Usually, I try very hard to choose holiday reading that complements my destination. Andy Weir’s “The Martian” doesn’t quite fit that criteria!
For example, I read “A Room With A View” years ago in Florence, and “Ring Of Bright Water” on a previous stay on Skye.
But Weir’s book turned out to be not nearly as incongruous as it first sounded for a week in the Hebrides!
This title was the latest pick for my book club.
In my opinion, it’s a thriller set in space sooner than science fiction. And it’s a cracking page turner of a thriller. It has plenty of twists and turns and a really engaging main character (though if you’re easily offended by occasional bad language, this isn’t the book for you).
I enjoyed it tremendously.
Perfectly appropriate for Skye
And why was it so unexpectedly appropriate for reading on Skye? Well, with a bit of imagination, those wild landscapes of Scotland’s islands don’t seem that distant from Martian deserts.
And being in such a remote place chimed, in a very small way, with the utter desolation Mark feels at being all alone on Mars.
Also, the over reliance on one crop – potatoes – and the devastation that ensues when the crop fails, is another point of commonality in Skye’s past and Mark’s present.
Martian potatoes, you’re wondering – what’s that all about? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.
All of which proves that, sometimes, you find inspiration in the unlikeliest of places!
Get your copy of “The Martian” by Andy Weir by clicking here.
Angela Gilchrist I am the former Editor-in-Chief of “The People’s Friend” magazine. My passions include cats, Highland ponies, good books, vegetarian food and long walks in the Scottish countryside. My favourite place to get away from it all is the magical Isle of Skye.
