Jimmy, The Snowman

I just finished Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, which is the first in the MaddAddam trilogy.

I've read Atwood before, both poetry and prose. I read The Hand Maid's Tale way back in high school (Have you heard about it? I think it's a thing now?), and I used to teach her poem, "Half-hanged Mary" to my high school students. I've wanted to explore her work more fully for a while, so I grabbed this one.

I tried to read Oryx and Crake a few years back, but never got into it. I've often found that, for me, it has to be the right book at the right time. This was, apparently, the right time.

The novel tells the story of Jimmy, "The Snowman," a human remaining alive after a post-apocalyptic event. I don't want to say too much, because the way Atwood reveals the world, and what happened to it, is gradual, mysterious, and compelling. She weaves in between The Snowman's life in the present, as he goes on a quest for food, and his life in the past as Jimmy, a regular guy with two extraordinary friends.

I am always drawn to post-apocalyptic stories, and stories about "perfect" worlds. I am interested in the question of "Who do humans become when they are stripped of their world?" This novel explores that question. Except here, it's not mankind that destroys itself, it is one man, in an attempt to leave a "perfect" race behind, who destroys mankind...but also creates a new world that Snowman has tasked himself to take care of.

The novel also explores the basic questions of humanity: Who are we and why are we here? This, I think, is the true compelling magic of the story--of any story. Who are we and why are we here? Isn't this the point of art anyway?

If you hate unclear endings, get ready, because this is a doozy. There's no satisfaction at the end--only more questions. Personally, I love this sort of ending. I like the idea that whatever I think happens could be. Of course, there are two more books in this trilogy, so who knows? Maybe I'm wrong... or maybe I'm not. I know nothing about the next two books, but I will probably be reading them in time. Just had a conversation with a friend about The Year of the Flood and I got a little excited to read it. I can't lie.

I listened to this book, and many others, on the Axis360 app, available on Apple, Android, or Kindle, accessed through the Miami-Dade Public Library System. It was narrated by Campbell Scott.

Scott's voice is compelling but a bit haunting, too. I liked his rendering of Snowman and would listen to more books he narrates.

Got something to add? Email me!

#MaddAddam #trilogy #MargaretAtwood #womenwritetoo #utopiadystopia #audiobook