I'm not sure there can be a more compelling, exciting, adventuro
I'm not sure there can be a more compelling, exciting, adventurous, and smart thriller than Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park".
I read the book for a second time because my 6th grade son had an assignment to read a novel recommended by a parent. I thought this would be a fun book and he wanted us to read it at the same time. Not only did I have the opportunity to read this again after almost 20 years, but also I've been able to enjoy it through the eyes of my son.
Crichton's writing reads effortlessly. His language is simple, his descriptions clear. Combined with the excitement of the story, so clearly laid out, the book is an extremely fast read. I’m sure the science has changed, but the book holds up extremely well 22 years after it was first published.
I'll skip a detailed plot description, since everyone knows the story of a man's attempt to build a zoo of genetically reengineered dinosaurs. Things go horribly wrong during a private tour of the park, which includes two expert paleontologists, a theoretical mathematician and two grandchildren of the park's visionary leader.
The first third of the book is like a roller coaster, slowly rising during its initial ascent, building with tension as it approaches its peak. The second two-thirds of the book play out like the roller coaster rumbling downward at breakneck speed, turning unexpectedly, tossing the rider from side to side, and providing only brief respites, before zigging and zagging towards its conclusion.
One can't help but compare the novel to Steven Spielberg's classic film. The movie did a remarkable job of following Crichton's original story. He, in fact, co-write the script making small modifications in the characters, their roles, their relationships, and their fates.
One scene in the book didn't make it into the movie that I remembered from my first read: a sequence where the T-Rex chases Dr. Grant and the two children, in a raft, down a river and into the park's aviary. I believe parts of this sequence found its way into the third movie, and though this scene is rather short, it stands out to me as a bit of a disappointment for not being in the film.
Crichton uses Dr. Ian Malcolm, the mathematician, as the story's moral mouthpiece. Malcolm emphasizes the dangers of science unabated, questioning how modern science has become an effort in achievement, focused on the ‘how’, while sacrificing its conscience without consideration of the ‘why’ or whether something should even be explored.
My son loves the story. He can certainly connect with the 11-year old dinophile who finds himself in numerous heroic situations. And what's not to like in a story filled with dinosaurs and near-miss escapes?
Crichton always does an amazing job of writing cutting edge science in an attainable way, and “Jurassic Park” holds up as a particular strong example of his deft handling of complicated subjects.
My only complaint is the relative translucence of Crichton's characters. They have enough flesh to make the reader care, but not all that much. It’s a quality that I seem to recall from most of Crichton’s work.
This is a minor criticism because I simply love this story. Based on my son’s enjoyment, the book is appropriate for fifth graders and up (depending on an individual's reading level, of course). The only dicey parental considerations are the level of violence, which is high, and the potential for a sleepless night or two due to the intensity of the story.
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