Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Jurassic Park

I entered my dinosaur era last year so naturally I had to read this. I haven’t seen the movie so I went into this completely fresh.

The overall theme of this book is about how nature cannot be controlled, and chaos will ensue when humans try to do so. The mathematician, Malcolm, served as narrative exposition for much of these themes.

The other characters include a paleontologist, a plant expert, an engineer, a computer scientist, a a lawyer, a lunatic rich man and his two grandchildren.

Hammond, the rich man, is a distinctly selfish and evil human. All he cares about is profit, and creating something nobody has done before. He ignores all warnings and throws many people into danger without acknowledging the possibility that it can and will be his fault.

Grant, the palaeontologist, and the children Tim and Lex are a big focus of this book, being the more innocent characters, who experience a good chunk of the drama firsthand. Their wit and bravery (well, maybe not Lex) allows them to overcome any obstacle in their way.

I think that for when this book was written, they managed to paint a pretty good picture of the dinosaurs. We’re always making new discoveries, so I kept that in mind whenever they described the T-Tex as having “leathery skin” or the compys being “yellow with black spots”. The drama is well built up and hits like a truck, relentless and constant.

A lot of the other characters are decently written, and are best experienced by reading for yourself.

I think the ending is fine.

This was a book I looked forward to picking up every day. It was a lot of fun to read. Although it felt really long too. Perhaps I’ll pick up the Lost World some day.

Content Warnings

corncake's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

Read for my "iliteracy" book club.

I actually quite enjoyed this read, which surprised me since I have never been a dinosaur kid, nor the movie's biggest fan (at least compared to other fans, I still enjoy the movie). But low-and-behold I found the book more enjoyable than the film! The only change from the movie/book adaptation that I completely understood was the changing of Lex's age. I didn't hate her character in the book by any means (although some of her dialogue made me question if the author had ever been around a six-year-old), but I can understand that other readers might find her annoying.

I am saddened however that the film did not keep the park's creator, John Hammond, the corrupted and often cruel jerk that he was from the book. I found his character despicable and ignorant to his circumstances - I loved him. Having him be this way really drove in the point that I think the author was trying to make: how capitalistic greed can and often will lead to our own destruction. Sorry kids, it's not about fun times with dinosaurs, it's about Corporate greed - my favorite flavor!

Also Alan Grant actually likes children in the book!? ADORABLE!!

I do however think the author has a problem with repeating himself in several areas. This would conjure a sense of agitation while reading, feeling as if he didn't trust his reader's intelligence enough to remember details. The book can also be slow in some areas, but it does pull you back into the excitement rather quickly.

My overall thoughts: I found this book entertaining, immersive, and even quite horrifying in parts. Definitely worth the read!

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bones_jackson's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

É bem diferente do filme, mas é muito bom, e o final, em comparação com o do filme, foi bem diferente, e eu achei até mais triste, mas teve detalhes do livro que foi compreensível eles não quererem colocar no filme

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laurajordensharris's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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nicesideburns's review against another edition

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adventurous dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I was very engulfed with the story since it was up my interest. The starking difference with the novel was very eye opening!

This is so nicely written and the fact diagrams and codes were utilized it felt so real and something that woukd happen today.

Also raptors are scary

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flygon's review against another edition

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adventurous informative tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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d1inz's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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leweylibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was one of the first audiobooks I listened to, and I remember how much my mind was blown by how different it is from the movie. The main theme is there, but damn near everything that happens is so different lol.

I will say the beginning is a bit slow, just with all the science and be build up to their arrival at the park. But it packs so much more of a punch in terms of the ethical discussion that's at the core of this book. Sometimes it feels a little much, mostly with Malcolm while he's mortally wounded lol, but it's so interesting to think about, and I ultimately appreciate having more opportunities to do so. There's not a ton of character development really imo, it's much more about the plot, the action, and the deeper meaning behind those things. I also loved how much more the book gets into animal behavior and trying to predict that than the movie does. I find that stuff endlessly fascinating.

This book is also one of the only thrillers I've read. It really keeps you on the edge of your seat, there are so many moments in which you are honestly shocked whenever someone doesn't die lol.

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