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A review by omair
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As a classic, and the book that led to my childhood love of reading, Jurassic Park will always hold a special place for me. But returning to a story that has spawned the multi-billion dollar franchise does reveal some flaws. Copious amounts of technobabble contracted by characters with much unexplored depth. Little ambiguity in the character personalities leading to short, if at all existent, character arcs. The shift in the pace between the middle-third and final-third. These are all places one might find lacking.
If one can look past those and similar shortcomings, there is brilliance in the work. The vivid descriptions of movement and scenes, the blending of facts and fictitious science to sell a wholly believable concept out of the impossible. The grounded reactions and plausible heroism, the characters never feel larger than life, allowing the focus to remain on the interactions and to frenetically advance the story, with your heart and mind reaching for the next page with a sense of impending doom. But the thrill of the chase never grows too desperate leaving one time to reflect on the actions. There's very few paragraphs that cannot be fully dressed up in one's imagination, a feat so important to making the world feel so tangible, and that is the true genius of the book.
So strap in for a heck of a ride, even if you've seen the movie already, and welcome to Jurassic Park.
If one can look past those and similar shortcomings, there is brilliance in the work. The vivid descriptions of movement and scenes, the blending of facts and fictitious science to sell a wholly believable concept out of the impossible. The grounded reactions and plausible heroism, the characters never feel larger than life, allowing the focus to remain on the interactions and to frenetically advance the story, with your heart and mind reaching for the next page with a sense of impending doom. But the thrill of the chase never grows too desperate leaving one time to reflect on the actions. There's very few paragraphs that cannot be fully dressed up in one's imagination, a feat so important to making the world feel so tangible, and that is the true genius of the book.
So strap in for a heck of a ride, even if you've seen the movie already, and welcome to Jurassic Park.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Cursing and Animal death
Minor: Vomit and Child death