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A review by literarypaiges
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“In the information society, nobody thinks. We expected to banish paper, but we actually banished thought.” - Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park ⠀
I had never read a Crichton book, and when I finished Jurassic Park today I immediately ordered The Lost World. Crichton’s writing is fast, fun, and still packed with science and philosophy. This isn’t just a creature thriller — it’s a book about what we can do with science, and whether or not we should. It asks deep moral questions about the role of humans in altering and trying to control the natural world. It asks us to consider the consequences of our actions, even actions that feel like breakthroughs and progress. ⠀
I’ve seen the Jurassic Park film many times. It’s an excellent adventure thriller, and Spielberg altered the story from the book in significant ways. Even knowing many of the plot beats from the film, Crichton’s work still kept me interested. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about when I could pick it up again. ⠀
This book and its film adaptation are a rare case of both being excellent without being identical. Novels and films are two completely different storytelling mediums, and in this case, both Crichton and Spielberg knew exactly what to do to tell the best story in their respective mediums. ⠀
I’ll certainly be watching the film again soon and I’ve already got a running list of Crichton books to buy. Don’t let the lack of pretty covers — or the lack of availability of basically anything but mass market paperbacks of his work — keep you from trying out Crichton when you’re in the mood for a novel full of action, adventure, suspense, (some) gore, and also deep questions about technology and human discovery.
I had never read a Crichton book, and when I finished Jurassic Park today I immediately ordered The Lost World. Crichton’s writing is fast, fun, and still packed with science and philosophy. This isn’t just a creature thriller — it’s a book about what we can do with science, and whether or not we should. It asks deep moral questions about the role of humans in altering and trying to control the natural world. It asks us to consider the consequences of our actions, even actions that feel like breakthroughs and progress. ⠀
I’ve seen the Jurassic Park film many times. It’s an excellent adventure thriller, and Spielberg altered the story from the book in significant ways. Even knowing many of the plot beats from the film, Crichton’s work still kept me interested. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about when I could pick it up again. ⠀
This book and its film adaptation are a rare case of both being excellent without being identical. Novels and films are two completely different storytelling mediums, and in this case, both Crichton and Spielberg knew exactly what to do to tell the best story in their respective mediums. ⠀
I’ll certainly be watching the film again soon and I’ve already got a running list of Crichton books to buy. Don’t let the lack of pretty covers — or the lack of availability of basically anything but mass market paperbacks of his work — keep you from trying out Crichton when you’re in the mood for a novel full of action, adventure, suspense, (some) gore, and also deep questions about technology and human discovery.