Book Review: Congo by Michael Crichton

Congo, by Michael Crichton, is the story of archaeologists being stalked by a previously undiscovered species of gorilla whilst researching ancient ruins in the rain forest of the Congo. The plot is dull and padded out with even duller dialogue which is over reliant on techno speak and jargon along with one-dimensional characters straight out of the pulp fiction writers' guidebook. So hackneyed is the plot that one has a feeling of deja-vu when reading Congo, but surely the reader wouldn't be so foolish as to read this rubbish twice? Indeed not, but with such a limited vocabulary and formulaic approach to writing it feels like Crichton threw a load of similar books into a blender and published the resultant pulp.

The style of writing in Congo is weak and it feels as if a teenage student had a large part to play in its authorship. So poor is the story line here that by the time one has reached the end it is not apparent how ludicrous this ending is, having got used to the lack of realism and originality throughout the novel. The constant waffle about Bas-reliefs bored the pants of off me well before the ending and as for the gorillas......just stupid!

Having enjoyed the movie of Jurassic Park I had hoped for something good in Congo but was severely disappointed, even annoyed that a writer could make so much money out of such dross. This book is a clear example of marketing and reputation triumphing over quality and this book has the real feel of a contracted author pumping out text just to meet the word count.

The characters in Congo are those typical of such stories, good-looking, multi-lingual, geniuses in a variety of fields, athletes, omni-potent, demi-gods. Why can't authors write about real people instead of serving up the same formulaic nonsense again and again?

Buy "Congo" by Michael Crichton (actually don't, it is a waste of money)

Do not waste your time or money on this awful book, it is an insult to literature. The worst book I have ever read in my life bar one. However, I suppose this might be a useful read for aspiring authors to see what not to do when attempting to create an interesting and enjoyable story.

Score: 0/10