By Morganne Guhl
Jurassic Park, a movie famously directed by Steven Spielberg, was originally a brilliant book written by Michael Crichton and well worth a read.
Surprisingly, the film and book share very little in common. Some might dismiss reading the book a movie is based on as repetitive; this is not true for Jurassic Park—the premise of genetically engineered dinosaurs running amok on an island, but little else.
Set in 1989, the book begins with the collapse of the generic research company InGen, then takes the reader on the journey which leads to the bankrupts of the company and the threat of unchecked genetic research through the eyes have several characters who become trapped on Isla Nublar.
Many of the characters won’t be recognizable to viewers of the movie. Ian Malcolm and Ellie Sattler are closest across both mediums. However, one character’s fate is quite different compared to the movie. A film viewer reading the book will be shocked by the character of John Hammond, portrayed as a Walt Disney-like figure in the film. The original version of the character could not be more different. Setup as the novel’s main antagonist and as a symbol of overall corporate carelessness and greed, you won’t be able to look at the movie Hammond the same way again.
Ultimately, while vastly different than the movie, the book allows the reader to return to Jurassic Park and experience a new adventure on Isla Nublar.