Reviews - Congo | The StoryGraph

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I burned through this... I've always enjoyed Michael Crichton, but I've only ever read excerpts of books at a time, analyzing the chapter for a lesson in school. Congo marks the first book of Crichton's that I've read in its entirety (yes! Not even Jurassic Park!), and there's so much to love after all of these years since publication.

Briefly (or as brief as I can be in this prelude to my full review):
- This book helped me more deeply understand Quinten Tarantino's still-in-theaters film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Both works concern the perceptions of reality that people hold versus the unveiling of true reality once those rules of our world (or our social circle) are removed. And yet, despite this, humankind's egotism remains an impossible beast to permanently realign. One other interesting note of comparison: the "main" story of both Congo and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood does not begin until nearly the end of each work after a feeling of peace has settled into the characters. Knowing that as the audience only excited me further. I definitely thought "You fools!" at that moment of peace.)

- By the end of the first page, I felt the need to learn more about the Congo. All I knew is that I was traumatized by the film as a young child, and refused to even look at the cover of our VHS copy. It was immediately clear that I knew so little. How large was the congo in 1980? What does it look like now? What preconceived notions do I hold (unknowingly) and how do they compare to reality? Specifically, I wondered if Congo would simply be another Heart of Darkness. For each question and concern I held, Crichton timely addresses each topic thoroughly, and I was never left wondering for too long.

- Crichton educates the reader throughout the entire journey -- a mix between a stream of consciousness and a professor's lecture. A perfect balance between action and reflection, I kept turning page after page, surprised with each turn. The information on politics, culture, technology, and nature has aged well overall, even though technology has advanced so far from when this novel was published. It was fun to compare which predictions have come true and which have become common knowledge. But you know what's hilarious? I have no idea how to separate the facts from Crichton's fictional facts -- something I believe adds to the charm of Congo.

- Ross is a god damn badass. I love how, even though she's scared beyond words many times, she confronts each issue as if she is unphased by the turn of the events.

- Similarly, Elliot Peter feels an immense wonder as unbelievable events are beheld as typical and every day to the rest of the expedition crew -- the same stunned disbelief that the average person would feel if in Peter's situation. This wonder is magnified when the attention is turned toward observing Ross as she tackles the same moment with the absolute fearlessness that marks her as a badass.

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SPOILERY Odd things that I'm thinking about AND ARE COMPLETE SPOILERS:
- The expedition team that this novel follows occurs after the first team met an unfortunate end. When this second expedition team enters the Congo, a few other countries are also entering the forest at the same time. Wouldn't those other countries have already placed teams in the Congo at the same time as the American's first expedition?
- I was confused by the American team's utter relaxation once they believe another country already reached the target zone. You're still in a dangerous place, guys! It's not just missles and guns that you have to worry about! Nature doesn't stop being nature. My confusion only increased when our team reaches the target zone, as well, and doesn't question what happend to the other team.
- WHY DID THE TEAM NOT LISTEN TO AMY THE GORILLA WHEN SHE ADDRESSES SOME PRETTY SERIOUS CONCERNS? VARIOUS MEMBERS EVEN SAY HOW ANIMALS ARE MORE PERCEPTIVE AND SENSITIVE.
- Munro is the only reason these fools did not die sooner. He was reason and foresight at nearly every moment. He should have listend to Amy more, though.
- I'm happy with how the novel ends, though it was very sudden. Ross and Elliot deserve their losses.

oceantied55's review against another edition

2.5

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

lah_reads's review against another edition

3.0

This is clearly one of Crichton's earlier works. Unlike his later books, this one is full of info dumps that really take away from the action. It's also rather dated, with old computer theories and a side character who uses a nickname for his business rivals that would get him sent to HR for discriminatory language in this day and age. Once I got into the story, I did enjoy it, but it isn't his best work.