Jurassic Park

A great story that lost appeal when it was turned into a movie with annoying smart-ass Spielbergian kids that scream relentlessly and unfortunately never get ravished by any of the reborn monsters. The idea of modern day Frankensteins in form of prehistoric animals through a sound scientific method (except for the part where they are supposed to have been cloned into the DNA of frogs yet failing...more

A great story that lost appeal when it was turned into a movie with annoying smart-ass Spielbergian kids that scream relentlessly and unfortunately never get ravished by any of the reborn monsters. The idea of modern day Frankensteins in form of prehistoric animals through a sound scientific method (except for the part where they are supposed to have been cloned into the DNA of frogs yet failing to have even the tiniest common trait with them) was brilliant and has been an exciting read. Skip the film until you have read this ode to a wilderness we never encountered.   hide

The first book I ever read, by Crichton. I was 7-8 when the movie came out and despite the fact that it gave me recurring nightmares of raptors til my late teens, I never stopped loving it. When I acquired this book, by chance, at 15, I was mesmerised. Spielberg almost completely missed the point and why, I ask, were the characters so vastly different from the original? Still - I do like...more

The first book I ever read, by Crichton. I was 7-8 when the movie came out and despite the fact that it gave me recurring nightmares of raptors til my late teens, I never stopped loving it. When I acquired this book, by chance, at 15, I was mesmerised. Spielberg almost completely missed the point and why, I ask, were the characters so vastly different from the original? Still - I do like the film, but when I read the book - I enter a world apart. It has little do to with the film, except names and location names, though I imagine these rather differently). Crichton's moulding of science to fit his tales has never ceased to entertain. This will remain one of my favourite books for a long time.   hide

great movie and great book.

The very thought of a dinosaur is scary to most people......Guys read this book and its more than a visual treat........... I read this book a very long time back even before the movie cameout...I now have all the books of micheal crichtonLook at this wonderful idea..... the dna of a dinosaur being extracted from its blood which was sucked by a mosquito which got embedded into solidified lava...more

The very thought of a dinosaur is scary to most people......Guys read this book and its more than a visual treat........... I read this book a very long time back even before the movie cameout...I now have all the books of micheal crichtonLook at this wonderful idea..... the dna of a dinosaur being extracted from its blood which was sucked by a mosquito which got embedded into solidified lava .... sheesh this guy shud be given a noble prize for the very ideaThe way he develops the story is just wonderful.........Looking at the story:The main character John Hammond, decided to test the ability of science by re-creating a dinosaur wonderland on a little island called Isle Nebular.To do this Hammond would need the smarts of a dozen scientists, but there was one particular scientist who was mentioned in the book because of his achievements at the park.Wu was his name. Wu made a lot of dinosaurs like two T-Rexs,Hypsilophodontids, and of course Dilophosaurs.These dinosaurs were made by things ranging from frozen embryos, DNA, and mosquitoes; the island was inhabited by different kinds of species. Five years later around 1985 when the attraction was ready to open to the public around 1985Dr. Grant, Ellie, mathematician Ian Malcolm, Lexie, and her older brother Tim are all heading to Isle Nebular at the requests of Hammond when something unexpected happens. The lives of all of the people who set foot on this magical island are soon in danger.The inhabitants of the island have to fight to survive this roller coaster ride of their lives. I would give this book a rating of 10 because of the way Michael Crichton leaves you guessing about what will happen next and leaving you at the edge of your seat.In the book, theres a tragedy that isn’t in the movie. I think that Michael Crichton did a wonderful job on this book that I would recommend this book to everyone of all ages.   hide

Not a bad book, but not a great one, either. It was a cross between a scientific textbook and a run-of-the-mill action story. Some of the scientific explanations were a bit long-winded and after about 60%-70% of my way through the book, I just wanted it to end. I never really cared for any of the characters and a couple of them really annoyed me. While not as hokey...more

Not a bad book, but not a great one, either. It was a cross between a scientific textbook and a run-of-the-mill action story. Some of the scientific explanations were a bit long-winded and after about 60%-70% of my way through the book, I just wanted it to end. I never really cared for any of the characters and a couple of them really annoyed me. While not as hokey as the movie, it certainly had its instances of. Put this in the category of "something to read" and not much more.   hide

It is inevitable that some people are going to get the film and the book the wrong way round but I absolutely love this book and see it completely separate from the film, mainly because the characters are so wildly different. Tim, the older brother watching out for his baseball-obsessed little sister, Alan Grant, bearded and curious; and other characters who are strong, interesting and complex,...more

It is inevitable that some people are going to get the film and the book the wrong way round but I absolutely love this book and see it completely separate from the film, mainly because the characters are so wildly different. Tim, the older brother watching out for his baseball-obsessed little sister, Alan Grant, bearded and curious; and other characters who are strong, interesting and complex, and yet Spielberg didn't feel them worth a mention in his 1993 dinosaur version of ET. Don't get me wrong, i love the film (especially at parties where you take a drink whenever Alan Grant looks serious) but the book really has an eye for detail, with a good build up, a pulse-rate middle and a satisfying wrap up that doesn't involve a happy ever after. Is is very "of-its-time" which means that it was written when scientists were taking the view point that a) anything was possible and b) it could be a marketable comodity. The essential message of the abuse of power is a good one and soundly produced. Also, Crichton has a way of mumbling like he knows what he's doing (ever sat through an episode of ER and gone "yeah, mate, that's exactly what i was gonna say (!)"?) I love this book because it is an easy and enjoyable read. Even in 2007, with our "great leap forwards" in technology it still sits well. For me, it will never get old.   hide

The 1993 Film Jurassic Park is one of my favorite films, so I thought I'd read the novel since most people rave that books are better than their movie adaptations. Perhaps it's because I've seen the movie 15-20 times, but I definitely enjoyed the movie more. The differences between the book and the movie were quite significant, although the story itself is mostly the same. The biggest...more

The 1993 Film Jurassic Park is one of my favorite films, so I thought I'd read the novel since most people rave that books are better than their movie adaptations. Perhaps it's because I've seen the movie 15-20 times, but I definitely enjoyed the movie more. The differences between the book and the movie were quite significant, although the story itself is mostly the same. The biggest differences I noted from the book was that the character of John Hammond was totally different than in the movie. I had difficulty when reading the book separating the movie from the book and I kept visualizing Sam Neill in the role of Alan Grant, even though the description of Dr. Grant looks nothing like Sam Neill. Throughout reading the book (and continuing to think that the movie was better) I kept wondering what my opinion of both would be if I had read the book first. I liked this book, but I loved the movie. Perhaps if I had read the book first I might feel the opposite.   hide

Crichton's book is a thrilling page turner that is a lot darker and intense then Spielberg's kid friendly blockbuster version. In fact, all three Jurassic Park movies lift scenes from this book and leave the intensity behind in most cases. Obviously the book provides a lot more detail then the movie had time for, thought I will admit by the last third Ian Malcolm's rants got tiresome. All in all...more

Crichton's book is a thrilling page turner that is a lot darker and intense then Spielberg's kid friendly blockbuster version. In fact, all three Jurassic Park movies lift scenes from this book and leave the intensity behind in most cases. Obviously the book provides a lot more detail then the movie had time for, thought I will admit by the last third Ian Malcolm's rants got tiresome. All in all a very entertaining read and I probably would not have enjoyed the movie nearly enough had I read it first.   hide

I read this book before the movie came out, and both were incredible. Of course, like most novels-made-into-movies-cases, there are scenes aplenty that got left out visually that are more than exciting to read about. The book keeps you on the edge of your seat for sure. I also recommend anything else by Crichton, in particular Congo, Eaters of the Dead, Sphere and Prey. He is incredibly smart and...more

I read this book before the movie came out, and both were incredible. Of course, like most novels-made-into-movies-cases, there are scenes aplenty that got left out visually that are more than exciting to read about. The book keeps you on the edge of your seat for sure. I also recommend anything else by Crichton, in particular Congo, Eaters of the Dead, Sphere and Prey. He is incredibly smart and lays out the basis of his story in great detail so as to make it very believable (the man did get his MD from Harvard after all!). I can't say enough for this author, so go out and pick up a book!   hide