The Lost World

Review ebook The Lost World

I find a lot of people discuss the “resurrection” of Ian Malcolm in their reviews, and I’d like to throw in my two cents. It’s true, Malcolm is mentioned as dead at the end of Jurassic Park. To be exact, Muldoon is telling Grant what’s happened to everyone else as they’re flying away in the helicopter:
“What about Malcolm?” Grant said.
Muldoon shook his head.
The epilogue mentions the Costa Rican government not permitting the burial of John Hammond or Ian Malcolm (amongst a list of other ways the I find a lot of people discuss the “resurrection” of Ian Malcolm in their reviews, and I’d like to throw in my two cents. It’s true, Malcolm is mentioned as dead at the end of Jurassic Park. To be exact, Muldoon is telling Grant what’s happened to everyone else as they’re flying away in the helicopter:
“What about Malcolm?” Grant said.
Muldoon shook his head.
The epilogue mentions the Costa Rican government not permitting the burial of John Hammond or Ian Malcolm (amongst a list of other ways they dragged their feet and covered things up). But that’s it.

My point is this: it’s not as if Crichton tricked us by delivering a long death scene where Ian Malcolm said his last goodbyes and made some final point about evolution and chaos theory – then got lazy and just reintroduced Malcolm into the next book. Malcolm’s “death” in JP was not seen, and only vaguely mentioned (unlike every other major character who died in the book). Also, the explanation given in The Lost World as to why the others thought he was dead was completely plausible – he was simply so close to death that he was left for dead.

I’ll get off of my soapbox now. For me, The Lost World was a satisfying and exciting read. I think I read it in about a day and a half the first time, and I’ve re-read it a few times since. …more