montybonty's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
If you're going into this book expecting a play by play of the movie, you're in for quite a surprise. Maybe that's why this book was a bit of a tough read for me since I knew it was different from the film but...wow. Overall, it was a good read. Incredibly tense and had me on the edge of my seat multiple times. I'll be honest though, I 100% could have done without Lex's character in this book. Crichton really captured the spirit of an annoying child because I was ready to strangle her at so many points. Aside from that, solid sci-fi read!
Spoiler
The fact just about everybody dies before they explode the island- I'll be honest, I was not expecting that whatsoever
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Car accident, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Excrement, and Animal cruelty
ginbat's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
4.0
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, especially since I had already seen the movie. But it was fun to read, a page-turner, and unique structurally. Sometimes it felt like there was too much of one person (usually Malcolm) just talking for way too long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Child death, Medical content, and Car accident
about the triggers:Spoiler
the dinosaurs gruesomely kill and eat lots of peopleSpoiler
quinn_caddel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.5
A classic of horror, survival, and teeth.
A cautionary tale about the dangers of genetic engineering: Jurassic Park thrills and terrifies its characters and readers alike when dinosaurs are genetically cloned and recreated in the modern world and those in charge of the park overestimate their ability to control them.
I loved the movie and finally decided to pick up the book, which I enjoyed just as much. It was a fun time picking out which parts of the novel were used in the movies! I also really enjoyed the more in-depth science talk in the book that we missed out on in the movie. It was still digestible for the average reader and fun to think about. The encounters with the dinosaurs felt harrowing and easily my favorite scenes to read.
The book is plot-driven first and foremost. It’s slow in the beginning with frequent jumps from character to character as events take place, putting the reader at the forefront of the action wherever it is. The characters were introduced fairly quickly with brief glimpses into their lives before going to the park. However, the characters do come off as somewhat one-dimensional with no big changes in who they are by the time the story is over. The likable characters were still very likable by the end, and when the unlikeable characters didn’t make it, I wasn’t too heartbroken over their deaths.
I’ll also say that the book is of its time, and I was cringing at some descriptions and actions of the characters as I read, but it didn’t ruin the overall experience of the book.
A cautionary tale about the dangers of genetic engineering: Jurassic Park thrills and terrifies its characters and readers alike when dinosaurs are genetically cloned and recreated in the modern world and those in charge of the park overestimate their ability to control them.
I loved the movie and finally decided to pick up the book, which I enjoyed just as much. It was a fun time picking out which parts of the novel were used in the movies! I also really enjoyed the more in-depth science talk in the book that we missed out on in the movie. It was still digestible for the average reader and fun to think about. The encounters with the dinosaurs felt harrowing and easily my favorite scenes to read.
The book is plot-driven first and foremost. It’s slow in the beginning with frequent jumps from character to character as events take place, putting the reader at the forefront of the action wherever it is. The characters were introduced fairly quickly with brief glimpses into their lives before going to the park. However, the characters do come off as somewhat one-dimensional with no big changes in who they are by the time the story is over. The likable characters were still very likable by the end, and when the unlikeable characters didn’t make it, I wasn’t too heartbroken over their deaths.
I’ll also say that the book is of its time, and I was cringing at some descriptions and actions of the characters as I read, but it didn’t ruin the overall experience of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Death, and Animal death
Moderate: Violence and Sexism
Minor: Child death, Fatphobia, and Vomit
perthalus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Velociraptors are fucking terrifying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Cursing, Blood, Car accident, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Fatphobia, Gun violence, and Body horror
Minor: Colonisation and Sexism
rgrace2008's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
An amazing thrilling book to read. The characters are written in a way that can make me feel sympathy for all most all of them and it was impossible to put the book down!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Death
Minor: Vomit and Child death
nathalieisg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A classic! Adventure, more gore than I expected and lots of science talk that seems to have withstood the test of time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Child death
hisashiburi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
phelpsg2021's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Violence
minimalistvampyre's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I haven't read a book that genuinely frightened me in a very long time. I read this novel in one sitting, heart pounding in my chest. Definitely buying my own copy soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child death, Death, Animal death, Gun violence, Gore, and Murder
omair's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As a classic, and the book that led to my childhood love of reading, Jurassic Park will always hold a special place for me. But returning to a story that has spawned the multi-billion dollar franchise does reveal some flaws. Copious amounts of technobabble contracted by characters with much unexplored depth. Little ambiguity in the character personalities leading to short, if at all existent, character arcs. The shift in the pace between the middle-third and final-third. These are all places one might find lacking.
If one can look past those and similar shortcomings, there is brilliance in the work. The vivid descriptions of movement and scenes, the blending of facts and fictitious science to sell a wholly believable concept out of the impossible. The grounded reactions and plausible heroism, the characters never feel larger than life, allowing the focus to remain on the interactions and to frenetically advance the story, with your heart and mind reaching for the next page with a sense of impending doom. But the thrill of the chase never grows too desperate leaving one time to reflect on the actions. There's very few paragraphs that cannot be fully dressed up in one's imagination, a feat so important to making the world feel so tangible, and that is the true genius of the book.
So strap in for a heck of a ride, even if you've seen the movie already, and welcome to Jurassic Park.
If one can look past those and similar shortcomings, there is brilliance in the work. The vivid descriptions of movement and scenes, the blending of facts and fictitious science to sell a wholly believable concept out of the impossible. The grounded reactions and plausible heroism, the characters never feel larger than life, allowing the focus to remain on the interactions and to frenetically advance the story, with your heart and mind reaching for the next page with a sense of impending doom. But the thrill of the chase never grows too desperate leaving one time to reflect on the actions. There's very few paragraphs that cannot be fully dressed up in one's imagination, a feat so important to making the world feel so tangible, and that is the true genius of the book.
So strap in for a heck of a ride, even if you've seen the movie already, and welcome to Jurassic Park.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Cursing and Animal death
Minor: Vomit and Child death