#58: The Lost World

Doyle, Arthur Conan: The Lost World. 1912. Ebook.

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SETTING: London, England and an unknown area in South America (presumably near Brasil.  The author does not specify the exact location of the lost world.  Convenient for him... :P).

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SUMMARY: Professor George Edward Challenger makes an astonishing discovery that is doubted by the entire scientific community because he lacks tangible proof.  Motivated by the desire to prove Challenger wrong, his arch rival, Professor Summerlee, decides to take up Challenger's offer to see this land for himself.  Summerlee embarks on this expedition with two volunteers: Lord John Roxton, an adventurer, and Edward Malone, a journalist.

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FAVORITE QUOTE: "Brain, character, soul - only as one sees more of life does one understand how distinct is each." - Chapter 8, page 121.

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I needed a book to read for my commute to and from the hospital, and decided a free book via iBooks would be my best bet.  So I picked this one.  The end.

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Things I liked about this book:

1. The story line.  I wasn't really interested in it in the beginning, but the story suddenly grabbed my attention about a quarter of the way through.  By the time I finished the book, I was sorry to be done with it!
2. Challenger and Summerlee are "friends" by the end of the book.  I say "friends" because they still argue non-stop, but their joint adventure and facing death multiple times together make them appreciate one another at both the human and scientific levels.
3. The writing.  The story is very detailed and the reader is really able to appreciate the character's emotions.
4. The narration.  I like that it was from Malone's perspective, and that it's a combination of his real time writing and a transcript of his letters to his editor.
5. All the animals they see!  And going back to the writing, the awe the characters feel upon seeing these once thought to be extinct animals is truly appreciated by the reader.
6. Challenger's plan for escape to get back to civilization.  Even though it isn't utilized, it's ingenious.
7. What Challenger brings back as his ultimate proof.  I won't specify, in case you read the book, but it was very smart on his part, especially after all the dissent he received from his first expedition to the lost world.
8. Short and quick.  It was the perfect length for the content of the story, and it didn't feel like anything was lacking.

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Things I didn't like about this book:

1. Hard to keep track of the timeline.  It would have been nice if the author had put some sort of indication of the day and time each letter was written.  I don't necessarily mean specific dates.  Something as simple as "day 1" would have been sufficient and made keeping track of the time during their journey much easier for me as the reader.
2. Gladys.  Even though this character is what motivates the protagonist to embark on this journey in the first place, I'm glad he doesn't end up with her.  She's terribly fickle and superficial.
3. The derogatory terminology.  I'm sure the descriptors used for the groups of non-white, non-European people in the book were acceptable when the book was written, but I didn't liked it.  I cringed every time.

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I enjoyed this book much more than I had expected, and I'm really glad I randomly picked it!  These free books on iBooks are probably going to introduce me to a large range of novels that I wouldn't otherwise pick up, and I'm excited for my future reads!  

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Recommend?  Yes!