If it ain't broke, don't fix it! (The Lost World - Michael Crichton)

Name: Karaoke_James

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Product:	The Lost World - Michael Crichton
Date:	16/04/01 (89 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some great action set-pieces

Disadvantages: Doesn't offer a lot new

If I were rating this book on originality, I would give it zero out of five. The story offers us another island, another investigative group of scientists and another load of slavering dinosaurs on the loose. In short, it is practically a complete rerun of 'Jurassic Park'!

The 'other' island in question is 'Site B', the actual breeding ground for the dinosaurs that populated Jurassic Park. The chaos mathematician Ian Malcolm (the character played by Jeff Goldblum in the film 'Jurassic Park') states that he always believed in the possibility of the existence of such a place - he felt the births that were witnessed on the original island were all too perfect. Not that you're fooling me Mr. Crichton!

And come to the think of it, there was more than a strong suggestion at the end of the first book that Malcolm died! More evidence (if any were needed in the first place) to make you doubt whether this novel would ever have got written if the preceding novel had not made into such a hugely successful film.

The rather thin plot pits two rival groups of scientists against each other as they both pay visits to this island - the good guys are there for investigative purposes, the baddies for commercial gain. We follow the actions of both parties as they explore various parts of the island, their paths crossing occasionally. A very useful map of 'Site B' is supplied at the beginning of the book, which makes it easier to track the progress of various individuals. There are also some interesting illustrations, which allow us to put faces to the names of some of the dinosaurs we might not have heard of.

Judged on its own merits, 'The Lost world' is a very entertaining read - the pages just fly by. Crichton spends relatively little time on setting the scene (he doesn't need to of course - most of this was done in the first novel!) and it doesn't take long for the action on the island to
begin.

There are some truly heart-stopping action sequences. I particularly liked the bloodthirsty scene when the bad guys attempt to steal eggs from a T-Rex nest. Crichton keeps everything fast moving throughout, writing in very brief chapters, constantly shifting the focus from one area of the island to the next.

Despite my complaints about its lack of originality, I still recommend this book. It is just a pity that that it constantly reads as a 'novel-written-specifically-to-be-made-into-a- movie' rather than a straightforward novel!

Summary: