You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
slow-paced
You can find me on booktube here!
This is typical Crichton, very heavy on science. However, after 41 years...much of the science no longer holds up. So that takes away quite a bit of the enjoyment from this story. I find that what I enjoy about his books is that they just barely stretch my imagination of what is realistically possible. But that's no longer the case with this book. Nothing about it stretched my imagination at all (Imagine a world where there are millions of computers all connected through some type of network and they can tell you to the minute how long it will take to go from point A to point B.)
You take that element out of this story, there's not much left to be excited about.
This is typical Crichton, very heavy on science. However, after 41 years...much of the science no longer holds up. So that takes away quite a bit of the enjoyment from this story. I find that what I enjoy about his books is that they just barely stretch my imagination of what is realistically possible. But that's no longer the case with this book. Nothing about it stretched my imagination at all (Imagine a world where there are millions of computers all connected through some type of network and they can tell you to the minute how long it will take to go from point A to point B.)
You take that element out of this story, there's not much left to be excited about.
Διαβάστε και την ελληνική μου κριτική στις βιβλιοαλχημείες.
This was the first Crichton I read in the post-quarantine season in late May. The immediately preceding one was [b:Eaters of the Dead|7673|Eaters of the Dead|Michael Crichton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1165637964l/7673._SX50_.jpg|997260] which I read at the end of February, in the pre-quarantine season.
As I said in my other Crichton book reviews, this beloved author never wrote the same book and the same subject.
For example, last August I read [b:Jurassic Park|526270|Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)|Michael Crichton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594380706l/526270._SX50_.jpg|3376836] and it has to do with dinosaur cloning and a fictional park, every child's dream that turns into a nightmare.
The next book he published, which is also the one I will be reading this month, is [b:Rising Sun|7668|Rising Sun|Michael Crichton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1165637857l/7668._SY75_.jpg|2045220] and has to do with the Japanese mafia in Los Angeles. Entirely different genre and topic.
The same thing applies to the other two I mentioned.
While [b:Eaters of the Dead|7673|Eaters of the Dead|Michael Crichton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1165637964l/7673._SX50_.jpg|997260] was about the experiences of an Arab chronicler in the Land of Vikings in the early Middle Ages, this next book [b:Congo|7672|Congo|Michael Crichton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388889401l/7672._SY75_.jpg|688299] transfers us to the lush Congo jungles and the study of gorillas as well as the search for a lost mythical city called Zinj.
This is why I like Crichton. Because every one of his books is a different genre (history - adventure), on a different continent (Europe - Africa), in a different era (Middle Ages - 80's)
Also each of his books is almost always accompanied by an extensive bibliography, proof of how much research and study he dedicated for each of his books. He didn't want just to entertain but also to inform, and to educate with his knowledge along with a great story.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Umm...I think I loved it because I loved the movie when I was 13?
Not as epic or well-written as works like Jurassic Park. I feel like he tried too hard to make this interesting but ran out of energy. The first half is a bit slow and has too much scientific jargon, but picks up quite a bit in the second half. Some of the human characters don't feel well written and the author has to keep pointing out their personality flaws/traits over and over again as for-shadowing to something bad happening later. The build up was well done but the ending felt rushed and abrupt.
Michael Crichton has a writing style that is timeless and even though some of the technology and science in this book are very different from today a lot is still relevant for today.
This book is much better if you keep reminding yourself that he wrote it and it takes place in the late 1970s. Put oversize hairdos, eyeglasses and pantsuits on all the characters (except Amy) and it becomes a much more enjoyable ride.
I feel the same way about the movie: it could have been great as a period piece rather than just a mediocre 90s techno-thriller and one of Tim Curry's most embarrassing films.
I feel the same way about the movie: it could have been great as a period piece rather than just a mediocre 90s techno-thriller and one of Tim Curry's most embarrassing films.
This was an okay plane book, even though it wasn't a real page turner. Long descriptions of computers (the future!) slowed it down for me. There were some pretty bad racist overtones as well with all the African cannibals.
Another good Crichton. As I am making my way through his older novels, I am amazed at his imagination. It is hard to believe the complexity of the stories that he creates. Congo was about an expedition into the Congo (where else?) to find diamonds and to look for a lost city. It was a pretty gripping read. The technology was dated but it was interesting to see the direction that Crichton predicted technology would go, and be able to look where it is 40 years later.