Project Hail Mary Book Review - This Book Could Have Been a Movie

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Project Hail Mary Book Review - This Book Could Have Been a Movie

You know that famous saying, “this meeting could have been an email”? Well, there’s a new version of that. It’s unfortunate that it comes up, but if it exists, it has its meaning. The new saying is: “this book could have been a movie.”

Lucky for you, who don’t want to sit through a 16-hour audiobook or read even longer, the movie is coming, and I bet it will do a better job with this overly blown-out short story about the end of the universe.

It starts really funny—I laughed out loud many times in the first 4 or 5 chapters. (Spoilers ahead, of course.) But once we dipped our heads into the pool of science, for a guy who doesn’t have the knowledge to understand all the chemistry and physics—which I’m sure are carefully curated and researched—it just sounds like gibberish.

“I’m smart enough to know that I’m stupid” is one of the best lines in the book, and it basically becomes the whole point of it. It felt like someone was constantly telling me, “look how much you don’t know.”

I wish the book didn’t focus so hardcore on explaining every element and every step of the science, because it alienated its audience—and excluded me from the story for most of the time.

The other problem is that the story runs on two fronts. As the main character discovers why he is in space, we discover with him what led to his circumstances. It started pretty interesting, with a bang, and I’d say both storylines were equally engaging—until one point.

The main guy waking up from a coma with no memory, trying to figure out what the hell is going on? Pretty damn interesting. A new alien species killing stars? Cool. I’m a nerd (a stupid one, but still a nerd).

But once Rocky appeared, the Earth storyline just became boring and almost irrelevant. Almost, because in the end we learn that the hero of the story was actually a scared man who said “no” to the mission but was basically kidnapped and forced onto the spaceship. Still, he saved the universe once he forgot his fears.

Once he woke up and began to remember himself—without his previous fears, powered only by curiosity and science—he created a powerful bond with this cool alien he calls Rocky. That bond, along with saving humankind, are the main points of the story. Working together toward one goal was beautiful. But I don’t believe the book stuck the landing.

The story started incredibly, reached its peak, dropped down, and then stagnated for the most part.

This book should have been a movie. And now, I’m reluctant to read or listen to anything else from this author. The movies, on the other hand—I’ll watch those compressed versions of his books every time. It feels like his real talent is writing books that are just waiting to be turned into movies.

The Martian? I’m not reading that after all this, but I loved the movie. The trailer for Hail Mary made me interested long before I even knew there was a book. Actually, what made me curious about the movie was Sandra Hüller, the German actress. She has such a presence that I want to see every movie with her. Ryan Gosling, not so much—but I definitely want to see him getting dressed in zero gravity and doing jazz hands with Rocky. I wish they didn’t stop doing jazz hands, because that was a funny gag.

The audiobook—when you strip away all the gibberish science that only an actual scientist could confirm—was perfect. I loved the audio. Loved Rocky’s voice and how they learned each other’s languages.

Maybe I got two or three interesting things from the book, in case I ever meet an alien.

My final verdict: wait for the movie.

Iliya Badev

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