[Book Review] Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

By now I’m sure you’ve heard about Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. With a very popular film adaptation, a section of theme park at Disney, and a slew of awesome bookish and film-related merch, Jurassic Park is an amazing tale of a theme park gone very very wrong.

When I heard that there was a readathon going on in September as hosted by tonyshorrorcorner and charmandareads, I signed up immediately! To follow along, check out the hashtag on Instagram for #lifefindsawayin2020.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Crichton is my favorite author so I could just rave about his style for days! If I had to pick a top five favorite elements, I would list; the suspense he creates, the quick moments of terror, the character development, how he handles the science, and just the overall flow and pacing of his stories.

For the science specifically, I love how he keeps it pretty high level so we don’t get too bogged down in the details.

From the characters that we focus on in this novel, I love that each character all have such different types of expertise that they bring to the table! This sets up a wonderful dynamic for the group already, but then add in personality traits and we’re really off and running!

The horror is MUCH stronger in the book when comparing it to the movie, and of course, I’m a big fan of that! The overall darkness and terror in every stressful scene is written so wonderfully. One of my favorite scenes is when they realize the fences are no longer electrified.

From cover to cover, this is just an amazing read!

My Favorite Passages from Jurassic Park

The infant lay in a wicker bassinet, swaddled in a light blanket, only it’s face exposed. Around the rim of the bassinet, three dark-green lizards crouched like gargoyles. 

Isla Nublar, Hammond explained, was not a true island. Rather, it was a seamount, A volcanic upthrusting of rock from the ocean floor. “It’s volcanic origins can be seen all over the island,“ Hammond said. “There are steam vents in many places, and the ground is often hot underfoot. Because of this, and also because of prevailing currents, Isla Nublar lies in a foggy area. As we get there you will see- ah, there we are.” The helicopter rushed forward, low to the water. Ahead Grant saw an island, rugged and craggy, rising sharply from the ocean.
“Christ, it looks like Alcatraz,” Malcolm said. 

Her first thought was that the dinosaur was extraordinarily beautiful. Books portrayed them as oversize, dumpy creatures, but this long-necked animal had a gracefulness, almost a dignity, about its movements. And it was quick – there is nothing lumbering or dull in it’s behavior.

Grant stood on the path on the side of the hill, with the mist on his face, staring at the gray necks craning above the palms. He felt dizzy, as if the ground or sloping away too steeply. He had trouble getting his breath. Because he was looking at something he had never expected to see in his life. Yet he was seeing it.

“Story of our species,” Malcolm said, laughing. “Everybody knows it’s coming, but not so soon.” 

The attack came suddenly, from the left and right. Charging raptors covered the ten yards to the fence with shocking speed. Grant had a blurred impression of powerful, six-foot-tall bodies, stiff balancing tails, limbs with curving claws, open jaws with rows of jagged teeth.
The animals snarled as they came forward, and then leapt bodily into the air, raising their hind legs with their big dagger-claws. Then they struck the fence in front of them, throwing off twin bursts of hot sparks.

“Because the history of evolution is that life escapes all barriers. Life breaks free. Life expands to new territories. Painfully, perhaps even dangerously. But life finds a way.“

And then Tim realized: the tyrannosaur was holding the fence! The fence wasn’t electrified any more! 

Lex shouted, “Timmy!” and he saw the door give way beneath her, and she fell out of the car into the mud, but Tim couldn’t answer, because in the next instant everything swung crazily- he saw the trunks of the palm trees sliding downward past him- moving sideways through the air- he glimpsed the ground very far below- the hot roar of the tyrannosaur- the blazing eye- the tops of the  palm trees- And then, with a metallic scraping shriek, the car fell from the tyrannosaur’s jaws, a sickening fall, and Tim’s stomach heaved in the moment before the world became totally black, and silent. 

In a final gesture of frustration, the big hind leg lifted up and kicked the Land Cruiser over, and Grant felt searing pain and the surprising sensation of his own body flying through the air. It seemed to be happening very slowly, and he had plenty of time to feel the world to turn colder, and watch the ground rush up to strike him in the face.

Scientists are actually preoccupied with accomplishment. So they are focused on whether they can do something. They never stop to ask if they should do something. They conveniently define such considerations as pointless.”

“We’ve had four hundred years of modern science, and we ought to know by now what it’s good for, and what it’s not good for. It’s time for a change.”

My Final Thoughts on Jurassic Park

 This will forever be one of all time favorites! I will definitely be rereading this time and time again. It’s just so perfect!

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Thanks for reading!