, if anyone has any suggestions on how to do the reading calendar I'd love to hear about that.

-Shy[/size]

[Shinmaru]

I'm definitely in. I went to the library today, and the book wasn't there (though I was able to pick up a swank copy of [i]Catch-22[/i], w00t), but I put in a request for it. The book hasn't been on any sort of student reading list that I've seen, so I'm pretty certain that a copy of the book will be there for me when I go back to the library next Tuesday.

Anyway, I've never really been a part of a book club, so I don't have many ideas on how it would be best to run things, or anything. My mom has some good experience with these things, though, so she could probably offer up some good advice. *shrug* Even though I'd feel like a giant nerd asking my mom for advice for a book club, but I'm already a giant nerd, so hey.

EDIT: I'm a fairly quick reader, especially when I'm reading a book of my own accord, so whatever time table everyone is comfortable with is fine with me. Arcadia's two-week suggestion seems pretty reasonable for now. Maybe once everyone gets back into the swing of things with school, the timetable can be tinkered with a bit.

[eleanor]

[color=darkslateblue] I definately want to join as well. :) I love books to death.

For the reading calendar, I guess we could just upload a picture of the month's calendar and type in by what day we'd have to finish so and so chapter. I'm a pretty quick reader, but I have no idea how fast other members will be, so I don't have a good idea of how much to time to give and such.[/color]

[Dagger]

I'm in; this sounds like a lot of fun. I love books, but as I've tried to juggle other priorities, reading has quickly fallen through the cracks. However, as a member of the book club, I'm confident I'd be able to keep up with the schedule and all that. I've been meaning to read more lately, so for me this is perfect timing. :)

Speaking of schedules, I second mal's suggestion. Like her, I'm also a fast reader, so I don't have any particular preference regarding how quickly or slowly we're supposed to get through each section.

~Dagger~

[Boba Fett]

[color=green]I'm in.

I really should be reading more anyways, and this would be a great way to discover new, different novels.

EDIT: Got the book today, probablly will begin reading later tonight.[/color]

[Lunai]

[color=blue]Count me in![/color]

[Godelsensei]

[COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New]*raises hand*

Additionally, the said novel is all over Canadian bookstores' shelves, as well.*cough*

I'll pick up my own copy sooner, rather than later, I guess. Once I find money or my library card.

I also have tons of books I'd love to share.

Cool idea. You get 50 points.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Queen Asuka]

[color=hotpink][size=1]I'm sure that this book will definately appeal to the general audience here at the OB, as it is FASCINATING. I will definately get my copy of the book back from my boyfriend and if not, there HAVE to be copies at the enormous mammoth library in my hometown. So yes, you already know that I'm in on the bookclub and such. ^_^

I like the calendar idea. And since most people will be on holiday during this time, it should be easy for people to sit around and read. Besides, what do we all have better to do, REALLY? [/color][/size]

[Annie]

[color=darkslateblue]I'm game. I need to start reading more. My vocabulary needs some refreshment treatments.

I'll let you know when I find the book.[/color]

[Kitty]

[COLOR=Blue][SIZE=1]This sounds quite interesting. I've been in book clubs at my middle school and recently joined my high school book club, and I'm eager to see how an online book club would work out.

So please, count me in while I go and get me a copy of the book. ^_~[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Arcadia]

[size=1]Actually, I already bought the book. ^_^;; I haven't started to read it, though, because I wanted to wait and see how everything got set up. But yes, obviously, I'm all for the book club.

As for the schedules.. I can finish a book pretty quickly, so for me, time shouldn't be a problem, even when school starts back up. But I do think that's something we should remember - most people are on or will soon be on winter break and that probably gives them more time. Once classes resume in January, though, that could be cut down drastically (hopefully not o_O). So .... what is good for everyone else? I'd say that two weeks seems appropriate, but if that's not realistic for somebody else, [i]please[/i] speak up. There shouldn't be any rush to finish books, no stressing out - it's about having fun and reading a variety of good books. ^_~

Anyway. I think we could probably use OB's calender to keep track of our book deadlines. I think you can give yourself notices with that, so you can keep yourself aware of where you are in the schedule and all that.[/size]

[Sara]

[QUOTE=Arcadia][size=1]Actually, I already bought the book. ^_^;; I haven't started to read it, though, because I wanted to wait and see how everything got set up. But yes, obviously, I'm all for the book club.

Anyway. I think we could probably use OB's calender to keep track of our book deadlines. I think you can give yourself notices with that, so you can keep yourself aware of where you are in the schedule and all that.[/size][/QUOTE][size=1]Heh, Arca, you're so cute.

I'd like to do this. I haven't gone book-shopping for myself in so long....Heh.

I think using OB's calendar is a good idea.

I know by your smile it's you,
Sara[/size]

[Shy]

[quote name='Arcadia][size=1]So .... what is good for everyone else? I'd say that two weeks seems appropriate, but if that's not realistic for somebody else, [i]please[/i'] speak up. There shouldn't be any rush to finish books, no stressing out - it's about having fun and reading a variety of good books. ^_~[/size][/quote]
[size=1]Is that two weeks to finish the [i]chapter[/i], or two weeks to finish the book itself? I still work 40 hours a week while school is out, though. I don't know if I can finish the whole book in that time. Three weeks, sure.

Anyway, I urge everyone who has picked up a copy of the book to read the first chapter. Feel free to discuss it in this thread while we figure out how this calendar is going to work, and perhaps if we are going to do a book every few weeks we should start deciding upon the next book now.

We're not going to exclude those of you who haven't gotten your copies yet, as I had a little bit of trouble tracking one down myself. The first chapter is available at the website linked to in my first post.

-Shy[/size]

[future girl]

I'd like to join too, I've been trying to find some more things to read and this seems like a good way to do that. Right now I can finish up a book in two weeks, but once January rolls by I'll be balancing work and school so I'm not so sure that two weeks will be enough time to not only read the book, but asorb what it's really about. Whatever the case, I think this is a kick ass idea.

[KarmaOfChaos]

[color=deeppink][size=1]Shy, I didn't see this thread until today! I haven't had time to get on otakuboards, but now it's winter vacation, so that won't be a problem. Can I still join? I'd love to be a part of this.

-Karma[/size][/color]

[dMage]

[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=DarkGreen]I as well, have not been able to get in for a while now, but I would love to join a book club. I have various of novels which I would love to share with others, and am always open to indulging in a good read. Plus, reading with others, and sharing the various different ideas and metaphors we all catch make reading that much more of a pleasure. If its still allowed, I would like to join.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Shinmaru]

I suppose that a lot of people are busy vacationing lol. Today, I read about one-hundred pages of the novel, and I'm getting ever closer to the halfway point of it.

[i]Oryx and Crake[/i] is very good so far, extremely enthralling. I'm liking how everything in the story is presented in little bits (including most of the chapers, which are fairly short), and leaves you hungering for more. I've read a lot, and I know that there's still a lot of stuff that I'm in the dark about (a lot of that relates to Oryx and Crake).

The themes in the book are nothing new (man tampering with nature, playing God, etc.), but as I read in a review for the novel, it's how the ideas are presented that makes a novel unique. I'm loving the blend of wry wordplay and black humor present in the story. What's even more remarkable is that the tone of the novel manages to remain somewhat upbeat, even with the bleakness of the world that Snowman is living in and reflecting upon in his flashbacks.

Most analysis that I can offer would be fairly limited at this point in time, since I'm far better at looking back at these things in hindsight of what I've read, rather than using what I've read to predict events that will happen later on lol. That is, unless someone speaks up and says something that I can think about and agree with. :)

As for the first chapter...yep, just an introduction to Snowman, the Crakers, and the post-apocalyptic world that they inhabit. Chapters two through four go a bit more in-depth as to everything involving the genetic-engineering, including [spoiler]the pigoons, the organ harvesting, and Jimmy's (Snowman) mom running away, because she can't take the world that they live in anymore, what with the corruption of the corporation jacking up the prices to sell organs only to the rich, and her increasingly strained relationship with her husband.[/spoiler]

How far is everyone else? I'm currently on page 154, or the beginning of the "Purring" section of chapter seven. There's more stuff that I can post about, but I don't just want to talk to myself. lol

[eleanor]

[color=darkslateblue] I've finished the book...it was pretty good. I loved Margaret Atwood's writing style in [i]A Handmaiden's Tale[/i] and I loved it in Oryx and Crate. Her tone of bleakness with humor is similar with [i]A Handmaiden's Tale[/i], something that she balances with a good serving a talent. :) Although I'm not sure about what exactly we're supposed to discuss or anything... [/color]

[Kitty]

[COLOR=Blue][SIZE=1]Unfortunately for me, I just got the book from the library today. (I'm still surprised as to how every last copy was out last week. :bawling: ) But since I have it now, *holds it up*, I'm going to start reading today and hopefully be done with the first five or six chapters by the same time tomorrow.

Shinmaru [i]did[/i] say the chapters were short, afterall, lol. ^_~[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Dagger]

Just thought I'd mention that I stopped by a local library earlier today and managed to snag myself a copy of Oryx and Crake (interesting cover, by the way--it reminds me of something one might see in the later episodes of Texhnolyze). I haven't actually started reading it yet, but I glanced through the first few pages, and I like Ms. Atwood's prose. I guess I'll try to finish the book before I head out of town for New Year's Eve.

~Dagger~

[Mitch]

Me want to join, too.

I'll be picking this book up today or tomorrow thusly.

[Shy]

[size=1]I'm about where Shinmaru was when he wrote his post (130 pages or so) I thought I'd comment and spark a discussion. I was really planning on saving my thoughts for when I finish the book, though.

I have a few problems with [i]Oryx and Crake[/i], the main one being that I don't find the characters particularily engaging. I really want to like Jimmy, but I just can't find anything great about the guy. Perhaps later on in the book he really comes into his own, I just don't know... as of right now he's just kind of annoying me.

Of course, it's not just Jimmy. All of the human characters in the story come across as being cold and unlikeable, perhaps that might be the point the author is trying to make. In the way it's being described in the story, the world has become a terrible place to live. Jimmy and his family live in a huge gated community, one that is so enormous and self-reliant that he could feasibly spend his entire life there. I believe Jimmy's Mother likened the place to a theme park at one point, saying that living in such a pefect place was making them forget about the outside world. It's definitely hard to imagine what true pain and suffering is when you're exposed to such a superficially happy place all of the time.

The only character I really like is the Mother, but [spoiler]she kind of disappears halfway through the book. I'd love to see her return, though. Whereas it seems like everyone is trying to get into these safe, gated communities the Mother flee. I wonder if she knows more than she is letting on, since the company seems to have a great deal of interest in finding her.[/spoiler]

As for the post-apocalyptic bits, I don't find them very interesting yet. I love Snowman trying to explain simple things like toast to the Crakes; little moments like that are probably my favorite parts of the book. [spoiler]Calling them 'Crakes' seems to be a way for Snowman to honor his childhood friend, but maybe he plays a larger role later in the story. I don't know. It will be interesting to see how this apocalypse actually came about, and how Snowman is the only survivor.[/spoiler]

Also, it's kind of comforting to know that all of the unlikable characters are killed in an apocalypse of some kind. As far as I'm concerned, this genetically engineered world is far more of a utopia than it was when mankind was ruling it.

Nothing really specific to say right now. I'm saving my opinions for when I finish this, mostly.

-Shy[/size]

[eleanor]

[color=darkslateblue] As a branch off of Shy's opinion of the characters...

In the beginning, I also found it hard to like any of the characters. At first, I found the mother and Crake to be the most interesting, but then of course [spoiler]the mother leaves and you really don't see major character development[/spoiler], and then as I read further into the book, I found myself to dislike Crake immensely. The most heated dislike of Crake wore off as I finished the book, but I still didn't like him. But during the whole process I came to like Jimmy a bit. By the end of the book I just plain liked Jimmy. Although during the book there were always up-and-down points with Jimmy. At times he showed real emotion and responsibility, and we saw what he went through, but at other times, he's just a loser. A very crappy loser. But anyways.

It was obvious to me, at least, that Jimmy represents the humanist [spoiler] (as he, like some others, felt maybe genetic engineering had 'gone too far' when looking at the results)[/spoiler] and with that I felt that I could connect with him the most.

I felt Crake was never really explored deeply as a character, and came off to me as somewhat 2-D. The regular 'genious-boy who has no sympathy for humanity' or whatever, and Oryx was just someone I tolerated while reading the book. By the end [spoiler] when the end of the world comes, I was just like: 'well, see you later, I never really knew you guys so I don't really care, either'.[/spoiler]

Overall, I have mixed feelings about the book. In my earlier post I said it was 'pretty good', because I'm a fan of Maragret Atwood's writing style, but I feel like her talent was sort of wasted here. Her strength is in characters, but where were the characters? They never really came to life for me, and by the end of the book I got this strong impression that the author got bored with it and just wanted to end it. Another thing I noticed was that...it seems as if she did no extensive research, despite this book being a sci-fi book. Though I can happily dismiss that, since it's such a dumb thing to criticize about when the book is about the three characters, which is where it fails. But it was a fun read. [/color]

[Shinmaru]

Yeah, after thinking about it a bit more, my opinion of the book has lowered a bit. I still like it, and it was a fun read, but the character development of the two title characters was a tad disappointing. Crake was never really much more than this really weird genius boy, and, well, I found myself not really caring much for Oryx at all, actually. Even after [spoiler]she tells Jimmy about her being taken from her village, and being taken to sell roses and do porn and crap. I guess I'm just evil, I don't know. But I just wasn't feeling Oryx.[/spoiler]

I kind of sympathized with Jimmy, mostly because you know he means well (sometimes :p), but human emotions and desires (greed, lust, etc.) always cloud his mind, and he ends up doing stupid crap. So, yeah, when you're able to see what Jimmy's going through, you can sympathize with him. But when you see him [spoiler]sleeping around, doing drugs, and watching kiddy porn[/spoiler], you're like "What a freaking loser." So yeah.

[Boba Fett]

[color=green]I?m about 3/5 of the way through the novel, having lost my place several times and stopping for a while to read [u]Black Like Me[/u] for my AP English class.

So far I really haven?t felt the immersion that you really get out of a good book. Snowman/Jimmy comes across as pretty likeable, although not exactly an enthralling character. From what I know of Crake, he seems like a stereotypical teenager who?s not being reigned in. By far, the most interesting part of the novel thus far has been Oryx?s life story; I think I?m around [spoiler]the part where she?s in South America shooting [I]movies[/I].[/spoiler]

All in all, this book really hasn?t been anything special for me so far. It?s a well-written book, but there doesn?t seem to be much to read into yet. Perhaps those will be forthcoming with the rest of the novel.[/color]