The Lost World

By: Michael Crichton

Narrated by: Anthony Heald

Length: 3 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

It is now six years since the secret disaster at Jurassic Park; six years since that extraordinary dream of science and imagination came to a crashing end - the dinosaurs destroyed, the park dismantled, the island indefinitely closed to the public. There are rumors that something has survived. Michael Crichton is at it again. The Lost World continues the horrifying and thrilling tale begun in Jurassic Park.

© Michael Crichton; (P) Random House, Inc. Random House Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House Inc.

A man of many voices

If I were to choose the best reader I've listened to, as a seasoned audiobook fan, it would have to be Anthony Heald, And it would be his performance reading The Lost World that convinced me of this. And yes, I said performance, because that is indeed what it is. The obvious commitment and energy that he put into this project is commendable. His voices are superb, so much so that I felt I was right there with them on that island. I am also an avid Crichton reader, and enjoyed reading The Lost World, but it wasn't until listening to Heald that it became a favorite. All in all, this is the tape that made me fall in love with audiobooks, and I would suggest it to anyone and everyone interested in hearing great audiobook talent.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

They're Back!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If you saw the movie and thought it sucked, then you might like this book. It's totally different and and Malcolm doesn't even have an annoying kid in it "that kills Raptors with gymnastics"...like the movie!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Not really, but the book is better than the movie and smarter.

Did Anthony Heald do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Yes, but his Levine voice is kind of fruity and annoying.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Neither, but it made me wish the Spielberg version followed the book more closely. The film just has many people with guns getting ripped to pieces and not one gun killing a dinosaur. This book has better pacing and is smarter, even if it's still not as good as the first.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Way better than the movie.

Any Jurassic Park fan will love this. Story is way different than the movie is.

loved it<br />The Lost World is a great story.<br />

This story is almost as good as Jurassic Park!!
Could not put the story down.

Meh

Heald is a bit too much of a thespian for my taste... A little too strong on the voice acting.

Also, far from Chrichton's best work...

Didn't realize this was abridged

I was very disappointed when I realized I had downloaded this rather than the full version, it lacks the juicy and gory details that I adore this book for. The narrator, while excellent at his varying voices, is not Scott Brick which I was also disappointed about. The story itself is good but I would absolutely recommend the full version.

Worst narrator ever!

I've read The Lost World many times. It is another well written & fascinating story by Michael Crichton. Recently I've been driving more & more for my job. To pass the time I downloaded several audiobooks by some of my favorite authors. The performance of the narrator for this book was absolutely infuriating. I could barely tolerate his voice, acting, impressions, & other noises he made. I will not listen to any more audiobooks that he narrates. Other than that the story itself was awesome.

Its Abridged, but The Excitement Is Not.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend the unabridged version, but this version was still a terrific listen, full of science, history, thrill, and uh...lots of hungry dinosaurs.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Angry, hungry dinosaurs will keep anyone on edge I think.

Any additional comments?

The Lost World: Abridged takes all of the excellent plot twists and science from the original piece and creates a movie length listen that makes the theatrical release pale in comparison. This is an excellent listen for those who love themes of dinosaurs, science, action, stowaway juveniles and did I say action? Sadly my favorite part of this abridged story is that there is no pathetic Gymnastics fight scene against Raptors.

The narrator is superlative.

Would you listen to The Lost World again? Why?

The only similarity between the book and the picture is that there are dinosaurs, but the book has the more interesting plot. I would definitely listen to this book again, and have, because of Anthony Heald's wonderful narration. His voice is just perfect, with enough humour and wit.

What did you like best about this story?

It was fun and exciting, with a lot of tense moments.

Which character – as performed by Anthony Heald – was your favorite?

Ian Malcolm

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Levine decides not to rescue the children and gets his comuppance.

Much better than the movie

Granite this is my first audiobook, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you liked the series on DVD you will like this story even better.