Jurassic Park

What isn’t there to love about Jurassic Park? There’s some interactions that feel a little dated these days, maybe Malcolm is a little too preachy, and Lex could probably talk about baseball a little bit less, but there’s dinosaurs! Just such a fun, easy read that anyone should be able to pick up and enjoy.

This was fantastic! I can't wait for book club!

JP is just amazing. I really loved Crichton's style of writing. Through this book, Crichton makes the reader wonder: What would happen if we brought extinct animals(in this case, dinosaurs) back to life? Would we be able to control them and if not, what would the consequences for the humanity be? Overall, this is the perfect novel for every sci-fi lover and dinosaur enthusiast.

As a kid I liked it. As an adult, not as much. It's very different from the movie. Just as much swearing, though.

The movie is much better. I looked forward to this book but it doesn't make much sense. Most characters are naive and just go about their day. People and children missing on an island with dinosaurs on the loose? You would expect panic, but no. It just doesn't seem urgent to anyone.

Lex is annoying beyond believe, she goes from shocked to the core to completely forgetting the danger she is in withing a page. She, Tim, Grant are in great danger, wounded, exhausted, hungry but she's just there being naive. I have no other way to describe it.

The ending is weird, all of the sudden they need to count nests? What for? They've just survived, a lot of people died, and what do they do: crawl into a raptors nest (who all of the sudden don't notice them). It felt like the writer was short of words to finish the book and fabricated this weird ending.

The movie is nothing like the book, it's way better. It's what the book should have been. And, although there are some great parts, the pacing being really good it just doesn't strike as much fear, wonder, shock or desperateness as the movie.

I like many others was obsessed with dinosaurs as a kid, while Walking with Dinosaurs was my #1 dinosaur show to watch, Jurassic Park was definitely the second. So it was surprising to realize I had never actually read the book the movie was based on.

I think if I had read this book when I was younger I would have been very annoyed with the slow burn aspect of the setup. Something about the corporate maneuverings and the critiques of corporate and scientific cultures just hit right. The opening paragraphs on how bio-tech is going to change the world is still super relevant, just replace bio-tech with AI. My favorite part was obviously the dinosaur-horror in the middle of the book as the park breaks down. The last act of the book lost some momentum as the dinosaurs revert from horror movie slashers to more animal like behaviour. It was interesting enough to read but I totally understand why it was cut for the movie.

Character-wise the book was a bit hit or miss for me. I enjoyed Hammond as the corporate villain more than his counter part in the movie. The relationship between him and his employees and how each one justifies continuing the project was some of the most interesting parts of the book. Ellie as a character was much more background then I would have guessed. She gets three moments she gets to shine, one paleo botany and two action sequences, but beyond that she is relegated to a secondary character. Her character has a lot of misogyny and objectification turned towards her, if it was intended to be a commentary on sexism it needed to be undercut more by actions in the story. Grant gets a bit less to do in the book but I really liked how his internal monologue showed how he reaches conclusions. In the movie he just knows Trex's vision is based on movement while in the book he is able to piece together from his knowledge, observations and luck. Not much to say about Malcolm, still a really fun character.

Overall I really enjoyed my read, you can go into for just the thriller-adventure aspect and or the deeper themes explored in the book.

A straightforward action-fantasy book. What you see is what you get; dinosaurs running around on an island. The kids are insufferable and boring. No character development or depth to the story.

Final Rating: 3.0

I didn't know how different the film was compared to the novel, People always had said it's so much better and different, but wow I wasn't expecting just how good this novel is.

I admit, I view the characters as the ones in the films - Sometimes this helps, sometimes not but just having that visual experience while I'm reading and the story is developing it helped to just read and read.

A classic and easy read, just an experience throughout. - I'm excited to read the second and I hope one day this adapation of the book gets made into some sort of series or film.

This book is the modern Frankenstein except not all the Victor Frankenstein equivalents learn their lesson. I expected very graphic horror but Crichton utilized a subtle approach to the horror.

This adventure was not what I expected. I don’t think this is a spoiler, but it’s not like the movie…In my opinion, It’s better…….. if you’re not reading it by now then it’s your loss!

Steven Spielberg when I catch you...

Based on how how I usually like my books more character-heavy, you'd think I wouldn't have enjoyed this one as much as I did. However, since there's also a good amount of simplified science, I ate this one up with the same enthusiasm I did Project Hail Mary a year ago. My biggest grievance with the story was the undeserved demise of Ian Malcolm and all the raptors that just wanted to have a good time and make some raptor babies.

Jurassic Park is one of the rare instances where the movie is superior to the book. I'm rating this a 4 due to its boring start (pre-island), it's stupid ending, and the fact that Malcolm and Genaro carried the story for me. This book is very different from the movie. Both have their strengths, which I will share via spoilers.

What the movie did better:

1. The kids. They are annoying in the book. I understand that Lex is 7 or 8 years old, so she deserves a plethora of grace, but she's extremely annoying. The author seemed to hate her; she made all of these mistakes that nearly killed them. She was even pooped on by a pterodactyl. Whereas Tim is 11 yrs old and this brilliant little Dino-nerd that is the only one that can work the computer and bring the power online (instead of Lex in the movie). I much prefer their behavior and relationship in the movie where Tim still loves dinos, but Lex is mature and the elder sister.

2. The movie bypasses the boring backstory for the most part while keeping the most important scenes I think.

3. The characters in the movie are more likable for the most part, minus Genaro!! They did my man Genaro dirty in the movie. Not cool. I really liked Genaro in the book- more on that later. Ellie Sattler specifically was shown to be more interesting and fleshed out than the book. In the novel, she's mostly admired for her legs rather than her scientific knowledge.

4. The ending. The book ending is so boring, dumb, and anti-climatic. To start, the raptors in the main building are not killed by a trex. They are killed by Grant tricking them into eating eggs filled with some sort of chemical that poisons them (forgot which). He killed like, three of them this way. In no way did I find this believable or exciting. One raptor, yes, three - no. Then when the raptors are gone, Hammond is practically MIA and Genaro is the one to call the Costa Rican government for help to blow up the island via air strike. Grant goes berserk, roughing him up physically and blaming HIM solely for the park (not Hammond), forcing him to search for the raptors nest to count the number of creatures to make sure they all die. I thought it was extremely unfair of Grant to assault Genaro and call him a coward. I firmly believe that Grant's priority in seeking the raptor nests was scientific curiosity, not genuine concern for mankind. Muldoon should have backed him up, as he and Genaro spent lots of time together, but even he turns on Genaro at the end and threatens him with electric shock to get him into the raptor nest. When they are finally at the nest, nothing happens. The adult raptors miraculously don't notice 3 humans (unbelievable) in their den. Then everyone is rushed from the island and the Costa Rican government blows it up. Soooo boring.

Things I think the book did better:

1. Malcolm is even cooler! We get far more monologue from Malcolm in the book than the movie, and he's somehow cooler. The fact that he's balding just makes him more badass because he doesn't let his receding hairline take away from the fact that he's intelligent as hell with his chaos theory. God I love Malcolm.

2. More Dr. Wu: Dr. Wu was hardly in the movie, which is a shame. In the book, he and Hammond have lots of moments together where we learn more about him. He's brave, and tries to save Ellie when the raptors were trying to kill her. I was sad to see him die in such a gruesome way, but there is something poetic about the major players in Jurassic Park dying at the claws of their own creation (Hammond, Arnold, and Wu).

3. Genaro the Lawyer is badass. The movie did him dirty and combined him with Ed Regis' character in the book, the Public Relations person that pees his pants and abandons the kids in the car. In the book, Genaro stays with Ellie and the vet with the triceratops, so he never encounters the Rex and gets eaten. Then, Ellie stays behind, but Genaro goes out with Muldoon to find Grant and the kids, and he is out there in the park trying to help get the park up and running. He even agrees to help Muldoon with the raptors although he's afraid. I don't blame him for wanting nothing to do with the raptors nests at the end. Frankly, it's easy for Grant to call him a coward when no one is waiting for him at home. Genaro has a wife and kids to take care of, so he shouldn't be treated like shit at the end when he's already risked his neck multiple times.

Other things didn't like about the book:

1. The trex following Grant and the kids. It's literally stalking them. Why!? There are so many dinos for the trex to eat. Why follow the three, small humans so much?

2. Grant never confronting Hammond about his role in opening a dangerous park. I guess he didn't want to risk pissing off the man that funds his dig sites (coward).

Anyways, I rate it a 4/5 for these reasons. I still loved the book, and I enjoyed the narrator for the audiobook.

Fuck I hate Lex, the sister. She annoyed me to no end and pissed me off with everything she said and did.

Other than that, this was great! The movie is one of my faves of all time since its release in 1993 and I'm glad I FINALLY read the book. Now, I'm going to watch the movie so I can compare and judge. LOL

Ive seen the movie several times and generally enjoyed it. But it has some very annoying anti-science rants in it. Now I see where they come from. There is a several page screed about hot stupid engineers are and another even long one about the failure of science. These are both from the mathematician character, who should know better. If you want an example of how running something like Jurassic Park isn't that difficult, just go to Disney's Animal Kingdom and count how many people are eaten by tigers everyday.

As a software engineer, I find the Nedry character offensive, But using the stereotype makes the writing a little easier, I guess. There is an important bit of information that is kept from the heroes by a mistake in the computer software, but it is a mistake that not even a beginning programmer would make. But when you start with the assumption that science and engineering are bad then you need to have characters do dumb things to prove your point.

I will probably read the next book but not for a while.

4:

The sneaky critters ATE a baby's FACE in like the first chapter!!!!!!! Wowee!!!

Honestly I loved this book so much. It has the downside of Jeff Goldblum not being on it, but to make up for that, it keeps you on your toes, and provides gratuitous violence, along with a wicked sense satisfaction once the billionaire becomes supper.

7.5/10. Really fun and great read. Love how the science is explained abd the atmosphere of the book. The characters are kinda flat imo and I find the ending a tad abrupt but it's still a solid read

AMAZING! That's all to say because uh spoilers but you should definitely read this book

It's hard to say which was more fun.. the movie or the book. Loved Ian and Alan. Pretty thrilling read.

Fantastic! Loved it from start to end. Great science and great tension. A real page turner!

Excellent book, couldn't put it down. Not wild about Crichton's writing style in this one. I can only read “Grant said”, “Muldoon said”, “Ellie said” so many times on one page, but it didn't stop me from finishing the book any faster.

Je me suis enfin attaqué à un Crichton après des années à ce que des amis me le recommandent!

J'ai été très surpris par Jurassic Park, qui est beaucoup beaaaucoup plus violent que ce que le film laissait voir, beaucoup plus sombre et nihiliste aussi sur certains points. J'ai trouvé que le livre donnait au final une leçon encore plus avisée sur les dangers de jouer avec des choses qui nous dépassent et dont nous ne comprenons pas exactement la portée.

Un seul reproche à ce livre à mes yeux, c'est un début extrêmement long, on prend une bonne moitiée du livre avant d'arriver au parc, ce qui me rendait assez impatient. Mais au final j'ai dévoré l'autre moitié à pleine vitesse donc pas de regret!

I absolutely loved this book. Granted, I did watch the movie first, but then found out that there was a book first. Recommend it to anybody looking for a page-turner.

A bit slow in spots, with a lot of PoV switching that left some characters not feeling totally fleshed out; but overall a thrilling read.

When I first saw Jurassic Park in the cinema in 1993, it sparked an obsession that lasted for over a decade. Looking back I'm not sure whether my obsession was with Jurassic Park or dinosaurs in general, but it was all the same to me.

Almost as soon as we left the cinema, I begged my mother to buy me Michael Crichton's novel, even though it was clearly not written for eleven-year-olds, and I recall reading it through from cover to cover at least three or four times. I even remember being called on during an English class library session to read aloud to the class when I just happened to be in the middle of a very grisly death scene. The teacher quickly cut me off—”Thank you, that's enough,”—though I don't remember getting in trouble.

While my Jurassic Park obsession was eventually replaced by a theater obsession, and then several other obsessions since, this adventure 65 million years in the making has always held a special place in my heart, and it came into my life during such a developmental stage that I think it has been woven into my DNA ever since.

And so, when I was stuck for something to read, I fished out that very same copy that my mother bought me in 1993—the cover creased and tattered and taped together, and at some point preserved in clear contact covering—and gave it a possibly fifth read through.

The wide-eyed, dinosaur-loving kid inside of me was reawakened, and I tore through this novel with delight and awe, and at the same time, my adult brain was astounded at how much I'd forgotten or been too young to fully appreciate.

Back then I was a voracious reader, and even in elementary school, I had gotten bored of the novels for my age group and had started pilfering books from my mother's bookcase, or searching the grown-up sections of the library. While I read and understood Jurassic Park at the time, I don't think I was able to absorb the full richness of it that I could as an adult. Or comprehend some of its flaws.

As a kid and young adult, this was as close to a perfect novel as I'd ever read, and honestly, after this re-read, I feel much the same way. It does exactly what it says on the tin, and does it well. It is thrilling, thoughtful, and terrifying. But as a weary adult, I can also acknowledge some of the places where It falls short for me now.

Ellie was much more of a background character than I remember, and then there's the ol' kid character chestnut, both of which I was a little disappointed by.

Ellie was written as an intelligent, confident, athletic woman, who was cool, calm, and collected. She's often objectified by the men around her and has an action hero moment towards the end of the novel where she gets to shine. But it left me wanting more, and the frequent commentary on her thighs and short shorts had me wondering if it was a case of commenting on sexism or just actual sexism itself. I'm willing to give Crichton the benefit of the doubt here because between Ellie and Dr. Bobbie Carter, we at least got two smart women to break up the sausage party.

I loved the kids in the movie, and I remember loving the kids in the novel too, but in this re-read, Lex was incredibly irritating and one-note. I did laugh a few times at her precocious quips, and I appreciated that she bucked stereotypes for the time with her interest in baseball, but the problem was that she was pretty one-note for the rest of the novel. She has one freak-out early on, but from then on she seems to have nerves of steel to an absurd degree, and her precociousness becomes a liability. I mean, I don't have siblings or kids and to be honest I'm kind of scared of them, so I don't know if she's realistically written. I just didn't enjoy her much this time around.

I really liked Tim though, I thought he was pretty well written, and I can definitely understand why he was my favorite character as a kid. I would have related to him quite a lot.

Something that also stuck out to me in this re-read was the unnecessarily comical descriptions of how fat and disgusting Nedry was, which I found pretty heavy-handed and distasteful. The whole “fat is bad” trope was at odds with the rest of the writing and felt like it was implanted from another less sophisticated book, and I would have expected better from Crichton.

Except for a last-minute exploration sequence right at the end of the novel that felt awkward, unnecessary, and tacked-on, the rest of the novel is horror-adventure gold! I remember as a kid I had blind and unerring love for the movie, but also a whistful what-might-have been wonder about what it could have been if more of the set pieces from the novel had made their way into the movie, particularly the river scene and the aviary scene. Many of these were lifted and reworked for other movies in the series (which probably explains why I loved Jurassic Park III so much when it seems I was in the minority a bit lol).

I'm so happy that I picked Jurassic Park up again as an adult, because it brought back some of that childhood joy and excitement, and not only that, it was even better than I remembered it.

If you're looking for a thrilling adventure with some geeky science-y musings thrown in, then Jurassic Park provides and more than satisfies. I treasured it as a child, and now as an adult, I will treasure it anew with a deeper, more nuanced appreciation.