THE LOST WORLD

In this early precursor to JURASSIC PARK, irascible Professor Challenger leads a small expedition to a South American plateau where dwell monstrous prehistoric beasts, along with bellicose ape men and somewhat more civil, if not civilized, Indians. Sherlock Holmes's creator relates numerous dangers and adventures in this famous 1912 novel, possibly the first work of fiction to pit modern humans against ferocious dinosaurs. Narrator Glen McCready highlights three elements of the prose: the florid action passages, the eccentric dramatis personae, and the vivid descriptions of primitive scenery. One may wish that he had not made the plucky young hero quite so bland. The abridgment is smooth as silk and actually enlivens the pace of the fustian original. Y.R. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2009]