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pbraue13's review against another edition
5.0
A classic for a reason! Very different from the film! Different characters die, traits are swapped or altered completely, and the tension in parts is way more terrifying!
iothemoon's review against another edition
4.0
You'd think that if you've watched the movie Jurassic Park, there wouldn't be much in this book to keep you turning pages late at night. But reading it reminded me of a little phenomenon called "the paradox of suspense".
Think about how weird it is that we can reread a page-turner and feel suspense again, even though we know what's going to happen. Why is that? I knew where the novel was headed, and yet I wanted to keep reading. Some differences between the novel and the movie are probably to blame.
At the start of the story, the movie jumps straight into an archeological dig. The creator of the theme park excitedly shows up, openly announcing that the park is ready! We know that dinosaurs have been resurrected and a theme park has been built around them; it's an open secret.
The book, on the other hand, oh, we don't even learn that dinosaurs have been de-extincted until nigh on a hundred pages in. And that first part, the suspenseful period of people having strange encounters with weird lizards of unknown origin, was my favorite part of the novel. It's like a mystery novel, trying to solve the puzzle of what is happening on a mysterious private island in the Caribbean.
Once we got to the dinosaurs, and the story became about characters running for their lives as all hell breaks loose on the island, the novel started to drag for me. Is that ironic? I don't know. Maybe there's a reason why I think the movie is pretty boring.
But fortunately, the voice of my favorite character, Ian Malcolm, persisted through much of the novel with regular interjections of know-it-all comments about math and how idiotic the entire park is. A short scene early in the movie captures the book Ian Malcolm pretty well.
Sometimes you identify with an antihero, and this was it for me. Ian Malcolm made me think, this is probably how I appear to the rare person who doesn't care for my personality. Minus the sleazy part, hopefully.
Crichton was clearly trying to send a message about the dangers of genetics with this book. The don't-play-god theme reminded me of Frankenstein, although in this case it's less religious and more about concern for the survival of our species.
Overall, an impressively engrossing read. I would re-read the first 150 pages again, for sure.
I'll conclude with my (abridged) favorite passage. Mainly, because it's about a tiny elephant sneezing. But on top of that, Crichton accomplishes at least five things at once here. The scene illustrates that the visionary behind Jurassic Park is an unapologetic liar. It describes where some of the problems with the Park originate. It's funny. It's making Crichton's point about the repercussions of for-profit business getting involved in genetic engineering. And when you read the passage in the context of the novel, it's actually suspenseful.
Think about how weird it is that we can reread a page-turner and feel suspense again, even though we know what's going to happen. Why is that? I knew where the novel was headed, and yet I wanted to keep reading. Some differences between the novel and the movie are probably to blame.
At the start of the story, the movie jumps straight into an archeological dig. The creator of the theme park excitedly shows up, openly announcing that the park is ready! We know that dinosaurs have been resurrected and a theme park has been built around them; it's an open secret.
The book, on the other hand, oh, we don't even learn that dinosaurs have been de-extincted until nigh on a hundred pages in. And that first part, the suspenseful period of people having strange encounters with weird lizards of unknown origin, was my favorite part of the novel. It's like a mystery novel, trying to solve the puzzle of what is happening on a mysterious private island in the Caribbean.
Once we got to the dinosaurs, and the story became about characters running for their lives as all hell breaks loose on the island, the novel started to drag for me. Is that ironic? I don't know. Maybe there's a reason why I think the movie is pretty boring.
But fortunately, the voice of my favorite character, Ian Malcolm, persisted through much of the novel with regular interjections of know-it-all comments about math and how idiotic the entire park is. A short scene early in the movie captures the book Ian Malcolm pretty well.
Sometimes you identify with an antihero, and this was it for me. Ian Malcolm made me think, this is probably how I appear to the rare person who doesn't care for my personality. Minus the sleazy part, hopefully.
Crichton was clearly trying to send a message about the dangers of genetics with this book. The don't-play-god theme reminded me of Frankenstein, although in this case it's less religious and more about concern for the survival of our species.
Overall, an impressively engrossing read. I would re-read the first 150 pages again, for sure.
I'll conclude with my (abridged) favorite passage. Mainly, because it's about a tiny elephant sneezing. But on top of that, Crichton accomplishes at least five things at once here. The scene illustrates that the visionary behind Jurassic Park is an unapologetic liar. It describes where some of the problems with the Park originate. It's funny. It's making Crichton's point about the repercussions of for-profit business getting involved in genetic engineering. And when you read the passage in the context of the novel, it's actually suspenseful.
Hammond was flamboyant, a born showman, and back in 1983 he had had an elephant that he carried around with him in a little cage. The elephant was nine inches high and a foot long, and perfectly formed, except his tusks were stunted. Hammond took the elephant with him to fund-raising meetings...
The elephant was always a rousing success; its tiny body, hardly bigger than a cat's, promised untold wonders to come from the laboratory of Norman Atherton...
But Atherton hadn't been able to duplicate his miniature elephant, and he'd tried. For one thing, everybody who saw the elephant wanted one. Then, too, the elephant was prone to colds, particularly during winter. The sneezes coming through the little trunk filled Hammond with dread... Hammond always fretted that his elephant would die before Atherton could grow a replacement.
mushedtogether's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kelly_eick's review against another edition
3.0
I hate to say it, but I like the movie better. Maybe just because I've seen it so many times. But John Hammond's character in this book is a total ass.
englethebert's review against another edition
3.0
Much like the movie only replace character development with scientific explanation and a few more action scenes. Pretty enjoyable, and I found the added theme of capitalistic creep into scientific research an interesting idea to consider. Unfortunately the women in this story exist mostly to be damseled and/or an annoying tension builder. Overall it is a passable read and would recommend the book for anyone that is interested in more Jurassic Park.
madlibs554's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
ktbkitten's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5