The Lost World

Rating:
Summary: Intellectually interesting but too much action
Review: I very much enjoyed the intellectual calliber of the book, but must admit that adventure/suspense is not my normal genre of choice. I became bored with the narrow escapes and blood and gore, but as a nonspecialist, I found the discussions of evolution and chaos theory fascinating.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT
Review: I thout it was a suspenseful book.Especialy the part with the trailors. Ialways act that part out with these modles of them that I got. I red it agin and again.

Rating:
Summary: Does exactly what it says on the tin
Review: Jurassic Park was a great book, and the sequel is predictably entertaining. It is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it still makes for some gripping reading. As for it's faults, well, the ending isn`t as good as it might have been and the characters aren't exactly fantastic. Could have been better, but it was, all in all, what I expected of a sequel.

Rating:
Summary: OK pulp story - but very wrong understanding of evolution.
Review: If you read this, please ignore the pseudo-scientific pablum that parades as scientific discussions of evolution, extinction, cultural history, etc. None of this stuff is even close to scientific. If you are interested, see any of the works of Stephen Jay Gould, who debunks just about everything "theoretical" in this book regarding evolution.

Rating:
Summary: Could have been so much better.
Review: If Michael Crichton had set out to write another fascinating adventure story around the possibility that dinosaurs could be cloned and brought to life on earth (like he did with the first book), this could have been fantastic. And the basic premise was there. However, it's obvious that this book was also done as a potential movie sequel and marketing ploy, and that's where it fails. The biggest mistake is the most obvious: making a lead character out of someone who DIED in the first book. He also includes the obligatory "dumb kids who serve no purpose but to run around and get in trouble and get scared a lot," and of course the "bad guy who never learned from the first incident and has to make things even worse this time." After setting up a brilliant premise, the plot goes nowhere. I did like all the action and all the conversations on evolution/biology and life as we know it. I only wish it had all been included in a more worthy book.

Rating:
Summary: What's Malcom doing here!?
Review: This book is a sellout to the movie. The first book, for those who didn't read it, is a good deal better than the movie. Sure, it takes more time, but it's worth it. Movie made a big mistake; Malcom was supposed to die. Lost World makes a bigger mistake; ignored the previous book, followed the movie. Arrrrgh! If they want to make the two movies agree, fine. They could have simply messed up another book plot and done OK. The book, however, should have stayed consistent. I was unable to make it through the book beyond a very shallow read because the whole premis was false. I give it the extra star for the interesting detail, but that is a general characteristic of the author and not of this book. If you are a genuine Jurassic Park fan, watch out!

Rating:
Summary: Fast-paced sequel to fast-paced original.
Review: "The Lost World" (the BOOK, not the movie) lives up to the expectations one would have for Crichton. Read it, keeping in mind that this is a NOVEL people -- so it's a little far-fetched. Perhaps the scientific research isn't entirely sound (would I really know?). But if you're looking for exciting FICTION, which is all this book claims to be, read it. (But wasn't Malcolm dead?)

Rating:
Summary: The BOOK is as good as the first one... but the movie...
Review: If you are like me, you loved the intensity of "Jurassic Park." Crichton always manages to keep readers on the edge of their seats with fascinating plots and thought-provoking situations. "The Lost World" is no exception, and revives the intensity of its predecessor. Unfortunately, many people will know this novel only by the travesty that was made of it (speaking here of the movie). If, perhaps, a bit far-fetched in spots (come on, people -- we're talking about cloning dinosaurs here), "The Lost World" nonetheless provides exactly what it claims to offer -- a fast-paced, exciting read. (But wasn't Malcolm dead???)

Rating:
Summary: A Very Good Sci-Fi Thriller
Review: If you liked the first book, you'll definitely like this one. This book is definitely 1000 times better than the movie. Few people go to the island and the action is fast paced. The only bad thing about the book is that the characters sometimes began to talk about science. If you're not a big fan of science, then those parts may start to bore you. But when the action starts, it's hard to let go of this book. In general this is a very good sci-fi thriller.

Rating:
Summary: Average
Review: An ok sequel to the first book. I enjoyed the discussions on evolution. The action sequences didn't seem to be as exciting. The movie didn't follow book at all. It would have been better if it had.