"Jurassic Park" by Michael Crichton

[LunaRowan]

Title- Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park #1)
Author- Michael Crichton
Published- 1991: Ballantine Books (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.) (Originally published in 1990)
ISBN- 0-345-37077-5
Pages- 400 pages
Genre- Thriller - Science Fiction
Rating- 5 of 5


My Review:
Never a disappointment to science fiction fans, I have found that Crichton's novels are always the quality readers want to read and writers want to achieve. His 'Jurassic Park' trilogy not only thrilled millions of readers worldwide, they successfully terrified movie-goers.

John Hammond, an elderly billionaire with a passion for dinosaurs, has purchased his own island off the coast of Coasta Rica, hired the top scientists in engineering, genetics, mathematics, and various other fields, and had dinosaurs grown from bits of preserved DNA, all for the sake of the greatest zoological attraction for children in the world. When problems begin occurring on the super-secret island attraction-in-progress known as "Jurassic Park", it's a true battle of man versus nature as the occupants of this secluded island come face-to-face with their own prehistoric creations- monsters that were never meant to coexist with humankind. Paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant is summoned from his most recent dig to tour the island, along with his assistant Dr. Ellie Sattler, in the hopes of recruiting Grant to back the island's creation and join Hammond's team. Hammond even shows his confidence in his prehistoric replica that he also includes his own two young grandchildren in the first-ever guided tour of the park. It takes very little time for the flaws of this plan to become evident, leaving everyone at the mercy of animals they know very little about. Fighting for control, as well as survival, the island's occupants experience the horror of creature who it seems are probably extinct for a reason.

Much more than merely a thrilling work of fiction, this novel carries a greater message to the reader, a warning of the dangers of advancing technology for the sake of glory and riches, without consideration for whether their advancements should take place just because they can, and without fully understanding the technology they're dealing with. Jurassic Park addresses specifically the on-going debate surrounding the ethical use of DNA engineering, and serves as a global warning of its potentially disastrous effects. This is mostly done through the rantings of one Dr. Ian Malcolm, a mathematician enlisted to help make Jurassic Park functional, though he doesn't share the views of John Hammond. Through Malcolm, Crichton delivers several deep, philosophical tirades about man trying to control nature without realizing that nature cannot be controlled, and even long after man has destroyed themselves, and maybe even all current life on the planet, the ancient earth will survive, and eventually life will spring up again, adapted to whatever changes have occurred to the planet. It will be like man never existed. This lesson is delivered so passionately by the character that no reader can ignore or deny the truth in his words.

A fascinating read with a strong message, Jurassic Park is the perfect read for all sci-fi fans. The wide variety of characters' backgrounds and personalities, the heart-pounding scenes, and exquisitely descriptive language bring the existence of Jurassic Park to life for the reader in a way I have never before experienced in this genre.

[Gravy]

My Review:
Never a disappointment to science fiction fans, I have found that Crichton's novels are always the quality readers want to read and writers want to achieve. His 'Jurassic Park' trilogy not only thrilled millions of readers worldwide, they successfully terrified movie-goers.

There are only two books...
And only the first film followed the storyline...
The storyline of the third movie is actually closer to the second book's storyline...

Also...Hammond kinda sucked...like big time.
You make him sound like the teddy bear grandpa they made him in the movie...
I can't believe this review at all...

Hopefully I reread this sometime and can add my own full review...
You got one thing right.. it's an awesome book...

[bcchase]

Even though this book opens somewhat disjointedly, with scenes from all over the place with characters who serve no purpose but to build suspense before making a quick exit, it delivers what most books and movies fail to do even with a highly plausible premise: a believable scenario in which dinosaurs once again walk the earth. Crichton's skill is not necessarily in his prose (although I do credit him with inventing the single-sentence paragraph-a tool most suspense authors use today), but in his ability to erect scientific monuments of stone with ideas of straw. The accusations that his characters are flat are baseless. Simply because he doesn't droll on ad nauseum about every mundane facet of his characters' backstory or emotive sentiments does not mean they are not lively or relatable, and who can't relate to someone whose in the grip of pulse pounding terror? The real characters here are the vicious antediluvian beasts, and he brings them to life with unmatched skill. The dinosaurs people saw in the movie Jurassic Park were the direct product of Michael Crichton's mind, and their personalities are on dramatic display everywhere. In the end, Crichton was a creative genius, taking thoroughly researched science and marrying it to fantastical imagination, adding a dose of wit and wisdom, he left us with stories to share and enjoy and learn from (both scientifically and morally) for generations to come, and Jurassic Park was his magnum opus: the testimony to everything that he did best. May he rest in peace.

[Gravy]

Even though this book opens somewhat disjointedly, with scenes from all over the place with characters who serve no purpose but to build suspense before making a quick exit, it delivers what most books and movies fail to do even with a highly plausible premise: a believable scenario in which dinosaurs once again walk the earth. Crichton's skill is not necessarily in his prose (although I do credit him with inventing the single-sentence paragraph-a tool most suspense authors use today), but in his ability to erect scientific monuments of stone with ideas of straw. The accusations that his characters are flat are baseless. Simply because he doesn't droll on ad nauseum about every mundane facet of his characters' backstory or emotive sentiments does not mean they are not lively or relatable, and who can't relate to someone whose in the grip of pulse pounding terror? The real characters here are the vicious antediluvian beasts, and he brings them to life with unmatched skill. The dinosaurs people saw in the movie Jurassic Park were the direct product of Michael Crichton's mind, and their personalities are on dramatic display everywhere. In the end, Crichton was a creative genius, taking thoroughly researched science and marrying it to fantastical imagination, adding a dose of wit and wisdom, he left us with stories to share and enjoy and learn from (both scientifically and morally) for generations to come, and Jurassic Park was his magnum opus: the testimony to everything that he did best. May he rest in peace.

Well said!
Thank you...reading this was a high-light today!

[bcchase]

You're welcome.