Jurassic Park

By Michael Crichton

[On a remote jungle island, genetic engineers have

created a dinosaur game park.

An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning

dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now one of

mankind's most thrilling fantasies has come true

and the first dinosaurs that the Earth has seen in

the time of man emerge.

But there is a dark side to the fantasy. And after a

catastrophe destroys the park's defence systems,

the scientists and tourists are left fighting

for survival...]

I can't believe I didn't know this was a novel and by Michael Crichton too! (my love for E.R. is unreal❤)

Although a few details were a bit different from the film (I know this came first, way first, but can't blame a girl when the film is amazing?!), it was mostly all the same up until the T-Rex attack. Then it changed, a lot. Some details in the latter half did match up to the film plot line again though - the crucial scenes which was all that mattered!

It was definitely a lot more in depth scientifically and mathematically, which at times were difficult to follow (but I don't know whether that's because I insisted on reading it in an office full of people and late at night when my eyes could barely stay open). I loved how it switched back and forth between the control room and the park - it really gave us an overall view of the story unfolding, bits we didn't get to see or were skimmed over in the film.

I adore Alan Grant's character. He manages to stay mostly the same - although he loves kids in this version (felt the film version was slightly better, although maybe it's because I've grown accustomed to him and his grumpy ways with the kids!) Lex was a younger child, younger than Tim which was different - so she obviously wasn't a hacker that could save the day at the end. Tim came across as a lot more mature and shared a great deal of interests with Alan which was sweet. Ellie's "relationship" with Alan is explained - finally!! Malcolm is hilarious and very, very mathematical. Hammond is actually vicious and manipulative and nasty, not caring a great deal about his grandkids at all. Nedry we learnt a lot more about and definitely had what was coming to him (the scene in the film where he gets poison shot in his face, yeah, not even the half of it in the book) and Arnold and Muldoon were spot on, or Samuel L. Jackson and Bob Peck were for portraying them!

I did find that, at times, the plot got a little too repetitive - Alan and the kids would be faced with danger, would narrowly avoid it and continue on their paths, etc, etc... I can see why they changed it for the film as it was more dramatic, but I did enjoy the book and I feel we learnt way more about the characters and why they did what they did.

How it ended though, that I was not expecting. Two characters DIE. And then they just sort of skirt around it and trail off for the ending leaving you wanting more but not sure if there is going to be any more on that subject. Needless to say, the second one is in my grasp and I will find out what more it can tell me!

Absolutely brilliant.

☽