Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F CRI
Collection
Publication
Ballantine Books (1993), 336 pages
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: From the bestselling author of Jurassic Park, Timeline, and Sphere comes a gripping thriller about the shocking demise of eight American geologists in the darkest region of the Congo. Deep in the African rain forest, near the ruins of the Lost City of Zinj, a field expedition is brutally killed. At the Houston-based Earth Resources Technology Services, Inc., a horrified supervisor watches a gruesome video transmission of that ill-fated group and sees a haunting, grainy, man-like blur moving amongst the bodies. In San Francisco, an extraordinary gorilla named Amy, who has a 620-sign vocabulary, may hold the secret to that fierce carnage. Immediately, a new expedition is sent to the Congo with Amy in tow, descending into a secret, forbidden world where the only escape may be through the grisliest death..… (more)
Subjects
Original publication date
1980
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User reviews
LibraryThing member StormRaven
I have come to regard Congo as a sort of dress rehearsal for Jurassic Park. There are significant differences - obviously there are no dinosaurs in Congo, just modified gorillas, and evil corporate greed turns out to end the book rather than set the book in motion; but the lost world aspect of the
Still, the story remains fun in a kind of King Solomon's Mines sort of way, evoking an H. Rider Haggard or Edgar Rice Burroughs feel with updated technology, and outsiders seeking to exploit Africa's resources not just to plunder gold and treasure for its own sake, but to build high technology computers.
Oddly for a Crichton novel, shortsighted corporate greed doesn't cause the problem - a long gone civilization's attempts to protect their precious resources does. There also isn't the usual anti-technological fear mongering either. On the other hand, reckless corporate greed does cause a huge disaster that wipes out most of the discoveries found in the book, so that it pretty predictable for a Crichton novel.
There really isn't anything particularly noteworthy about this novel, it reads well, the plot is interesting, and the characters are fairly well written, but there isn't anything here that makes this more than a standard techno-thriller.
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story, with unpredictable new creatures is the central theme of both stories. Congo is also a lesson on the dangers of writing a "near future" science fiction story - much of the cool technology described in the book was obsolete within a few years of publication, some was obsolete even before the book was actually on the market.Still, the story remains fun in a kind of King Solomon's Mines sort of way, evoking an H. Rider Haggard or Edgar Rice Burroughs feel with updated technology, and outsiders seeking to exploit Africa's resources not just to plunder gold and treasure for its own sake, but to build high technology computers.
Oddly for a Crichton novel, shortsighted corporate greed doesn't cause the problem - a long gone civilization's attempts to protect their precious resources does. There also isn't the usual anti-technological fear mongering either. On the other hand, reckless corporate greed does cause a huge disaster that wipes out most of the discoveries found in the book, so that it pretty predictable for a Crichton novel.
There really isn't anything particularly noteworthy about this novel, it reads well, the plot is interesting, and the characters are fairly well written, but there isn't anything here that makes this more than a standard techno-thriller.
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LibraryThing member JBarringer
It was amusing to read Crichton's predictions about the future of computing and warfare, since this book is from 1980. If you keep in mind when he was writing, the idea that boron infused blue diamonds are worth such an expedition is not so crazy. I like that there are parallel threads on language
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and undiscovered intelligent apes, rainforest ecology and the natural history of the Congo, and the notion of specialized information companies that can mount such expeditions as the one in this book. I also like that, despite the blatant sexism of some of the men in this book, the expedition is led by a woman, and she is portrayed more or less as a capable leader. She has her occasional meltdowns, which are a bit cliche, but she is a mathematician, after all, not a wilderness survival nut, and Peter Elliot has his share of meltdowns too, a surprisingly even treatment of gender for 1980. Show Less
LibraryThing member MarkSouza
There was little to redeem this novel for me. The characters were flat and lifeless as a highway possum, their goal uninspiring, their peril unbelievable. Finishing the book was much like holding my hand over a flame as a right of passage. There was nothing enjoyable about it other than being able
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to say I got through it without crying... much. Save yourself the tears and a few bucks; read something else. Show Less
LibraryThing member dcoward
I remember liking this years ago when I first read it, but this book didn't age well. There is a large focus on science fiction-y computer progress, but what was fascinating speculation in 1980 is rather a yawn now.
LibraryThing member Michael_P
Pretty much an average Crichton novel, but just a bit slower in portions and a bit more detached than usual. With that being said though, the ending was rushed and anticlimatic. Amy the gorilla was a wonderful character, but not enough to carry the novel. You could skip this one and not miss
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anything. Show Less
LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
In a race to find a particular diamond mine that could influence technology as we know it, 24-year-old Dr. Ross is determined to beat out the competition, no matter the cost. Peter Elliott is bent on figuring out the strange dreams his gorilla Amy has been signing about. They're all going into the
Not my favorite of Crichton's thrillers, but this novel was okay. The 1970s technology holds up surprisingly well and it felt less dated than I thought it would. My problem is that there weren't too many likeable characters and I didn't really feel like I connected with any of them. There is a gorilla who speaks sign language, so that was pretty cool and finding out what happened to Amy the gorilla kept me turning the pages.
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Congo. And what they find there will astound them, fascinate them, and terrify them.Not my favorite of Crichton's thrillers, but this novel was okay. The 1970s technology holds up surprisingly well and it felt less dated than I thought it would. My problem is that there weren't too many likeable characters and I didn't really feel like I connected with any of them. There is a gorilla who speaks sign language, so that was pretty cool and finding out what happened to Amy the gorilla kept me turning the pages.
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LibraryThing member andyray
Once again mister Crichton has me finish his book, but with no rewarding glow in the stomach or heart afterward. Once again, his work is crammed with technical information that is nice to know, but not necessary to the story (kind of like Herman Melville sticking that chapter on cetology in the
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middle of Moby Dick). Until he gets over that annoying tendency to interrupt the STORY with his pedantic techinal (albeit medical, on the great apes, or the total working of a modern airliner), he will not get more than four stars from me. Too, the characters were not identifiable, but rather a mishmash of qualities. Munro, the mean and illegal, shifty man (so described at the beginning), turns out to be the hero of the piece. Ross, the female rep for the company, doesn't let petty things like losing lives or doing a decent thing get in her way of getting those diamonds, and Elliot, our token wuzzy intellectual, kills two ofr the apes with a machine gun without flinching an inch. As I said, the characterization needs work. Show Less
LibraryThing member vaillance
Michael Crichton has written a fast-paced thriller that takes his reader into the heart of the African jungle. Although the main character, scientist Karen Ross, is not developed to any great depth, the tension-filled plot carries us along and builds suspense to the final chapter.
LibraryThing member Anagarika
I really loved the concept behind this novel. One of his best.
LibraryThing member susanbevans
At the beginning Michael Crichton's Congo, a research team looking for blue diamonds deep withing the Congo region has been mysteriously killed - the prime suspect: a possibly new species of gorilla. A new team, including a university professor and his research subject Amy, a gorilla who
I recently read and really enjoyed Jurassic Park. Having said that, Congo failed to entertain me in the same way. It's not that it wasn't a good story. The premise is incredibly clever, and the natural history of primates and language development are subjects that I find fascinating. The thing that bogged things down for me in Congo was really all of the technology crud. It was simply too over-the-top for me and didn't really add anything to the story.
It is obvious that Micheal Crichton was a talented and creative writer. Technology plays a big part in both of the books I've read by him, but in Congo the sheer magnitude of scientific data completely overwhelms what could have been a truly fascinating story. I can't say I'd recommend Congo, but if you're interested in trying Crichton on for size, try Jurassic Park. I'll be picking up The Lost World next week and I expect it to be wonderful.
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communicates using American sign language, is quickly dispatched to find answers (and diamonds). Unfortunately for them, they seem to be no match for the cunning and ruthless killing machines they discover.I recently read and really enjoyed Jurassic Park. Having said that, Congo failed to entertain me in the same way. It's not that it wasn't a good story. The premise is incredibly clever, and the natural history of primates and language development are subjects that I find fascinating. The thing that bogged things down for me in Congo was really all of the technology crud. It was simply too over-the-top for me and didn't really add anything to the story.
It is obvious that Micheal Crichton was a talented and creative writer. Technology plays a big part in both of the books I've read by him, but in Congo the sheer magnitude of scientific data completely overwhelms what could have been a truly fascinating story. I can't say I'd recommend Congo, but if you're interested in trying Crichton on for size, try Jurassic Park. I'll be picking up The Lost World next week and I expect it to be wonderful.
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LibraryThing member Radaghast
I'm almost tempted to call this "Jurassic Park, with monkeys." But it's too good to mock. Crichton's writing is never tighter or cleaner than in Congo. Like always, he shows his unparalleled ability to demonstrate just how powerful, wise, intelligent and yet also silly our science really is.
LibraryThing member israfel13
Three fourths of this book are decent, then disaster hits as Crichton steams to a rushed, unsatisfying ending. The book still manages to be better than the movie, albeit barely.
LibraryThing member queencersei
Michael Crichton has an inexplicable gift for weaving a unique story and then providing an utter letdown for an ending. Congo is no exception. Except unlike some earlier works, the plot is exceptionally thin and the storyline does not age well. Not his best effort at all.
LibraryThing member BeeQuiet
A bit of a popcorn book, nothing too intellectual here, although I suppose one can muse over our perceptions of primates and their differences from us. It's a well paced, very entertaining book though. It holds plenty of Crichton's trademark technological explanations, which add an extra dynamic.
LibraryThing member deslni01
Taken for what it is, Congo is actually an entertaining read. It follows Dr. Karen Ross, Dr. Elliot, and his gorilla-friend Amy (who has the wonderful ability to speak using Ameslan!) in the Congo. Dr. Ross is pursuing a rare blue diamond that has certain attributes which would enable technology to
This is a Crichton novel, so of course there are other 'teams' also after the diamonds, and of course a dash of the scientifically possible, yet horrifically deadly animals.
The science and technology in this novel - now nearly 30 years old - hardly seems dated, which is surprising and shows how powerful technology was at the time. The many characters in the novel offer entertainment and help flush out the main characters, yet as usual of a Crichton book most of the characters are flat and suffer from extreme tunnel-vision.
Regardless, this is an entertaining and quick read that brings to life the Congo forest and the creatures that may silently wait within...
Please, do not watch the movie..
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make a tremendous leap forward; Dr. Elliot is in the Congo to help Amy identify and get over her nightmares.This is a Crichton novel, so of course there are other 'teams' also after the diamonds, and of course a dash of the scientifically possible, yet horrifically deadly animals.
The science and technology in this novel - now nearly 30 years old - hardly seems dated, which is surprising and shows how powerful technology was at the time. The many characters in the novel offer entertainment and help flush out the main characters, yet as usual of a Crichton book most of the characters are flat and suffer from extreme tunnel-vision.
Regardless, this is an entertaining and quick read that brings to life the Congo forest and the creatures that may silently wait within...
Please, do not watch the movie..
Show Less
LibraryThing member Anagarika-Sean
I really loved the concept behind this novel. One of his best.
LibraryThing member LouCypher
Another good Crichton book. Reading this in 2011, 31 years after it was written it was pretty cool to see all the technology that was expected to come about and seeing what has and has not developed as Crichton wrote. Fast paced action as always with his work made this a very fast and enjoyable
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read. Show Less
LibraryThing member shrut
Splendid and well-written.
LibraryThing member HenryGalvan
I so enjoyed the movie and thought that the book would further expand on it. Most of the best scenes were made up for the movie. Some of the amusing characters didn't exist. And in the book the " great white hunter" was actually white.
LibraryThing member burnit99
Peter Elliott, a primate researcher, is studying communication with apes by teaching sign language to Amy, a young mountain gorilla. When a Houston technology company organizes an expedition to Congo to search for a particular type of diamond that will revolutionize the communications industry,
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Peter and Amy are invited along (she came from the region as an infant, and is having nightmares about the "bad place"). What follows is a pretty typical Crichton adventure: That is to say, this is a decently written, thoughtful and fast-moving story that may or may not leave the reader better-informed about primate language capability, but it sure leaves him wanting to learn about it. And Amy is the most charming and admirable ASL speaking mountain gorilla I've ever encountered in print. Show Less
LibraryThing member br13mafi
Congo by Michael Crichton is definitely good book. Congo is about a small group of people that travel into the congo rainforest in search of blue diamonds. They come up against many challenges such as natives, volcanos, animals, and competing companies. The main characters are Ross, the leader of
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the expedition and the person working for the company, Eliot,a primate expert that has a ape named Amy which he taught sign language and Murano a guide in the expedition. This book starts off really really slow. I like the learning parts of the other books I have read but this one was just boring up to around half way through. I didn't really like it but I can imagine other people loving it. Show Less
LibraryThing member mrtall
I like Michael Crichton books on the whole, and was always under the impression that his earlier works were better than his late stuff, which became more and more issue-bound and prosaic. Not so. Congo is the very definition of prosaic, as its plot and characters provide a barely coherent frame on
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which to hang lengthy expositions on satellite communications technology in particular, IT in general, and of course gorillas. And given that Crichton wrote this in the 1970s, it's seriously dated. Not recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member rsplenda477
A clever and well-researched novel about the Congo region of Africa. I was looking for a little more action, and was also expecting a more interesting conclusion. Nowhere near as good as Jurassic Park, but still a book worth reading.
LibraryThing member AlCracka
Most of this book sucks, but the parts about whats-her-name the gorilla were terrific.
LibraryThing member Trogdor7899
This is a decent read. Much better than that horrid movie version, however, it isn't much better. A good time killer, but definitely not Crichton's best.
Pages
336