The Lost World [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2004

In the classic adventure of a lost prehistoric world deep in the Amazon jungle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes introduced his other great character, Professor Challenger, who leads a journalist to a world of carnivorous dinosaurs, giant fish-lizards and murderous ape-men.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Forget the Michael Crichton book (and Spielberg movie) that copied the title. This is the original: the terror-adventure tale of The Lost World. Writing not long after dinosaurs first invaded the popular imagination, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle spins a yarn about an expedition of two scientists, a big-game hunter, and a journalist (the narrator) to a volcanic plateau high over the vast Amazon rain forest. The bickering of the professors (a type Doyle knew well from his medical training) serves as witty contrast to the wonders of flora and fauna they encounter, building toward a dramatic moonlit chase scene with a Tyrannosaurus Rex. And the character of Professor George E. Challenger is second only to Sherlock Holmes in the outrageous force of his personality: he's a big man with an even bigger ego, and if you can grit your teeth through his racist behavior toward Native Americans, he's a lot of fun. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Conan Doyle presents one of his favorite characters, outside of Sherlock Holmes: the irascible Professor Challenger. At the tale's outset, Challenger is attempting to convince the London Zoological Institute that he has discovered a plateau in South America that is inhabited by prehistoric creatures. Jeered and ridiculed by the audience, Challenger makes up his mind to prove the existence of this lost world. The Zoological Institute selects a committee of three to attempt to find Challenger's plateau. E.D. Mallone, one of the three, narrates the adventure in a series of journal entries that he plans to mail back to his newspaper along the way. That is, if he manages to survive this garden of sorts where Jurassic Era creatures roam. The Lost World is admirably presented by reader Paul Hecht, whose narration captures the sense of adventure that Conan Doyle so skillfully portrayed. This title is sure to be popular among Conan Doyle's fans as well as folks who enjoyed Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park (Knopf, 1990) and its sequel and paean to Conan Doyle, The Lost World (Audio Reviews, LJ 11/15/95).?Theresa Connors, Arkansas Technological Univ., Russellville
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 373 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (January 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786261838
• ISBN-13: 978-0786261833
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,861,397 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Conan Doyle Smiles, January 4, 2001

By 

M (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lost World (Mass Market Paperback)

Professor George E. Challenger, noted scientist, says dinosaurs are still alive, and he knows where to find them. The scientific community says he's a madman or a fraud, or both. Challenger's only evidence is a bunch of blurry photographs. Fellow scientists say the photos are obviously doctored and the newspapers call it a fantasy. Boiling with rage, Challenger goes into seclusion. Anyone foolish enough to bring up the tender subject around him is liable to end up in the gutter outside his house, with a few extra lumps for the gutter press.

The only reporter brave, or stupid, enough to face the professor's wrath and get the story is Edward Malone, young, intrepid journalist for the Daily Gazette. At a boisterous scientific meeting, Professor Summerlee, a rival scientist, calls Challenger's bluff. Summerlee will return to South America and prove Challenger wrong. The young journalist volunteers to go along. Lord John Roxton, the famous hunter, can't miss an opportunity to return to the jungle and adds his name to expedition. Professor Challenger is happy they are taking him seriously, even if they don't all believe him. But what will they find in South America? A strange, living time capsule from the Jurassic period filled with pterodactyls and stegosaurs? Or will they only find vast tracks of endless jungles and Challenger's daydreams? Either way there will be danger and adventure for all.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote "The Lost World" in 1912 for the Strand magazine, the same magazine that published his Sherlock Holmes stories. It's a great Edwardian science-fiction adventure, although some may not like the British Imperialism and Darwinian racism. Still, in "The Lost World" Conan Doyle lets his hair down a little. Changing narrators from the earnest Doctor John Watson to the rash reporter Edward Malone makes for a big change. There is a good deal more humor. The students in the scientific meetings are forever yelling out jokes at the expense of nutty Professor Challenger. Affairs of the heart play a big role in Malone's life. He matures from a young swain out to impress his girlfriend to more of a wistful man-of-the-world by the end. It is a very different Conan Doyle than some are used to reading. Different, but just as good, maybe, dare I say it, even better.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant surprise from a pile of old books!, May 25, 2002

By 

D. McDiffett "iteachlit" (Salina, KS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lost World (Mass Market Paperback)

You know you're reading an old book when "flaccid organ" has nothing to do with sex! And what an enjoyable book this one is. Attracted by the pictures of the dinosaurs on the cover, I finally got around to reading it and recommend it to all lovers of adventure stories. Warning: You may need patience to wade through the wordy descriptions, but it's well worth it for the humorous encounters between the two Professors and the conflicts with the prehistoric world. Yes, Doyle reflects the racism of his day towards Indians and blacks, but readers who see his words as time capsules from an earlier time will not have a problem with them.
My only complaint was that the odd, hopping carnivorous dinosaur is never linked to a dinosaur I am familiar with. Iguanadons, pleisiosaurs and even a stegosaurus are mentioned, but no specific name is given the most dangerous of all. Minor complaint, though.
Grab a copy of this book and enjoy a trip to the wilds of South America's rain forest!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grand adventure in 1910s., May 5, 2000

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lost World: Being an Account of the Recent Amazing Adventures of Professor E. Challenge (Puffin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

Edward Malone, reporter for the Daily Gazette, finds himself caught up in the claims of the eccentric Professor G. E. Challenger to have found a South American plateau where dinosaurs still live. Malone volunteers for a fact-finding mission, along with the dubious Professor Summerlee and the fearless big game hunter Lord John Roxton. The band voyages to South America, journeys to the plateau, and finds it filled with plants and animals for many different epochs. Finding themselves marooned on the plateau, the team faces many dangers and adventures.

While somewhat dated, this book is well written and exciting to read. As a matter of fact, part of the book's charm is its pre-Great War feel. If you like adventure stories, Arthur Conan Doyle, or big game hunters, then this book is for you!