Book Review : The Martian by Andy Weir

Mungkin sebelum masuk ke inti pembahasan ada baiknya kalo saya melakukan pengakuan dosa dulu: saya baca ebook bajakan, download dari t*rrent, dan sekarang saya merasa bersalah dan menyesal, buku sebrilian The Martian tidak layak diperlakukan seperti ini.

Liat cover langsung wuoooh, heh?. Kok astronotnya kayak di gurun Sahara terus kena badai pasir gitu?. Kok warnanya gak gelap? *krik*. Maaf pemirsa, karena kurangnya pengetahuan saya di bidang astronomy, jadi kalo ngomong luar angkasa pikiran saya langsung terbayang tempat yang gelap, dingin dan penuh batu meteor. Belakangan baru saya tau ini lokasinya di Mars (woy judulnya udah jelas2 The Martian!!!). Seperti di bumi, planet mars juga ada siang dan malamnya, dapat sinar matahari, ada gurunnya, trus ada badainya juga.

Karena bukunya dalam English, maka mulailah saya sok sok-an membaca walaupun dengan level bahasa inggris saya yang masih saingan sama Tukul Arwana. Ceritanya sebenarnya simpel, berkisah Mark Watney seorang astronot yang "ketinggalan" sendirian di planet Mars. Ia harus bertahan hidup di permukaan planet Mars yang tidak mendukung adanya kehidupan, melawan badai, suhu dan tekanan yang rendah, kurangnya oksigen, tidak adanya air, persediaan makanan yang menipis dan tidak bisa berkomunikasi untuk minta tolong ke bumi. Sedangkan di bumi, NASA dan pemerintah bahu membahu melawan waktu berusaha mengirim bantuan, sebelum Mark Twain tewas melawan kejamnya planet Mars.

Kedengarannya sangat depressing ya, but no no no, buku ini tidak bikin depresi seperti di film Gravity nya Sandra Bullock atau Cast Away nya Tom Hanks, jauh dari itu, sebagian besar isi bukunya lucu, gak percaya baca sendiri hehehe. Yang lucu bukan plot nya tapi si pemeran utama Mark Watney. Itu orang lucu, ceroboh, kalo ngomong gak ada saringannya, nerd. tapi dia pintar (botanis, engineer, chemist), periang, banyak akal dan tidak gampang menyerah hehehe.

Dan jangan berharap adanya kemunculan alien di sini, no no no, buku ini menyuguhkan hal-hal yang realistis saja. Buku ini memberikan pesan betapa pentingnya sains untuk bertahan hidup. Tidak menutup kemungkinan kan, suatu saat kita tersesat di suatu tempat dan kita hanya mengandalkan akal untuk menyelamatkan diri.

Settingnya di tiga tempat, di Mars, di bumi, dan di roket yang seharusnya membawa kembali Mark Watney ke bumi.

Untuk bagian di Mars, kita akan berhadapan dengan sudut pandang si Astronaut yang dituangkan dalam semacam diary a la Princess Diaries gitu. Jadi, siap siap saja berhadapan dengan gaya bahasa yang humoris, absurd, nyeleneh, dan apa adanya. Satu lagi, ingat-ingat kembali pelajaran matematika, fisika , kimia dan biologi kamu karena akan sangat berguna. Percaya deh!.

Halaman-halaman pertama saja saya sudah kaget, kemudian terpingkal-pingkal. Ini buku science fiction atau bukunya Raditya Dika sih. Penjelasan yang harusnya serius ujung -ujungnya ngakak gara-gara ditambain line-line yang lucu sama si Mark Witney. Puncaknya waktu dia ngumpulin eek nya sendiri untuk dijadikan pupuk buat tanam kentang, itu bikin saya gak tahan, ketawa sampai sakit perut.

Sedangkan bagian yang di bumi, diceritakan dengan sudut pandang orang ketiga, tetap lucu dengan dialog yang cerdas a la serial tv amerika, agak "drama", tapi tidak semenyenangkan bagian di Mars, dan diselipkan sedikit intrik politik. Tiap baca bagian ini saya pengen cepat-cepat lanjut ke bagian nya Mark Watney.

Bagian yang di roket ahhh, saya merasakan persahabatan Mark dengan astronot yang lain, mereka rela melakukan apa saja dan mengorbankan nyawa mereka sendiri untuk menyelamatkan Mark.

Buku ini juga berhasil bikin saya nangis (dikitttt) bahagia, tegang, tahan napas, lalu kemudian sujud syukur, dan sempat juga sedih kasian sama Mark di beberapa bagiannya tapi tidak usah saya tuliskan lebih rinci, baca sendiri lah.

Overall, buku ini ibaratnya Armageddon + Gravity + Cast away + selipan tulisan Raditya Dika. Memikat saya dari kalimat pertama. 5 bintang untuk :

1. Karakter utama yang unik dan lovable,
2. humor yang bikin saya ngakak,
3. suspense yang terjaga dari awal sampai akhir,
4. science, science, science, and math.
5. Dialog a la serial TV komedi Amerika hehehe.

See you at the next book.

Book Review : Paper Towns (Paperback) by John Green

3,75 bintang.

Buku ini mengisahkan pemuda Quentin di ujung masa SMA nya berjuang mencari cinta pertama dari masa kecilnya yang tiba-tiba menghilang.

Buku ini ada 3 bagian.

Yang pertama, menceritakan petualangan tengah malam Margo dan Quentin. Di sela-selanya kita bisa mengetahui back story persahabatan antara Q dan tetangganya Margo. Saat masih kecil mereka sahabat, tetapi memasuki masa SMA mereka makin menjauh. Di sini juga diperkenalkan karakter-karakter lain, favorit saya Ben. Ben itu tipikal karakter teman dari pemeran utama di film-film remaja. Membaca petualangan mereka berdua dalam satu malam, saya bisa membayangkan jika ini dijadikan film, pasti akan seru dan lucu.

Bagian kedua, adalah cerita hari berikutnya ketika Margo tiba-tiba menghilang dan meniggalkan petunjuk-petunjuk kepada Q. Bersama kedua temannya Radar dan Ben, Q berusaha memecahkan clue-clue tersebut. Mereka juga mulai menemukan sisi laindari Margo, dan mulai merasakan dampak hilangnya Margo dari kehidupan mereka. Bagian ini saya merasa nonton film misteri. Saya juga merasa iba kepada Q yang terobsesi mencari Margo, dan mulai berpikir Margo pergi untuk bunuh diri. Ke belakang-belakang mulai agak membosankan, dan membuat saya sempat tertidur, dan kalimat-kalimatnya terlalu panjang dan bikin depresi. Saya berusaha terus membaca karena hanya penasaran Margo-nya kemana???

Bagian ketiga, setelah petunjuk terkumpul, Q and the gang melakukan perjalanan lintas provinsi eh maksudnya negara bagian, untuk pergi menemukan si Margo. Perjalanan mereka seru, lucu, mendebarkan dan saya makin jatuh cinta dengan tingkah Ben. Endingnya, tidak seperti yang saya harapkan, tidak memuaskan, tapi cukuplaj mengobati penasaran.

Keseluruhan, saya merasa buku ini ditulis bukan untuk saya, dan karena saya membacanya dalam bahasa Inggris ada bagian yang kurang saya mengerti, terutama petunjuk-petunjuk dari Margo yang sebagian besar berasal dari puisi dan lirik lagu yang belum pernah saya baca.

Book Review : Supernova: Ksatria, Puteri, dan Bintang Jatuh (Supernova #1) by Dee

That's it, saya menyerah, bendera putih, saya berhenti,  tepat di halaman 154 dari 343. Ini buku pertama di 2015 yang tidak saya baca sampai selesai. Sebenarnya sayang juga, mengingat ini buku pertama dari serial supernova dan masih ada 3 buku selanjutnya, tapi mau bagaimana lagi hati tidak bisa dipaksa hehehe. Dan  lagi pula buku yang lain masih banyak yang antri.

Sumber ketidakpuasan saya terhadap buku ini sebenarnya dari kebodohan dan ekspektasi saya sendiri yang tidak tepat. Saya belinya sudah berminggu minggu yang lalu karena tertarik dengan iklan filmnya yang berisikan model/aktris yang sedap dipandang mata, apalagi judulnya "Supernova" seperti menjanjikan petualangan dramatis perang antar bintang a la film Star Wars. Hmmm, tapi bodohnya saya, beli buku hanya bermodalkan duit, tidak baca-baca resensinya dulu. Inilah kira-kira penyebab saya tidak "sreg" dengan buku ini dan kemudian berhenti, ekspektasi sayalah yang terlampau berbeda dari kenyataan isi buku ini. Wess lah...

Secara fisik bukunya kecil, baca 1-2 hari harusnya tamat. Tapi baru bab pertama saya butuh dua hari (dua hari!!!!) menyeberanginya menuju bab kedua. Entahlah apa saya yang terlalu blo'on atau bukunya yang canggih. Bukunya juga tidak terlalu tebal tapi isinya wuooow "berattt",  bikin otak saya sakit. Eh, bukan berat juga sih, tapi lebih tepatnya berat sebelah, plotnya sederhana tapi ditempeli dengan hiasan-hiasan yang berat. (Nah loh, saya ngomong apa sih? Pusing sendiri, udah lah, lanjut).

Reuben dan Dimas, karakter mereka lumayan, awalnya langsung tertarik sekaligus bingung. Kan, tidak tiap hari baca pasangan gay yang cerdas dan bukan hanya jadi karakter sampingan yang biasa cuma dapat bagian  penggembira. Percakapan mereka yang ngalor ngidul soal teori-teori yang beraneka rupa itu cukup menarik, tapi ada beberapa bagian saya merasa sedang membaca buku teks pelajaran. Sebagai pembaca awam yang IQ nya agak jongkok, saya cuma bisa mengagumi dan baca pelan lalu mengulang-ulang beberapa beberapa kalimat biar ngerti.

Re, Rana, dan suaminya Rana: *putar bola mata*, errrr, kisah perselingkuhan lagi *menahan diri supaya tidak jedotin kepala di dinding*. Saya mengapresiasi selipan puisi-puisi di kisah tiga orang ini, tapi menurut saya masih terlalu enghhhhh gitu deh...

Diva: awalnya menarik, kalimat yang keluar dari mulutnya seperti ceramah, kemudian biasa saja, dan Gio muncul dan... *cari dinding buat jedotin kepala*

Saya akui gaya penulisan  mbak Dee berkelas, "sastra banget dah" kalo pembaca awam seperti saya bilang. Penggunaan istilah yang canggih dan teori yang asing di telinga saya seharusnya membuat buku ini menarik, tapi bagi saya justru membuat tidak nyaman dan terlalu dipaksakan. Kadang saya berpikir ini ada hubungannya gak sih dengan cerita utama, kok berasa cuma "ditempel".

Kesimpulan: Saya sadar, seorang penulis tidak bisa menyenangkan semua pembaca. Buku Supernova, bukan ditulis untuk pembaca seperti saya, karya Mbak Dee yang satu ini terlalu canggih buat saya yang awam ini.

Lain kali lah, saya lanjutkan bacanya, siapa tau rating dan opini saya bisa berubah. Teman-teman saya mau bertanya, apakah saya harus baca buku ini untuk bisa lanjut ke buku kedua, ketiga dan keempat?

Book Review : Jurassic Park

Note: I am terribly sorry if you find I made so many grammar mistakes in my babbling here. English is not my first language. I'm still learning. I just have to write something to express my excitement about this book. And also, in order to release the adrenaline that build up pressure in my body and it can burst out anytime after reading this great book. I wrote this in english because I read this book in english ;) .

Fyuuuuuh finally, finished this book, oh my goooddd what an intense reading. For the first half of this book I have to stumbled to open Google translate app on my phone every time I find difficult since-y words, but it didn't make me put this book down. I even read it in class on my smartphone when I supposed to watch my students do their test. I didn't even hear my student asked how many time left. I even ignored a girl who need extra paper, I didn't even care if they're cheating or not. I just want to know if Tim and Lex survive till the end. (Please don't tell the headmaster).

I love this book, I love it. I love how the intensity build up and make me clutched hard my phone, I love Tim and Lex, I want to punch Mr. Hammond, and Malcolm's explanations about chaos theory and nature give me somethings to think of before I go to bed hehehe.

I don't want to talk about the science part about this book, I'm not an expert in science. I just want to say I'm fascinated by Malcolm philosophic thoughts. And Alan Grant's warm blooded dinosaurs make my brother went like really, I have to tell my teacher.

And thank you for the internet especially Google and Wikipedia for providing the images and explanations of all kind dinosaurs mentioned in this book, and information about chaos theory, and DNA/RNA compositions.

Now, I'm curious about the movie, I totally should watch it this weekend. I think I've seen it with my family long time ago, but i don't remember any scene from the movie.

+555555 stars, I want more!!!

Review: Famous Five #1: Five On A Treasure Island by Enid Blyton

(note: please forgive any grammar mistakes in this review, english is not my first language, i wrote this as a part of my writing practice to learn english)

I awfully jealous toward people who got an opportunity to read this series when they were still a little kid. I found and download this little treasure weeks ago for free from a website that i forgot its name, but my long to-read list prevent me to read this book.

Reading this book make me want to run to the nearest super market and buy a time machine. I thought I have to go back to the past, when i only ten years old chubby kids with a simple mind to fully enjoy this book. But, a 25 years old chubby guy with a jumbled mind will do too. Through this book i resurrect my adventure spirit that slowly dying as i grow up. I want to be a part of Julian and the gang too.

I found several interesting words that we'd never found in the children's book these days: awfully, jolly, golly, gay, and queer. Oh golly, imagine how queer the moms face if they found those two latter words.

And oh it must be jolly to have my own Timothy and be gay with George, Julian, Dick, and Anne. I gave 5/5 stars to bring my childhood spirit back.

Review: Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

(Note: please forgive any grammatical errors in this review. I wrote this merely for writing practice in English).

As a person who didn't read a lot of book and don't have a degree in literature, I think I'm not a competent person to give a review on this book. I don't have much reference to give a comment to a writer as big and have a million admirers as Mr. Murakami. But I can't help my self to write this review or more like my feelings about this book as a reminder that I have tried to read Murakami and to brag my experience to my friends hehehe.

I read this book as an effort to broaden my reading genre. I spent most of my time reading YA, fantasy and sometimes fan fictions in between. So, I chose to read a more "serious" book like this one after stumbling to Murakami's page in Goodreads. He has so many loyal readers and some haters who loathed his books.

As a reader with reading skill that stuck at the beginner level and have very limited English knowledge, I found this book was pretty easy to read. I'm ashamed to write this, but honestly it's not a fun read at all. If this book is a color it would be dark grey. This book didn't affect me emotionally. There's no dramatic plot. There's no ugly crying, headbanging, or page ripping for me. I read this with a flat face. I didn't feel anything for the characters. I didn't feel sympathy for Naoko or Reiko or Hatsumi, I didn't feel angry to Nagasawa, I didn't horny when read those sex scene, but I felt slightly curious about Midori, for me she's something else. She's the only one who have an interesting character. There's nothing special about the problems that this book bring up either.

But, the way Mr. Murakami wrote every words in the character's dialogues was something that keep my interest to turning the pages. It was like a gentle stream of a deep river, you just can't help yourself to go swim in it and let your mind and body taken away. I didn't really enjoy the story, but I like the way the characters communicate to each other. I like the way Mr. Murakami write a mundane things and magically turned them to be something more beautiful in my mind. I definitely would read another book by him. I'm still curious about this great writer. I would assume this book is not his best work. I gave 3/5 stars. (Please don't hate me, I'm just the kind of person who give 5 stars for gay detectives books and 3 stars for Haruki Murakami's book).

Pop-Star

Have you ever wanted to be something that required certain talent?

Stop, stop. Don't answer it, let me be the one who answer it because i know, you unconsciously clicked a link and then just stumbled upon this stupid-and-unworthy-of-your-time-blog, and you don't want to face this stupid question from the dumb guy who butchered every sentence with his grammatical errors. If you are a brilliant mind person, i don't want you go to your philosophic mode because this is not a serious question, i just wanted to piqued your interest to my writing. Just like all those professional writers said, give a question at the beginning to raise readers curiosity. Though, I, 100 per cent sure it's not working to you, and may be right now you are yawning, considering to click the back button, please don't, don't leave my blog, i need readers please, i'm begging you, i need you to pity me, i'm a guy who need someone to listen to his thoughts, i just need a minute of your attentions. Okay? You would not go anywhere? Promise? Yeyyy.

Okay, enough rambling, back to the question, (if you already forgot, there, look up the first sentence at the first paragraph above). Confession time, I did, i do, i always do. i always trapped in the fantasy to do or to be something that far away out of my reach. To be something that impossible to me.

For instants, When i was a kid, every friday night I and my sisters would sat in front of TV with goo goo eyes watching my favorite contestants singing their heart out in Indonesian Idol. (Damn you Simon Cowell, you turned me to be a fan girl of your awesomely good reality show when i was still an innocent pubescent boy).

The winner that time, Joy Tobing and Delon, i was a biggest fan of them, i wanted to be like them, become a famous and national phenomenon overnight. I still have their poster somewhere in the cardboard box at my parents house.

Now when i'm fully grown up physically and emotionally (but not sexually, i'm still virgin) recalling all those memories makes me giggle, shaking my head, and cover my face, and muttering how embarrassing that boy, how gay he was.

Since that talent show fever, my younger self found he spent an hour or two on his bed before sleeping, wondering how does it feel to be a pop star. Standing on the big stage, fan girls screaming my name, begging me to marry them, or just give my sperm cells to their ovaries which always explode everytime my .gif picture appear on their tumblr, holding big posters, my name in glittery letters, and don't forget that big pink heart shape with my photo on it too, just imagine like justin bieber and his fans, (damn that boy have a talent and crazy massive fanbase around the world). Or westlife for me at my time in early 21-ish century.

You must be wondering if i that brave to dreamed about being a pop star, how good my singing voice ? Am I good enough to sing in public? hahaha my friend, you should hear my voice, Josh Groban would be thrilled to hear his howling voice when his toes stubbed at the cupboard's wall everytime i'm trying to reached a high notes. And i bet his voice when in pain is still hundreds times better than my i'm-trying-to-hold-this-note-with-all-of-my-heart. (Oh, god where's the logic in that last two sentences. See, there's a contradiction in those sentences. Josh Groban voice as an example are insensible.
I hope you don't understand what i'm just talking about so i know i'm not the only idiot in this world).

You know, when i was a kid i also like to sing on the bed to passed the time everytime i can not sleep, before my mother barged in to my room, then clawed my eyelids down, ordering me to sleep. I sang with all my heart, but i put pillows on my face to muffled my voice. At midnight my families would be frightened, they tought my voice were a child ghost crying for his kuntilanak mom. And the neighbour's cats would be singing too, maybe they thought my voice are mating calls.

At school there's an art class, every year there's a time you should perform in front of your class. You have an obligation to sing three types of songs, a national song, a traditional song, and a popular song that you like (i warning you, don't pick a dangdut song, there was a girl singing dangdut, and then she spent all of her high school years called as 'biduan' or 'jablay', it's a term to address a singer with erotic performance). Teacher would call you, and then you standing stiffly at the front of class who trying so hard to surpress their laugh, you singing those three song solemnly. I suggest lower your head, don't look at your friends or it would be end with laughter except if you have a golden voice, that can bring tears in Pak Suhanto (my art teacher) eyes, and you would be a school celebrity because he is so proud of you he would praise your talent in every class and to every teacher he met. I never got high mark in this, Pak Suhanto called me and more than half of my class as a tone deaf.