Oryx and Crake

By: Margaret Atwood

Narrated by: Campbell Scott

Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

A stunning and provocative new novel by the internationally celebrated author of The Blind Assassin, winner of the Booker Prize

Margaret Atwood’s new novel is so utterly compelling, so prescient, so relevant, so terrifyingly-all-too-likely-to-be-true, that listeners may find their view of the world forever changed after listening to it.

This is Margaret Atwood at the absolute peak of her powers. For listeners of Oryx and Crake, nothing will ever look the same again.

The narrator of Atwood's riveting novel calls himself Snowman. When the story opens, he is sleeping in a tree, wearing an old bedsheet, mourning the loss of his beloved Oryx and his best friend Crake, and slowly starving to death. He searches for supplies in a wasteland where insects proliferate and pigoons and wolvogs ravage the pleeblands, where ordinary people once lived, and the Compounds that sheltered the extraordinary. As he tries to piece together what has taken place, the narrative shifts to decades earlier. How did everything fall apart so quickly? Why is he left with nothing but his haunting memories? Alone except for the green-eyed Children of Crake, who think of him as a kind of monster, he explores the answers to these questions in the double journey he takes - into his own past, and back to Crake's high-tech bubble-dome, where the Paradice Project unfolded and the world came to grief.

With breathtaking command of her shocking material, and with her customary sharp wit and dark humour, Atwood projects us into an outlandish yet wholly believable realm populated by characters who will continue to inhabit our dreams long after the last chapter. This is Margaret Atwood at the absolute peak of her powers.

©2002 O.W. Toad, Ltd. (P)2003 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Ingenious and disturbing.… A landmark work of speculative fiction, comparable to A Clockwork Orange, Brave New World.… Atwood has surpassed herself.”
–Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Oryx and Crake can hold its own against any of the 20th century’s most potent dystopias – Brave New World, 1984, The Space Merchants – with regard to both dramatic impact and fertility of invention.…Oryx and Crake showcases a nightmare version of the present era of globalization on a globe coming apart at its ecological seams.… It is a scathing (because bang-on) portrait of the way we live now.…Majestic.…” –Washington Post

“Atwood’s new masterpiece.…Extraordinary.… [Atwood pulls] back the curtain on her terrible vision with such tantalizing precision, its fearsome implications don’t fully reveal themselves until the final pages.… A darkly comic work of speculative fiction.” –W Magazine (U.S.)

Terrifying future, perfect narration

Atwood’s ability to create a horrifying future that seems so possible is amazing. Great story for post-apocalypse fans. This story has stayed with me night and day. And I would listen to anything read by Campbell Scott. Excellent performance.

Why do I like dystopian stories? It’s the end of the world and we know it!!!

It’s been said that you’re only crazy if when you talk to yourself you answer back. LOL. Well what do you do when you lose the love of your life, your best friend and it’s the end of the world as you know it? I don’t want to give away the story but you will enjoy the book.
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys dystopian and sci-fi stories.
Loved the story and narration!

Interesting I guess u could say…

Interesting I guess u could say… not sure if i can recommend it. Its slow.

Interesting story

Liked the story for the voice actor was really monotonous. Would still recommend you download if you like post apocalyptic books.

An ok book

The story was ok and the narration good. Not the my cup of tea in stories. Book was a recommendation from a friend. So was not a waste of money.

Great story!

An interesting dystopia, this might get me started on a Margaret Atwood binge! Great story!

My new favorite Atwood!

Picked it up by accident and couldn’t put it down! Atwood’s complex characters and always unexpected voice raises questions that linger long after the story is done.
Campbell Scott’s reading was perfect!

Amazing

Incredible and again Margaret Atwood astounds with her storytelling- can’t wait to listen to 2 and 3 of the trilogy!

Mesmerizing

This is truly Atwood at her finest. I typically prefer to read such gems curled up on the couch, but I'm very glad I picked this one in audio format. Campbell Scott's reading is perfect, bewitching the reader right into the story.

one of Atwoods great novels

this is a great book, very well researched and presented. I remember when this first came out there was a web link to info regarding her research and it was rather disturbing how little she altered things. she said she took existing conditions, (like religion in Handmaid) and extrapolated some possible progressions in the near future regarding food and genetic engineering and the internet etc. She was rather accurate in some ways and this is a great book, with lots of excellent word play too regarding names of companies and games and websites and many related developments have actually occurred recently and are becoming of concern. best of the trilogy.