“Jurassic Park” was my first Michael Crichton book. I had heard somewhere that he was a writer like Tom Clancy who would spend pages and pages dwelling on technical details while neglecting the story. I went in without expectations.
Crichton is a writer of the best quality. Not only does he weave an interesting story with complicated, relatable characters, he also explains and educates things to the reader in an entertaining way.
The book is a lot like the movie, but many things are different as well. They are both excellent, and each make use of their strengths to tell a story. There are many wonderful things that are in the book that didn’t make it to the movie, and vice versa. The two cannot be compared.
Amid the science, Crichton has planted a true gem of a fantastic story. The idea is very well handled, implications understood and conveyed, and the book even ends of a mystery (thank goodness he wrote a sequel).

4.5 Characters
All of the characters in the book felt like living, three-dimensional people. In particular, the character of Ian Malcolm is one of pure genius. I relished every time he spoke. The little girl is so annoying I hoped someone would feed her to the dinosaurs, but provoking that kind of reaction is probably what the writer wanted.

4 Pace
“Jurassic Park” is a rollercoaster ride. It’s a pretty big book, but it went by very fast. I was never bored, and Malcolm’s speeches made the book so much more interesting rather than bogging it down.

4 Story
To me, modern dinosaurs is an original idea. Crichton’s method of trapping everyone on an island, with few weapons, is clever and interesting. The only thing that I was never really interested in was the subplot/time limit of the velociraptors on the ship heading for the mainland. Also, I did not like the violence directed toward newborn infants in the beginning. Things like that bug me.

4.5 Dialogue
All of the dialogue in the book is good and realistic. It is Malcolm’s speeches that win an extra point. They are nothing short of genius, all while illustrating his wonderful character at the same time.

4 Style/Technical
I like that Crichton is fearless in printing computer code and output screens in the text of his novel. It is inventive and makes a reader feel as though everything has really happened. He is otherwise clear and concise. I was never confused.

4.2 Overall
“Jurassic Park” was amazing to read. The pace was fast, the characters were interesting, and the story was fun. In terms of characters and dialogue though, special attention must be given to Dr. Ian Malcolm. He is a rare character in any fiction, and one of the best and most entertaining I have ever read. I look forward to reading about his continuing exploits in “The Lost World”.