Lost World

Rating:
Summary: So much better than the movie!
Review: I absolutely HATED the movie THE LOST WORLD, especially the end. When a friend recommended I read the book, I was skeptical. But I just finished it, and he was right. Crichton always uses science to say something about the world--this book considers questions like man's destiny on Earth, etc. Very good.

Rating:
Summary: A rip off from Arthur Conan Doyle's book
Review: The original Lost World was written by Arthur Conan Doyle, the same guy who wrote Sherlock Holmes stories. Michael Crighton [used] the idea and wrote his version. There're only very minor differences between the two books and it makes me upset that a great author like Conan Doyle came up with an idea and Michael Crighton stole it. If you want the good original Lost World with innovative ideas, get the Conan Doyle version of it.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste a moment of your life reading this book
Review: I've always had mixed feelings about Crichton--his works have great plots but lousy, one-dimensional characters. Then I read this book and the dilemma was solved; now he just sucks. I couldn't believe that I was reading a book by the same man who wrote "Andromeda Strain" one of the most interesting, suspenseful novels that I have ever read. The work was a by-the-numbers advance to a predictable end, almost as if he wanted to save the scriptwriters the effort of dumbing down the plot when they made it into a movie. Every iota of imagination and unpredictability was drained from the work. I felt like Karnak the Magnificent, able to put the next page to my forehead and predict EXACTLY what was going to happen next. Not only has the book made me swear never to read another one of Crichton's novels ever again, but I plan on writing to Crichton and demand back the hours I wasted reading this moronic mess.

Rating:
Summary: Don't miss it!
Review: It's a great summer reading! First 200 pages are kind af slow but after that book is fantastic, much, much better than the movie "The Lost World" wich has very little with the book. Don't miss it!

Rating:
Summary: A very solid sequel!! Dinosaur Mania!!
Review: Michael Crichton has done a great job on writing a sequel to Jurassic Park. I didn't feel it was quite as good as Jurassic Park, but it was a solid read. Just like Jurassic Park, "The Lost World" is suspenceful and keeps your interest. Mr. Crichton does a wonderful job in this book of showing the fear of the characters as they aren't sure what is going to happen next.

Mr. Crichton uses this book as a doorway to future Dinosaur novels and I hope he continues to write them, because they are very entertaining. Although "The Lost World" isn't as good as "Jurassic Park", in my opinion, I would still recommend it. Especially to any dinosaur lovers.

Rating:
Summary: Not a bad sequel at ALL
Review: Let me start off by saying that 'Jurassic Park' was a true original...and were it not for the 1st book, I'd say that this one was even better...however since all of the originality of the 1st book was snatched away from you, this one falls short... however I STILL LOVED IT!! I for one am glad that Chrichton held his integrity high and wrote a sequel to his book rather than the movie. I disagree that this book is slow until three-quarters through. I found it compelling from beginning to end. The chase scenes, or should I say the scenes where people are BEING chased are first rate. As far as the characters being a little thin, all I know is I enjoyed the book. Some folks fall into the same trap after time and end up OVER-Analyzing books and movies that were written primarily to entertain us, and that's all. Chrichton has written a fantastic story here, and although the movie was pure drivel by comparison, and I mean that the movie really stunk compared to the novel. This book answers some questions left hanging in the original book, and raises a few more as well. It also gives us a plausible explanation for a 2nd island full of dinosaurs. As always, Ian Malcom was fantastic! His pointedly 'realistic' views on life and the effect of extinct species on modern life is always facinating. I LOVED THIS BOOK. Maybe I'm the only one, but aside from the fact that the first book stole all of the 'original' ideas of dinosaurs away, this is STILL a GREAT read. Chrichton is good (except for 'Airframe') and this is one of his best books. Read it, enjoy it and thank me later.

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Summary: 12 1/2 year old reader " Read it for my english class"
Review: When I was in my english my teacher told me to read this book. I thought in my head here I go another book about the same old thing pepole who what to know more about dinosaurs. But has I began to read the book I became upseve with it. The book takes place in the Ingen company when they decied that there not satisfated with the resech that went on in "Jurassic Park" and they send a reserch team to investagate. That's were everything goes wrong. I must warn parents that there are some adult matters in this book such as swearing describing pepole geting killed. But beside that it was a amazing book. But in my mind read "Jurassic Park" frist. Enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect Sequel to a True Classic!
Review: The original Jurassic Park ranks (in my opinion) among the greatest movies/books ever. I didn't know what't expect when I started this book but it came very clear after the first dozen or so pages. They have found the OTHER InGen island which happens to be populated with hundreds of dinosaurs, living without restraints of any kind. In essence, a Lost World. Personally, I think that this book is even better than the first although the movie version was somewhat lacking (though still enjoyable). The best aspect of this book was how, unlike the first, the characters are heavily armed and have hi-tech machinery at their fingertips. It's interesting to see how the dinosaurs react to motorcycles and high-speed jeeps. The chase scenes are incredible and while the characters are a tad shallow at times, they are fun to read about. Surpasses the original in every way except originality. Absolutely Mind-Blowing!

Rating:
Summary: It was good.
Review: I understand everyone else's view on this book, but I'd have to disagree on a view things. I can agree that this book did have some thin characters and such, but give some credit. When a writter wants to put forth his or her ideas about topics, they have to work them into the story line. Crichton obviously used Malcome as his puppet. That was his way of informing the reader about his theories and ideas. I give Crichton credit for that. It takes talent to work that into a story. I do a lot of writing myself and it's a tough thing. Although, this book did start out slow. Getting them to the island was tedious and took a lot of thinking on teh reader's part to understand. The fight scenes were rather random, but good to read nonetheless. I ending sort of left stuff hanging in the open. Too much chance of more people finding the island. As much as I liked the books better then the movies, the Lost World movie at least closed it with something final. They didn't just leave a dinosaur inhabited island in the middle of the Pacific for random people to find. Even if it does leave it open for further books. <shrugs> Either way, I anticipate the third movie because I have a love for dinosaurs, and hope to read a third book sometime, no matter how thin or random.

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing Mystery
Review: A good mystery leaves the solution in plain sight. Misdirection is afavorite tool used by authors to keep readers looking at the wrongthings. Michael Crichton carries it one step further, though. Hedoesn't tell us what dastardly deed is being committed. But, it too isin plain sight. So, let's try to solve the mystery.

Ian Malcolm,newly resurrected from Jurassic Park (the book), enters in his usualfashion by declaring the debate over a meteor impact as the cause ofdinosaur extinction to be "frivolous and irrelevantspeculation" - a typical Alpha Intellectual marking histerritory. This is the first misdirection - focus reader's attentionon dinosaurs' extinction. Next, Ian suggests that complex animalsbecome extinct because of changes in their behavior. The reader, oncruise control, might naturally think that dinosaurs are the complexanimals being considered. But, is that really what the author meant?Let's see.

Exhibit 1 - Sarah Harding never met a man she didn'tpity, despise, or hate . . . hardly endearing qualities to take tobed. She works diligently to lure 11-year old Kelly into her web ofthinking.

Exhibit 2 - Ian Malcolm and Richard Levine have all theircreative juices trapped in their brains, so nothing is available forsharing with females.

Exhibit 3 - Arby, a Black 8-year old geniuswith a model set of parents (both doctors), spends his time with theWhite tribe, thus abandoning his own culture.

Exhibit 4 - LewisDodgson and his like-minded cohorts want to make money the oldestfashion way, to steal it.

On the other hand, dinosaurs have familyvalues, love and care for their young, stick with their tribe, andcooperate with other tribes when advantageous.

These details shouldbe sufficient to solve the mystery. However, if some readers stilldon't get it, Crichton throws out a very broad hint. He introduceschameleon dinosaurs, beings that fade into their backgrounds so wellthat unsuspecting victims never know what hit them, or ate them, asthe case may be. People who think - the opposite sex is one of God'smistakes, spinning theories is more important than more earthyactivities, culture isn't important, or honesty is for fools - fadeinto our societal backgrounds, waiting to pounce on victims who don'thave a clue.

Pitted against this array of chameleons is Doc Thorne,mechanical engineer and university faculty dropout. He throws alifeline to Kelly, telling her not to worry too much about theoriesafter she endures yet another diatribe of doom from Ian. She is a rayof hope that Michael Crichton leaves with us . . . a person who maystay in the mainstream and help bring forth anothergeneration.

Thus, the mystery is solved. Extinction of humans isthe dastardly deed. Behavior . . . of humans . . . is the weaponused.