Congo

Crichton is a master in making the implausible feel utterly real. The assertiveness in his writing layers the novel with scientific, technological and anthropological knowledge so convincingly that even its most far-fetched elements carry the weight of fact. Some may feel deterred by his spewing of explanations mid action but me? I find it engrossing. And the best of it all os the fact that his writing genius doesn’t stop at that. There’s tension built and the action scenes are expertly paced, with tense sequences that glue you to every page. I couldn’t believe how fresh the novel still feels: despite being written nearly 50 years ago, its themes—corporate greed, technological ambition, ethical blindness—remain sharply relevant. Congo isn’t just an adventure tecno-thriller; it’s a reminder of how informed, decisive storytelling can make imagination feel prophetic.

"Congo" is the second book that I've read by Michael Crichton. The first being "Timeline." It's been quite a few years since I first read that book and I remember enjoying it very much. I failed to see the movie for it and really don't care to, especially now. When the film version of "Congo" hit the screens a few years ago, I enjoyed it thoroughly. It reminded me of all the old jungle flicks from the golden age of cinema. However, now having read the book, I feel somewhat cheated by its celluloid counterpart. This book is so much more engaging that it really is a shame how the movie fails to do it justice. While the core of the story, a team is sent out to find diamonds key to technological advances and they use a young grad student and his signing gorilla as cover to sneak into Africa, is still there, the book contains elements not even mentioned in the film. We get to know the expedition party a lot better in the book. We also have a lot more conflicts and meetings with the locals such as Pygmies, Kigani, and General Muguru and his men. Also, the gray gorillas are given a nice and complete treatment. I felt like I knew them better in this book than most of the human characters in the film. The film added quite a few things. For one, the gorilla, Amy, doesn't wander around in a boxy sign translator. Only Peter Elliot joins the group's escapade to the Congo, not his assistant as in the movie. The grisly death of the first team is found in the movie, but the book mentions nothing of Dr. Karen Ross having any type of relationship with one of the original team's members. In fact, she comes across as very frigid and uninterested in finding a boyfriend in the jungle. Tim Curry's character, while funny in the film, is non-existent here. The book moves at a very quick pace. Even when Crichton goes off on a class lecture about gorilla behavior or the advanced (for 1980) state of communications, he still manages to hold the reader's attention. Overall, this is a wonderful jungle thriller. If you enjoy authors such as Clive Cussler, you're sure to enjoy Crichton. His writing is intelligent, fun, and easy to digest even though it's full of factual information that, in textbook form, would be wretchedly boring. Highly recommended.

Outstanding as to be expected! Twists and turns merge to create a smooth great story from several adhesive mini adventures. Difficult to put this book down!

Congo begins with an exciting premise - a team brutally murdered in the Congo by something. The central characters are well established and Amy especially is wonderful to read. However, as the book progressed I found myself reading in anticipation and then failing to ever find what I wanted. There are times where the writing is shallow, and the story ends without any real surprise, in a largely disappointing way. This would be a two-star review if it weren't for Crichton's immaculate research and writing on gorillas, and, most importantly, the interactions between Peter Elliot and Amy, which are a joy to read.

Though the language is a little dated at times (eg: saying Orientals for Asians) that doesn’t diminish the narrative at all. The story revolves around a young female gorilla named Amy who’d been brought to a lab as an infant after her mother was killed in the wild. Amy was taught to use sign language by Peter, a researcher, and could “speak” fluently. An expedition was formed to locate the ruins of an ancient city in the Congo rain forest and Amy and Peter were brought along. Different members of the expedition had various agendas for participating - scientific, exploratory, political, and good old fashioned financial - and were often at odds with each other. Ultimately the group finds much more than they anticipated. It’s a gripping read with exciting elements and unexpected twists that kept me fully mesmerized.

Most of Crichton’s books hold up as time rolls on not so much Congo. It’s a fun story but science is too dated.

I just got done reading the book and i have never read a book by Michael Crichton. I really enjoyed the movie when I was little and thought hey why not try the book because the book is usually better than the movie. it is definitely better than the movie. I have no complains about the book. the only bad thing i will say is that the end let me down a bit and seemed a bit rushed but over all the book was awesome. It kept me coming back and wanting to know what happened next and it actually had some really cool facts in it as well. im now reading Jurassic Park and am loving it. really glad my friend told me about him and his books. if you're looking for a cheap book and a good story i would definitely get it. hope this helps

to me it's always the same with Michael Chrichton's books: I just can't lay the book away and am always in danger of missing my train station. A few years old, the technical equipment described in the book seems a litte outdated, but the topics like finding diamonds in Afrika, African politics and the evolution of apes and men are still prevailing.

One of the best book I have read. Fast paced and gripping

Ottimo volume, tascabile e ben scritto. Per chi non mastica inglese può risultare fattibile la lettura accompagnata da una storia interessante

Crichton sait raconter des histoires, c'est indéniable. Le petit côté "document authentique", histoire vraie, est assez sympathique. On apprend des choses, sans même s'en rendre compte. L'intrigue en elle-même est assez simple, mais les scènes d'action sont vraiment appréciables, on ne s'ennuie jamais.

Not sure why it took me so long to read this novel of which I was already aware! This is easily one of my favourite books now! - Jungle... Tick! - Adventure... Tick! - Mystery... Tick! - Science and Technology and the issues with them when unrestrained... Tick! It was a very educational book as well. A bit like Jurassic Park, lots of adventure and action, but with lot of food for thought!