Book Review |
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The Lost World |
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This book has been made into a film at least four times and I don't think any of them has been true to the original story! They all seem to have unnecessary changes which spoil it a lot. The story begins as a young reporter seeks to win the heart of the woman he loves. However, she will not marry him because she promised herself that she would marry a brave and wonderful man - the explorer type who will boldly go where no man has been before, cheat death and laugh in the face of danger (if she was trying to do this today then she would have to get someone who was going to mars). Edward Malone - the reporter - then proposes that he will take the first opportunity he gets to adventure, little does he know what this will be... Malone joins a group of people who set out to test the infamous "Professor Challenger"'s statement telling of a high-up and sheer-sided plateau where evolution had dramatically slowed, and dinosaurs, Indians and anthropoid apes all live together. The party consits of four men. Mr Malone the reporter, Lord John Roxton - a renowned hero and marksman, Professor Challenger - the zoo-oligist whose statement is being tried and finally, Professor Summerlee another zoo-oligist who is the main person to be challenging Challenger's statement. Because of his desire to show his love, Mr Malone is taken through a fast-moving and perilous mission where survival is a daily struggle and if you can't put up a fight then it's game over. I think my favourite character was Professor Challenger because of his cocky and vain attitude which runs alongside with his short temper, blustering personaility and immense profile (almost as big as his ego). He is not what I think of when I think of scientists. His character is portrayed in great detail and you get the impression that maybe Mr Conan Doyle is fond of this character too. The story is written from Malone's point of view in the first person and all the characters are well defined but none more so than Challenger. He leaves a lasting impression - a sort of huge Bison of the scientific world. What I liked about this book is that most, if not all, of the ideas could have been true then. When this book was written, a lot of South America was uncharted, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle makes it seem perfectly possible that there was this one, hidden away plateau where the impossible is proved to be possible... Iestyn Evans April 2002 |
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