How-do Peeps!
If somehow you missed the dozens of times I mentioned Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom this year, you may not know what a huge fan I am of all things dinosaur.
Most people will know the first 2 films in the franchise are based on Michael Crichton’s novels.
If you know me at all, you’ll know I love to read as much as I love dinosaurs….so it may surprise you to learn that I’ve not read the JP books until now. (Yay for birthday presents!)
I don’t usually read modern fiction…I say ‘modern’ I mean anything past the 1920’s…Anne of Green Gables is literally the most recent fiction on my Kindle. Several people I have discussed JWFK with have suggested I read the books to compare with the first 2 films.
If you haven’t read my review of Fallen Kingdom, you can find it here.
I started reading Jurassic Park on Monday (currently on page 142) and wanted to give my first impressions:
It opens with the scene that begins the second movie (which made me check I was reading the right book). There are so many similarities but also a few poignant differences between the book and film, which (dare I say it) make the book even better! Fun to compare both anyway.
It is a lot more graphic in the details of attacks than the films (that’s true throughout, not just in the opening scene) and certainly wouldn’t be a family film if they did an exact copy of the book… interestingly, I explained the ‘realistic medical gore’ as being like ‘The Impossible’ the movie of which was directed by Bayona who just did JWFK….anyhoo, it had me gripped from the start.
Some of the character descriptions don’t line up with the films at all, but the mental characteristics are spot on. Try as I might, I cannot separate Ian Malcolm’s words or character from the gorgeous Jeff Goldblum and that is how the scene plays out in my head as I read. (I make no apologies for that…it’s Jeff Goldblum!!)
The thing that impressed me most about the book is Michael Crichton’s impressive knowledge; to have characters who talk about non-linear equations and the four bases of DNA, you have to know a little about them yourself….. in fact, the more I read the novel, the more I want to read his others and even a biography of his life (anyone know if there is one??) I bet the guy would be fascinating to talk to…far beyond the fact that he’s the author of such a popular series.
I’m glad I didn’t read it as a 9-year-old (when the first movie came out) because a) I wouldn’t have understood all the maths and biology in it, and b) because I was a wimp and the book is far more intense than the film.
If you are over 12 and love science/maths/sci-fi (even if you don’t usually read novels) you must try these…you won’t be able to put them down!
So I’m off to read the most recent fiction I own!
Laters Peeps!
Anna x
A Peace of Life 
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