Αυτό είναι μόλις το πέμπτο βιβλίο του Άρθουρ Κόναν Ντόιλ που διαβάζω, μετά από τρία μυθιστορήματά του με ήρωα τον φοβερό Σέρλοκ Χολμς, και ένα περιπετειώδες επιστημονικής φαντασίας με τον τίτλο "Η άβυσσος του Μάρακοτ", και δεν έχω παρά να δηλώσω για ακόμα μια φορά ιδιαίτερα ικανοποιημένος και ψυχαγωγημένος. Το είχα να πιάνει σκόνη για πάνω από έξι χρόνια, όμως αυτές τις μέρες έχω όρεξη για περιπετειώδη και ταξιδιάρικα βιβλία, οπότε ήταν μια καλή στιγμή για να το διαβάσω και να το απολαύσω όπως του αξίζει.

Λοιπόν, πρόκειται για ένα από τα πιο χαρακτηριστικά δείγματα μυθιστορημάτων που έχουν να κάνουν με την εξερεύνηση ενός χαμένου κόσμου, σε κάποια απομακρυσμένη μεριά του πλανήτη. Ίσως να μην είναι και από τα πρώτα του είδους, όμως πιθανότατα είναι από τα κορυφαία και από αυτά με τη μεγαλύτερη επίδραση σε μεταγενέστερα μυθιστορήματα, αλλά και σε κινηματογραφικές/τηλεοπτικές ταινίες. Το βιβλίο έχει να προσφέρει όλα τα καλούδια της εποχής και του είδους του, όπως δράση, ωραίες και δυνατές εικόνες, ταξιδιάρικη διάθεση, ευχάριστη και περιπετειώδη ατμόσφαιρα, αλλά και ένα κάποιο στοιχειώδες επιστημονικό υπόβαθρο (όχι και τόσο πειστικό ή λεπτομερές), με βάση πάντα τα διαθέσιμα δεδομένα της εποχής.

Η γραφή είναι πολύ καλή και ευκολοδιάβαστη, με γλαφυρές περιγραφές τοπίων και καταστάσεων, αλλά και με ωραίο χιούμορ σε διάφορα σημεία της ιστορίας. Οι χαρακτήρες έχουν το ενδιαφέρον τους και είναι ακριβώς όπως θα τους περίμενε κανείς, με τον συγγραφέα να έχει διάθεση να κάνει και λίγη πλάκα με τις ιδιορρυθμίες τους (φοβερή μορφή ο καθηγητής Τσάλεντζερ!). Η ιστορία μπορεί να αργεί λιγάκι να πάρει μπρος για τα καλά και η δράση να μην θυμίζει τις μπλοκμπάστερ ταινίες δράσης της εποχής μας, αλλά είναι ένα βιβλίο που ταξιδεύει τον αναγνώστη και τον κάνει να ξεφύγει για λίγο από την πεζή πραγματικότητα.

For how short this book is, it sure took me a long time to get through it. The first half focuses on getting to know the characters and the mystery of if Professor Challenger really found dinos in Brazil. I quite enjoyed the two sessions of professors and students heckling - higher ed meetings are so much more boring in my time period.

The second half, once they find a variety of prehistoric things was interesting and rather exciting at times. I guess I went into this thinking it would be like Jurassic Park but it really isn't. This isn't about a park somewhere where dinos have been recreated, this is people finding that they are still around in an area. The writing is definitely better than Jurassic Park (which was entertaining but laughably bad dialogue) but something about the pacing didn't work for me. Honestly, I haven't found myself to like this author all that much previously.

In the end, wish I hadn't bothered to read it, but it wasn't horrible.

3,5

3.5 Stars
I was so excited to learn that the author of the Sherlock Holmes books also wrote a dinosaur story. This was a science adventure that felt reminiscent of the work of Jules Verne. It starts out slow but gets more interesting when they finally go to the lost world. The book is overly focused on the indigenous people of the land which unfortunately didn't age particularly well. I wish the story had focused on the dinosaurs.

One of the two original, popular "dinosaur" novels.

By Charles van Buren on May 2, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

This review of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's THE LOST WORLD is from the Amazon Classics edition, December 5, 2017. Reviews of this edition also appear at the Amazon listing for a different edition published by Amazon Digital Services, March 30, 2011. Appearing under both lisings are multiple reviews of Michael Crichton's THE LOST WORLD. For instance, of the 35 one star reviews listed on, May 1, 2018, 25 are clearly reviews of the Crichton book. Only 2 are clearly reviews of Doyle's novel.  I have now discovered that my review and many others of Doyle's book appear under at least one of Amazon's listings for Crichton's book.

Doyle's THE LOST WORLD was originally published as a magazine serial in 1912. It was the second story of modern humans meeting dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals to meet with widespread public appreciation. The first was Jules Verne's 1864, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. Doyle's book was followed by Edgar Rice Burroughs' THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, in 1918. Over the following years, Burroughs wrote several more "dinosaur" novels. Doyle, Verne and Burroughs are obviously the main forerunners of Michael Crichton's JURASSIC PARK, books and movies.

Doyle's book has a team of four European explorers trapped on the South American plateau of the lost world. SPOILERS AHEAD: there are dinosaurs chasing humans but not devouring them. With but four explorers, Doyle would have run out of characters. Instead, the book concentrates on the many dangers which confront the explorers, character development, suspense and acrimonious arguments within the scientific community. As one would expect from Arthur Conan Doyle, the novel is well written, but don't expect Sherlock Holmes meets dinosaurs. Several movies and TV programs have been based on the book. Some pretty good and some pretty silly. My favorite is Irwin Allen's 1960 movie with Michael Rennie and Claude Raines. It does not follow the book very closely but Rennie, Raines and Jill St. John make up for a lot of the sometimes silly alterations of the plot.

If it moves, shoot it. If it's standing still, wait until it moves, then shoot it.

A group of Pommies go to a mythical land of wonderful creatures and shoot them. They see a race of ape-men, and shoot most of them too; then bugger off back to England to brag about it.

There's no doubt that Arthur Conan Doyle was a talented writer, but I couldn't help but be a bit pissed off at the condescending vibe that pervades this Victorian Era work. I guess it was just normal for the time. Also, I found the concept of Lord John Roxton, the great white hunter, a bit shocking in these enlightened times. However, there is no denying the fact, that this little novel has inspired more books, movies and TV series, than any other. (Including my favourites, Sid and Marty Krofft's Land of the Lost - gotta love that Cha-ka, Land of the Lost with Will Ferrell, and the Jurassic Park franchise which is still chugging along.)

It was also refreshing to read a book that has correct English usage and spelling. This was my second time reading this, the first being about 45 years ago. I enjoyed it a bit less this time, but my fascination with all-things prehistoric has not waned.

“If in 100 years I am only known as the man who invented Sherlock Holmes then I will have considered my life a failure.” - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This review will contain minor spoilers. Although Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John Watson, Mycroft Holmes, and Professor James Moriarty are Doyle's most known creations, Professor Challenger, the hot-tempered scientist is another character that many readers will be familiar with. This is the first of the Professor Challenger series and the only one that I had read previously. I started reading religiously in 2012 and The Lost World was one of my favourite stories from my pre-review era. I decided to revisit this exuberant and vivacious science heavy adventure tale that features dinosaurs - and I'm truly glad that I did.

This narrative begins with journalist and international rugby player Edward Dunn Malone as he finally tells the love of his life Gladys about the emotions and feelings that he has been harbouring. Unfortunately, it is soon revealed that she doesn't share the sentiments that Malone has been feeling and therefore he remains in the 'friend-zone.' He just isn't exciting enough. She wants an adventurer, essentially so she can bask in the glory of her partner's deeds. As the archetypal example of a member of the friendzone guild, he doesn't even consider thinking that maybe she is a "bad apple" and not the right woman for him. The antithesis is what he thinks. Malone races down to the office of the Daily Gazette and begs his editor for an exciting, dangerous assignment... war correspondence perhaps? His superior states that there is no task more high risk or hazardous for a reporter than to interview the infamous scientist Professor Challenger.

After an eventful and volatile first meeting between the duo, the emotions cool down and Edward ends up sharing a cigarette with the incredibly intelligent, agog, slightly unorthodox and idiosyncratic scientist. I pictured him as being like an early 20th century Brian Blessed with the presented attitude, extravagance, and description. He divulges information about a potential Lost World which he has visited and the last time he was there, although only for a brief period, he shot a pterodactyl and presents the wing to the journalist. As the next few chapters progress it transpires that a team of three very different individuals will attempt to retrace Challenger's steps to visit this plateau that seems to have ignored the laws of science that the rest of the world's environments have adhered to.

In Sherlock Holmes, the brilliant characters take the concepts from being good to often phenomenal. The same is true here. The trio attempting this escapade (which has been mostly ridiculed by the science community as nothing but fancy and absurd), are Malone, adventurer, and Amazon exploration expert Lord John Roxton, and Challenger disparager and rival Professor Summerlee. They also have Zambo who is described as a "negro Hercules" and he acts as their Amazonian guide.

The beginning of the novel runs at a steady pace as the characters are introduced, foundations are set and the plan is set in motion. It really gets going when the ensemble reaches the infamous plateau. If I had to summarise this tale in a few words it would be "a gripping and rip-roaring adventure." It features suspense, betrayals, surprising revelations, horror, and elements of mystery. Add into the mix a plethora of dinosaurs including Iguanadons, Allosaurus' Plesiosaurus' amongst many other assumed extinct species. Doyle must have done an immense amount of research for The Lost World regarding the science of the Jurassic period and also of his current day. Throughout, the story never comes across as if it was a dull science text. Complex discussions about plants, creatures, and the environment are often humorous as Professor Challenger and Professor Summerlee debate the facts - very rarely agreeing with each other's hypothesis. The players also end up in the middle of a war fought between ape-people and the indigenous tribes of this raised island. The novel also features amazing set pieces that appear as bewildering yet exhilarating for the characters to behold as they were for me to read. There is always the nagging doubt in the back of the ensemble's minds about how on earth they are going to escape the plateau and if they are sitting on one of science's greatest ever discoveries that the world will be oblivious to if they don't succeed and return to London.

"But surely no man had just such a day since the world began."

Simply put, this is one of my favourite stories from when I started reading properly. It will always have a special place in my heart and I'm sure I'll read it again in another seven years. An absolute classic.

James Tivendale

Obviously, The Lost World is not a very ambitious novel in the literary sense (basically an adventure story with dinosaurs), but the writing is quite engaging and at times wonderfully funny. The plot is silly at times but it makes the over the top protagonists even more hilarious. The subplot doesn't work as well, but more about that later. I think some people miss the humour in this one. I think the 'heroes' are supposed to do stupid things and we are supposed to make fun of them for it. The reporter who tells the story is supposed to be a bit stupid (so no wonder he goes exploring in the night when dinosaurs are hunting), the hunter/sportsman/adventurer Lord John is supposed to be over the top (in a cheesy way but it makes sense in the context of the plot) and professor Challenger well he is supposed to be an insufferable intellectual. The way author makes fun of the professor Challenger and academia is hilarious. Sure, the science in this novel isn't strong in this novel but the story itself is imaginative enough to be interesting and quite fresh for its time. This is the kind of novel that isn't supposed to be taken too seriously.

As expected from an adventure novel written more than a hundred years ago, there are hardly any women characters in this novel. No surprises there. I wouldn't call this book sexist, though. Yes, professor Challenger is not nice to his wife but he is not nice to anyone but himself- he is not supposed to be likable. The journalist's love interest is perhaps only there to serve to plot. At any rate, I didn't see her as a developed character and I didn't form any opinion of her. I wasn't expecting any female characters in an adventure story published in 1912, so I cannot say I was disappointed.

The only real issue I have with this novel is the 'missing link' subplot. The rest of the novel makes sense (even if it is a bit cheesy and predictable), but the 'missing link' part just doesn't. The way the author describes the ape people (if we can call them that) is inconsistent. They are supposed to be the missing link between apes and humans but it seems that Doyle couldn't make up his mind how evolved are they. The result is a mess. First they are described and portrayed as animals, then more as twisted humans (basically a bloodthirsty tribe) and suddenly as a treat to Indians and European 'heroes'. That part of the subplot didn't make any sense to me and it if it was supposed to be a metaphor, I didn't get it. Perhaps it would have been better if Doyle had left the whole 'missing link' creatures out of this novel. It somewhat ruined the novel for me. So, yes basically that's what bothered me the most. The while missing link business. If not omitted, it could have been better written for sure.

As for possible racism of this novel, that can be debated as people often find what they are looking for. While it is true that one sentence is definitely offensive (when the narrator describes a black man as being 'an intelligent as a horse') that's the narrator character and not the writer talking. They are clearly not the same person. One would need more arguments to pin that on the writer and the novel. Maybe some valid arguments exist, but you cannot judge a book on a basis of one sentence taken out of the context. The narrator (journalist character) in the novel is often described as not being bright, so his insult doesn't carry that much weight does it? It could be ironic. Doyle often used contrasting to make fun of his principal characters. Moreover, it can be noted that the Indians and the one African American man are often voices of reason and their actions more reasonable than those of European 'heroes'.

Was this book really racist? Does it put forward the idea that Caucasians are somehow better? I can't say that I got that impression, apart from the 'missing link' subplot that doesn't make much sense so I don't know what to make of that. Perhaps that part can be read as racist, if you insist on that reading but it is far from clear. As far as I noticed, the author makes fun of his 'heroes' so they are not exactly put on pedestal, are they? Who saves them in the end? Right! So, it is not like they have done it all on their own, they had lots of help (and a lot of luck). Plus, this novel isn't exactly very serious, is it? It is an adventure story that doesn't seem to push any definite views. On the other hand, as far as I remember, biracial people were indeed described in a rather negative way (the slave owner, the brother of the slave owner and so on). However, wasn't it also implied that it was the Latin in them that was their downfall? So, wasn't that the critique of Latin and not Indian blood in them? I'm not sure what to make of all that either. It's not as simple as it may look.

All in all, I'm glad I finally got around to reading this book. The Lost World was and still is (in many ways) an influential book, important for understanding the whole dinosaur in entertainment phenomena. I can see why many find this novel appealing. I can also understand why many don't. As for myself, I think I might read the sequel.

"Just 'cause the Postman ain't been bit lately don't mean the dog forgot how to bite." (B.E.Anthony)

In other words, "just because the book is old, doesn't mean it's not a good read." (Me)

In fact, I'll go a step further and point out that victorian and early 20th century writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs and Arthur Conan Doyle were able to do what famed writers like Micheal Crieghton struggled to do, that is overlay a science based fantasy world atop the mundane and theoretically understandable real world without loosing the knack of telling a really great story.

There are parts of Jurrasic Park that I liked, parts I didn't but nobody should ever believe that it is as complete a written work as "The Lost World" by Doyle. Jurrasic Park lacks endearing characters and often the scientific gobble-di-gook overpowers any entertainment value in the story. His next novel in the series "The Lost World"...hmm... catchy title...., finally does a lot of good work to reconnect the dots but it still falls short of Doyle's wonderful engaging tale of adventure.

*** Before I go on, I should warn you, there are spoilers in this review. I am trying to use the tools to block parts of it, but I'm a novice and some might still slip by me. Fore warned is forarmed... kind of like Popeye I guess.***

The Synopsis -- Our young hero, Ned Malone, an Irish Journalist, which mean's he's twice marked, struggling to make of name for himself listens to his love (of the moment) Gladys Hungerton. Ah.. what is in a name?... We'll talk about the bitch later. Convinced that he has to make a name for himself, perform some heroic deed and to three cartwheels a back handspring and a back flip to win her hand for marriage, and her love, not neccessarily in that order, hits up his editor for a story assignment that allows him no end of heroic deeds. He gets a noncommital suggestion to interview the famed genius, nitwit, hot head, great orator G.E.Challenger, known by the press up till now for throwing journalists out of his house himself, bodily. Surviving an interview with Challenger, "oh, that man" alone should have been enough but once there, Challenger systmatically traps our young Malone with his tale just long enough to infect him with the "wander-lust" bug.

Challenger then tricks the Geogrpahic Scociety into funding an expidition to prove he's a lunatic which our man Malone allows himself to be drafted in the name of volunterism. Also on the trip, the famed Lord John Roxton (more on him later) and an ill tempered doctor of medicine (and other things) Dr.Summerlee. The quartet makes their way through the Brazilian jungle quickly (as the reader paces) with a few exciting moments provided mostly by Summerlee and Challenger's constant bickering...I'm sorry G.E.C. "Debating". They they arrive at "the Plateau" and ignore all warning signs that say "go back, your an idiot if you keep going up this mountain... I told you to turn back. ... Do you see the dead body?... LOOK AT THE BONES MAN!" Our hero's persevere and with Challenger's help find themselves standing on the edge of the lost world.

The plateau, the lost world, is more like a lint trap in the dryer of evolution and time than it is a place frozen in time. Caught in a delicate ecological balance, Dinosaurs rome the fair sized valley along with terrifying apemen and a large tribe of "indians." Just when things are going well (in Challenger's point of view) treachery strikes and two of his indian guides sabatoge the make shift bridge they used to reach the lost world trapping the explorers to face the horrors and wonderous scientific findings of this "lost world."

Don't worry about the indians, Jon Roxton shoots one, the other gets his head ripped off by Zamboo, the mentally deficient black bearer that becomes the party's only link with the outside world. His job in the story is to be bigger and badder than anyone in the valley of death (therefore he shall not fear) and carry Malone's dispatches to the river where some well meaning and apparently bonded steam boat captain will start the dasy-chain relay that gets them to McCardle in London, his editor, and his sweetheart the Witch Gladdys Hungerton. "Eeew she's a mean one sir." (more on Zamboo later, just a statment. His role is to carry the letters, nothing more, which he does well.)

Roxton, Challenger, Summerlee and Malone set about exploring their new world. Every day brings a new find, and a new argument between Challenger and Summerlee (who does give Challenger his due moments before becoming the irascable genius's foil again). They find that the ape-men are not particularly sportsman like fellows who throw their captives over a cliff and applaud the demise of the fallen... um, if you'll pardon the unintended pun. Theres daring rescues and all sorts of man eating dinosaurs, some dinosaur eating men, and remarkably witty dialog for this era of tale.

In the end, they bring back one little pterodactle, freak London out and everyone's a hero. Malone doesn't get the girl (thank god) and he and John Roxton agree to go back to the Lost World and explore it some more! (yes, this is a series of books, not just a sing shot.)

There, that's it in a nutshell. Here's what I didn't say in the synopsis that may be of more interest to you if you are deciding to read the book.

This is a delightful story. If Doyle were a politician, he'd be a populist. He tells us a story for entertainment first. The story is fast moving, the writing easy on the eyes, with the same kind of logical arguments and logic puzzles that we've come to expect from modern works.

Points of View-- What I found as very entertaining and, okay, I'll say it, masterful was the way Doyle allowed his characters Roxton, Challenger and Summerlee to give us three very different, yet important points of view in a way where one did not smother the other.

Summerlee, reprsents establishment science, the current body of knowledge of European Elite Thinkers. Though his point of view took a beating (he did think Challenger was a fraud at first) he provided a sound framework to understand the science involved as he had his chances to examine it.

Roxton, provided the everyman, worker-bee, unvarnished point of view as a naturalist, but also as a man who "gets things done." Not so caught up in the wonder of it all like Summerlee and Challenger, he thinks like a hunter, and a pragmatist but he is still not touched by what he sees. But, his view is nothing like Challenger and Summerlee's view. This is the NRA conservationist who bemoans firing his rifle because the sound is something that nothing on the plateau has ever heard before. Don't worry, he gets over that fast.

and

Challenger who is the "out of the box thinker." Where Summerlee is perfectly comfortable with what he believes as his universe slowly expands, Challenger wants to be on the rocket that goes beyond all knowledge into a great unknown. He is the true adventurer here (with exception to John Roxton, who is a different kind of adventurer). He uses his keen intelect to take the unknown in two meaty fists and study it until he figures it out. He likes problems to solve and boy does he dislike anyone that doesn't just roll over, and accept everything he says as fact. He's also the most colourful of the three and the least confined by convention and belief.

Yes, one could also note the time of Freud and Karl Jung and point out that there is also a bit of the "Id" in Challenger, the "Ego" in John Roxton and the "Super Ego" in Summerlee. This is likely a recurring theme in works of this time. As in Lord of the flies, the three parts of the collective unconscious work together to solve problems, the Id (child) screaming at the Super Ego (Parent) while the Ego (Adult) processes it all and decides what needs to be done. This analogic portrayal of the three parts of the psychic unconscoius is like a play that presents itself to Malone, who, like a good journalist, reports it to us.

The Hidden Treasures -- What elevates this book to a 4 star read from a strong 3 is the hidden treasures. This is so many other types of books rolled into one. Here are some of what's here.

Comming of Age This is the story of a boyish Malone becoming a man. There's a message in this. Malone's a young man in his 20s, with a career, yet in Doyle's time he is not considered "a man" (adult). This is not a flaw in his character, it is because he simply hasn't lived to see a smidge of what's out there to be seen or have those experiences that move and change a person from childish fancy to practical, strong adult hood.

In the begining, Malone is a strong body, sharp minded young man but weak of will, not because he's deficient, but because he's still a slave of his own fears and desires like most youth. He's enfatuated with Gladys (oh, yea, we all know a Gladys Hungerton) who  has no love for him and makes sport of his advances, toys with his emotion and is the driving force behind running off where he could get killed in the name of glorifying her. In the end, he returns to find her married to another, save, very Hobbit like man, who has had little in the way of adventure and likely has trouble seeing the edges of the box, let alone allowing his mind out to work "out of it."

Malone shows a measure of class as he suddenly realizes that she's been playing him all along, handles things with courage and dignity (as much as anyone could have) and goes off to find Roxton and join his expidition. He gives up childish things and fancy and steps into the real world (the "adult" world). And with a firm handshake, the "man's man" John Roxton accepts him as an adult.

Conflict, Man against ... All three of the great conflicts found in great works (or at least talked about in them) are present here. Man against Nature, even if it's prehistoric it's still nature. That part is obvious and I won't go into detail about it other than to say, John Roxton leads the foursome through a minefield where any missed step could produce calamity. He only uses his weapon when he absolutely has to to survive, or to save the others. Everything he notices is about the beauty that is here NOW and needs to be preserved. Challenger and Summerlee want to study things as they are, undisturbed. There are a few preciously sparse statements about the delicate balance that had to exist on the plateau in order for everything to stay alive, and not die out or spread into the jungle around and how important that is to preserve. Sure, this is more man against man, but in this case, the nature eats you. So, that's a given, they lived.

Man Against Man The man against man battles are more philisophical than actual until the last chapters of the book. They are reprsented by arguments between Challenger and... well, just about everybody about the difference between what we know to be true and what could be true.

There is an amusing possibility that comes to mind here. THis book obviously embraces evolution. Doyle himself was known for being a staunch creationist. I wonder if Challenger's denial that he bore any resembalance to the "ape men" is Doyle, also a known practical joker, thumbing his nose at evolutionists. The one guy who should be embracing evolution, when confronted with the absolute question, "you look like an ape, are you in or out?" rejects association with evolution and wants no part of being decended from these apes. I guess, "Some Apes are better than others?" Or as I think Doyle is trying to put it. "When it comes right down to the brass tacks, nobody really believes we are descended from apes." I think he's teasing us again. It's a matter of opinion, that is mine. I don't agree with Doyle, but I love the way he works that in there. It got so much play as part of the humor that it couldn't have been an accident.

This man vs man conflict expands to be new man (the indians) aided by modern man (hence another suggestion that we descended from man) overcome the terryfying and powerful apemen and vanquish them. (could this be a mini-drama like Hamlet's "Mouse Trap" where creationists finally put an end to any thought we descended from monkey's by abolishing the missing link?.. just a thought.)

In the end, Challenger's ideals win out, and leads the world to a new, golden age of knowledge and enlightenment.

Of course much of this could be considered "Man against himself" and each of the characters go through their own version of that time honored sense of conflict. There is too much to detail here and I want to focus on ...

Man vs. Himself There is also a wonderful story about facing your own fears here. It's part of the "coming of age" tale that I mentioned earlier. The story of Malone overcoming cowardice, or better stated, coming to grips with/acceptance of his own fears. This very poingantly includes his fear of being afraid, well, looking afraid anyway. Malone is Doyle's James Cagney from the movie "The Fightin 69th."

Malone earned acceptance from John Roxton (the everyman character) not because he was truely brave, but because he was more afraid of John Roxton seeing him as afraid than he was afraid of getting his head blown off...or as FDR put it, "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." Malone gets himself in trouble time and time again because he is afraid of being a failure, afraid of being measured and coming up short, afraid of the others seeing how afraid he is. He goads himself into taking a "walk about," in the middle of the night even after he finds out he's grabbed a shotgun and taken a handfull of carbine cartridges. Ironically this saves him from the Apemen, but also tells us loud and clear. If you cannot get a handle on this, Malone, you will ultimately not be there when your 15 minutes of fame arrive for the taking.

In this man vs himself, conflict, Lord John Roxton is the mirror that shows Malone what he wishes to be like, confident, strong, a leader. What he needs is a mirror that shows him what he is like now. Over time and through surviving adventures he gets that but it doesn't hit home until he goes to his lovely Gladys, to tell her of his heroism and bravery only to find her married to an accountant from Sojo. Wasn't she the one who rejected him on the grounds that (excuse me Bonnie Tyler) she was "Holding Out for a Hero?" I can hear the music in the opening chapter.

In true keeping with a talented story teller. Malone finds out after all is said and done that it is childish to allow your fear to rule you. The ture measure of a man is not how fearless he is, but how well he manages his own fears. Without fear, there is no bravery. Courage is the ability to continue on, despite, or against, your fears of what may happen to you. He symbolically announces this when he throws his broken heart in with Lord John Roxton to go back to the Lost world for a second expidition. Malone has become a man.

It would be remiss of me not to point out another possibility, my opinion, of course, but possible. Most people do not know how long there have been hostile feelings and actions linked with the English presence on Northern Ireland. That entire subculture of terror, strong fisted doctrine, mouthy speaches and blowing things up started during or possibly before Doyle's time. Could be Malone was made Irish as a way of suggesting to the Irish that they should grow up and join the United Kingdom. (yes, its more complicated than that, but this isn't a possibility I know enough about to explore. Just a enough to stir the pot.)

Which brings us to Zambo. I'm not going to appologize or berate Doyle's depection of the story's only black man as mentally retarded. It is a sign of the times. To Doyle's credit, this was only one man, not an entire ethnic group and may not be representative of his view of black men. Native Indians of South America and the Irish might have more to legitimately complain about. Neither am I going to comment (past this) about the use of the word "Negro." It is just a sign of the times. I wil say this. If you find yourself affected by things like this. "Look at how far we've come!" nobody would ever get away with it in this day and age. Progress may be hard to see, but it's still progress. We are no longer where we once toiled on the mountain. Though there is still plenty of mountain to climb.

and one last fun/oddity that I noticed. Again, a sign of the times and possibly a mark of progress. Doyle's view of women reflect Victorian Era values and principles, not modern ones. Case in point, when Malone goes to woo Gladys, he should have taken the hint she wasn't interested, but he allows her to commit himself to visions of heroism to win her hand and off he runs, likely to his death. When Challenger's wife (a little too french for some) starts to berate him for throwing Malone into the street and giving him a black eye, he simply puts her on a pedistal. No, I mean he litterally puts her on a pedistal that's too high for her to get down from on her own. Some might call that "Putting her in her place" again it is in sync with the morals and values of the time, but modern ladies might see the symbology there as, distasteful. You tell me. Fortunately I'm not a modern lady.


(and the best thing about the book... Malone played Rugby on the Irish international team. HOOT MAN! and John Roxton is a Rugby Fan! HOOT HOOT MAN! Yea, 'e's a li'l Irish Rugger there!" Nothing will go wrong with a book if your main characters appriciate the Manly sport of Rugby Football!)

Bottom line, or a synopsis of my "brief" review-- (how brief can it be if the brief review needs a briefer synopsis?)

This is a fun read. Even if you don't buy into all my high-fa-lutin talk in this review, you will still enjoy a wonderously fun adventure with breath taking discriptions of amazing places. You'll laugh at the silliness of Challenger and Summerlee, oh and ah at the dinosaurs, sit on the edge of your seat during the battles, rescues and other acts of daring due. It's a great story for all ages.

Warning (sigh) always a warning isn't there?

There is violence in this book. It is written tastefully, even by todays standards, and involves more man-like creatures than humans. Any young adult or even younger at the descression of those with discression, can manage the violence here, but it is violence.

There are some subtle racial issues. Doyle, like other's of his time isn't exactly a champion of other cultures, particulalry Indians and African Americans. It is presented with honesty, not trickery, and is more a product of the times where white european and american men saw themselves as conqurers of the universe. The way it is written this is not difficult to overcome though if you carry a chip on your shoulder, there is enough here to put a foul taste in your mouth. This is pulp fiction turned classic literature... leave chips at the door not on your shoulder if you want to enjoy it.

This book may not be right for pregnant or nursing gila-monsters, some people devout in their religoius faith, or devout in the lack of faith, people who abhor violence to animals, and people who can't "just get along."

This adventure story from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, written in 1912, was a great surprise to me and just a hell of a lot of fun to read. It's filled with colorful characters, loads of action, and prehistoric creatures such as dinosaurs, pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, and icthiosaurs, as well as a murderous city of ape-men. If you enjoy the early sci-fi classics from H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, this will be right up your alley.

Dated but a good read. As long as one does not expect aliens and space battles, this is quite a well written and enjoyable story

رواية مغامرات كلاسيكية للسير آرثر كونان دويل في أول مرة أقرأ له خارج إطار الروايات البوليسية
يمكن أن نعتبر هذه الرواية مع رواية جول فيرن (رحلة إلى مركز الأرض) أصول القصص والأفلام المتعلقة بالديناصورات، كجوراسيك بارك، ولعلنا نتذكر أن أحد أجزاء السلسلة حمل اسم (عالم مفقود)، ربما كان هذا تحيةً من صناع الفيلم لكونان دويل.
وبخلاف التشويق بأحداث الرواية، فأعتقد أن إحدى صور إبداع الكاتب الروائي تكمن في مدى قدرته على نقل صورة المشهد بتفاصيله بأوضح ما يكون، من خلال الكنايات والصور الطريفة.
وأعجبني هذا المشهد بالرواية، حيث يصف كونان دويل فيه أستاذاً جامعياً كبيراً في السن جالساً على منصة بندوةٍ يديرها، وهو يتحدث إلى الجمهور بصوتٍ خافت، فعبر عن المشهد بهذه الصورة الطريفة:
"ألقى الأستاذ «مري» خطبة قصيرة لم يستطع أن يسمعها أحد، إذ وجه بضع كلمات إلى رباط عنقه الأبيض، وبضع كلمات أخرى إلى قارورة الماء الموضوعة على المنضدة، وخص المصباح عن يمينه بدعابة صغيرة".
وكما كان دويل معروفاً للناس بشخصيته الأشهر (شيرلوك هولمز)، فلقد بدأ بهذه الرواية سلسلة من الروايات لبطلٍ آخر هو البروفيسور تشالنجر، لكن أعتقد أن بقية الروايات لم تترجم للعربية للأسف.