Staff Book Review

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

I read Jurassic Park after seeing the movie, and I think I can safely say that I enjoyed the book more. Like most movies made from books, the film leaves out chunks of the original, but it keeps enough to maintain the basic story-line. Then again, if Spielberg were to make the movie using the novel as the actual screenplay, it would be at least five hours long.

I have always loved dinosaurs and so Jurassic Park has a special place in my heart (sounds weird, I know). It's one of the few books I've read multiple times, and it gets easier to read each time through. Crichton uses a perfect combination of action and scientific probability that the story never gets old. However, being a dinosaur-guru, I noticed few inconsistencies in the story regarding the characteristics of some of the creatures. There is one scene in which Alan and the kids are bugged by a hadrosaur (duck-billed dinosaur) that Crichton describes incorrectly. I can't recall what he is wrong about, I think it has something to do with the tongue, too-lizard like maybe.

Anyway, as many would probably agree, Jurassic Park is extremely original as well as scientifically-secured (I'm not saying it's possible to make a Jurassic Park, but there's plenty of evidence regarding amber-encased mosquitos that proves Crichton isn't just some wack-job). This book is solid, fast, and thought-provoking. It asks us how far we go for money, and what sacrifices we make in the process. It's a piece of work that will stay fresh in the minds of generations to come.

RATING: 4 / 5 STARS

Book Review by Colin Lenehan at Cranesbill Books

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