Congo by Michael Crichton Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $0.11 You Save: $7.88 (99%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Congo
Book Review: Jungle of Facts
Summary: 4 Stars
The author did lots of research to produce this great work. Lots of facts. I like that, but TOO MANY. When reading, sometimes I would say things in my head, like "Get on with the story already!" All those years, names, and events were interesting stuff, but I wanted to read about the "actual story" more.
I've learned more than I wanted about gorillas in this book. Brief education of animal behaviors and visualizaion of what jungles are like combined with actions and advantures. Not bad! I enjoyed reading it.
"Peter tickle Amy." :)
Book Review: Lasers, satellites, laptops... 1979?
Summary: 3 Stars
I just want to say four short things about this book.
Firstly, I loved all the information from the author's references. Obviously, he did a lot of research for the book. It was very detailed, informative and applicable to the story. If the non-fiction part of a piction book is better than the fiction, it often spells trouble ahead.
Secondly, this being my first Crichton novel, I can't base a review compared to his other books. Perhaps he writes like this for all his books. Regardless, it's either I like it or I don't.
Thirdly, I kept asking myself why the story took place in 1979. The technology presented throughout the book was too far advanced for the same year. Why didn't the author just set the story 10-20 years in the near-future?
Lastly, the technology was the first part of the book I based the implausibility (or far-fetchedness) for the rest of the story. It was when the story gets into gorillas, temples, volcanoes, diamonds and ancient culture that I became distanced from the plot. By the end of the book, I was expecting anything spectacular to happen and just wanted it to end.
Book Review: Michael's Best Book
Summary: 5 Stars
Having read all of Michael Crighton's work, Congo in my opinion is his best. Please do not compare Congo the book with Congo the movie - which was a hideous interpretation at best. I'm still scratching my head over Mr. Crighton's approval on that particular screenplay. The book is simply wonderful.Book Review: Monkey Business
Summary: 4 Stars
Diamonds have held man's fascination from antiquity. Though its brilliance and hardness are widely known, its electrical properties are not. Michael Crichton uses a quest for blue diamonds to unleash an action-packed piece.
In Crichton's Congo, Earth Resources Technology Services, sends an expedition team to search for elusive diamonds in a war-torn and ape-infested central Africa. This first team ends up dead, and another is sent to reprise the mission.
Karen Ross, a computer programmer; Peter Eliott, a primatologist; Amy, a gorilla; and Munro, a mercenary non grata, make the trip into the jungle, hoping to defeat a similar conquest by a rival consortium. When Ross reaches the mysterious Zinj and meets the custodians of this lost city, she realizes that though diamonds are a woman's best friend, with some friend's there are no need for enemies.
This is a suspense-filled novel with a tight plot driven by science. Crichton cannot be accused of shoddy research. Congo is replete with technical jargon and scientific explanations, ranging from Primatology and Language Functions to Computer Programming and animal mistreatment. His digression on laboratory animals was enlightening (I was introduced to 'Taxonomic discrimination'); RSPCA and ASPCA closely resemble the modern-day PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
In some respect, the science is a bit ambitious and dated, nonetheless, this is a book worth reading with a movie worth watching.
Book Review: Not Free SF Reader
Summary: 3 Stars
Backup Lost City expedition, with gorilla.
An archaeological and exploitative expedition gets wiped out, and the company this happened to wants to find out why. A young primate expert and her star pupil: a rather intelligent gorilla included, they take what they hope are enough high tech toys for them to survive their monster encounter.
An ordinary sort of scary adventure story, really.
2.5 out of 5