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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
This was a thrilling adventure, and Crichton gave the story a deal of credibility by interjecting so much scientific and technological detail into it . Additionally, the characters tasked with finding the lost city of Zinj -- expedition leader Karen Ross, mercenary Charles Munro, gorilla expert Peter Elliot, and of course, female gorilla Amy -- were very well developed considering how fast the story moved and the length of the novel.
However, while I really do like the directness of Crichton's prose, the novel was a bit too frenetic to build the tension that Crichton seemed to desire, and the deus ex machina ending seemed rather convenient considering the difficulties the characters had travelling to that point. Overall, while not Crichton's finest work, which is a high bar indeed, this is easily worth a read.
Spoiler
Remember, this is a story with a skydiving gorilla in it.However, while I really do like the directness of Crichton's prose, the novel was a bit too frenetic to build the tension that Crichton seemed to desire, and the deus ex machina ending
Spoiler
The remaining team members escaping in a hot air balloon found inside the crashed plane.
The movie sucked, but the book took you on a real adventure to the Congo. Great use of science and fasten-your-seatbelt level of adventure. This book moves at a very quick pace.
After reading Jurassic Park (which was a slam dunk) and Lost World (far less favored), I was excited to take on a different Crichton novel with a basis in biology for the science fiction. So I picked up Congo.
The funny thing about this read is that I stayed engaged the whole time, read it pretty quick, but walked away feeling neutral. Not totally fulfilled but not lacking either. Crichton tied up the story as it should have been. (Of course they weren’t going to walk away with the grand prize that they’ve all sacrificed so much for. Hubris at its finest). But all in all, Crichton didn’t leave me with anything at all.
Of course Amy the “talking” gorilla was a great character, and almost the sole point of empathy in this novel, and the history of animal language experimentation was intriguing. We’ve all heard of Koko but the extent of these experiments is fascinating, and I love Crichton’s way of bringing morality into the discussion without necessarily telling you who to side with.
From my short stint into Crichton, he seems to like bending the gender norms of the time, so it makes sense that Karen Ross is cold and calculated. Peter Elliot is the primatologist and caretaker of Amy, almost with paternal instincts towards her. Munro is the typical mercenary turned guide that carries the exploration forward.
Being that this novel was written ~40 years ago, the science behind the technology (physical, data collection, essentially what will come to be AI/machine learning) is interesting under the dated lens. But the technical jargon can get redundant.
Honestly, I was quite disappointed that A) it took so long to get to these potentially genetically modified gorillas that took down the entire original Congo team, and B) once we got there, I really don’t feel like we spent much time with them.
I’m still glad to give Crichton plenty more chances, but I’m really hoping to next one I read strikes some gold so I’m motivated to continue into his work.
The funny thing about this read is that I stayed engaged the whole time, read it pretty quick, but walked away feeling neutral. Not totally fulfilled but not lacking either. Crichton tied up the story as it should have been. (Of course they weren’t going to walk away with the grand prize that they’ve all sacrificed so much for. Hubris at its finest). But all in all, Crichton didn’t leave me with anything at all.
Of course Amy the “talking” gorilla was a great character, and almost the sole point of empathy in this novel, and the history of animal language experimentation was intriguing. We’ve all heard of Koko but the extent of these experiments is fascinating, and I love Crichton’s way of bringing morality into the discussion without necessarily telling you who to side with.
From my short stint into Crichton, he seems to like bending the gender norms of the time, so it makes sense that Karen Ross is cold and calculated. Peter Elliot is the primatologist and caretaker of Amy, almost with paternal instincts towards her. Munro is the typical mercenary turned guide that carries the exploration forward.
Being that this novel was written ~40 years ago, the science behind the technology (physical, data collection, essentially what will come to be AI/machine learning) is interesting under the dated lens. But the technical jargon can get redundant.
Honestly, I was quite disappointed that A) it took so long to get to these potentially genetically modified gorillas that took down the entire original Congo team, and B) once we got there, I really don’t feel like we spent much time with them.
I’m still glad to give Crichton plenty more chances, but I’m really hoping to next one I read strikes some gold so I’m motivated to continue into his work.
Well-researched, exciting, perfect summer read.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Was like a movie playing in my mind reading this. I did have some trouble understanding some sections that were informational and didn't really need to be included in the book. I also didn't like how it ended. I can't wait to watch this movie and see if it aligns with what I imagined it would be like.
adventurous
medium-paced
Read in my younger years, re-listened mid-2022. Enjoyed the book, but the tech portions don't hold up. Being a novel that was written with a significant reliance on what was high-tech 40yrs ago, makes some of it almost seem a bit corny, but that's the risk when you write about tech! The story is still great!!