The Lost World
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4.4 • 374 Ratings
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Publisher Description
An Apple Books Classic edition.
Both Pompeii and Petra were excavated in the 1800s, and as explorers were searching for (and finding) more mysterious ancient cities, authors were finding new inspiration. Among them was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, already famous for his Sherlock Holmes mysteries. In 1912, he published The Lost World, branching out into the popular genre of adventure fiction and crafting a story that will appeal to fans of Jurassic Park.
Ned Malone is a reporter who’s just been told by the love of his life that she wants a man who embraces danger. And so, he does what any man would do: He gathers a crew and sets off on an expedition with a professor who claims to have discovered living dinosaurs. What follows is a suspenseful story with hints of science fiction and Conan Doyle’s flair for mystery. After landing on a South American island untouched by time, the crew faces a betrayal that leaves them stranded amid terrifying dangers. Will they escape—and do they ever find dinosaurs? We’re not telling. You’ll just have to read the book.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 1912, Doyle took his Victorian readers deep into the South American jungles where, high atop a treacherous plateau, a small band of British explorers encountered a terrifying world of prehistoric creatures long thought lost to the sands of time. The adventurers included a young newspaper reporter, Ed Malone; the swashbuckling aristocrat, Lord Roxton; the skeptical scientist, Professor Summerlee; and the brilliant and bombastic Professor Challenger, who leads the party. Doyle unfolds high adventure at its best with fantastic encounters with pterodactyls, stegosaurs and cunning ape -men. Glen McCready's performance captures the time and tone of Doyle's material perfectly without straying into melodrama. He nicely balances Malone's sense of youthful wonder with the professors' scientific pragmatism, while fully exploiting the humor spread strategically throughout, planting numerous chuckles among the thrills. McCready's entertaining reading more than fulfills the author's introductory wish to "give one hour of joy to the boy who's half a man, or the man who's half a boy."
Customer Reviews
A great read despite being marred by colonialism.
An interesting read, good content. Strong colonial vibes and language.
Adventure, Romance, Action, Intrigue.
Novels from the late 18th century, to the early 19th century have always fascinated me. The style if writing, is almost rhythmic in it's flow. These novels, remind me of a time, when the English language was actually used. People wrote, as they spoke and I fear that this eloquence is lost in many 21st century novels. When I read novels like THE LOST WORLD or THE ISLAND OF DR.MOREAU, I realize that we, as modern readers and writers, have evolved, yet have devolved linguistically. I would like to see a writer capture the romance of these novels, with vistas of Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Somalia and other dangerous and exotic locals, as the backdrop for new adventures. In the immortal words of professor Challenger "vestigia nulla retrorsum. Never look rearwards, but always to our glorious goal."
Conan Doyle Magic
Marvellously written, the author keeps such an extraordinary reality alive every moment for page after page. The character development is marvellous, showing tenaciousness, humour, bravery and a vibrant quality to the book that captures and holds the reader.