The Lost World

By Arthur Conan Doyle

Reviewed by Ahana Bandyopadhyay

Fall 2016

REVIEW: The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle

THE STORY:

Edward Malone, a reporter from the Daily Gazette, is sent to interview an interesting, yet cranky man named Professor Challenger, who has gained lots of fame for his claims about his recent journey to South America. Edward tries to gain information from the man by pretending to have an honest interest in the professor’s claims, but is soon discovered and thrown into the streets by Professor Challenger’s workers. The professor
is impressed and decides to share some of his findings with Edward or Ned, after he decides not to press charges against the professor. The Professor talks about his trip to the Amazon, where he had stayed in a small Indian village. The professor says how he had seen a pterodactyl after trying to assist an injured man who had crept his way to the village. Later in the story, Edward is invited by the professor along with a South American, explorer, Lord John Roxton, and biologist Professor Summerlee to attend an expedition to the Amazon to find proof that Jurassic life still exists. As the explorers travel to the Amazon, they reach the village where Professor Challenger had previously found evidence of Jurassic Life. Their guide, who had a personal conflict with Lord John, destroys the bridge which connects to mountains and is the only way back to the village, trapping them on the “dinosaur” plateau. While stranded on the plateau, the group is confronted by many kinds of dinosaurs and are soon attacked by pterodactyls. Worse things come their way, when they are captured by a tribe of ape-men. They find a tribe of modern humans called Accala who help them escape the plateau once they have help them overtake the ape-men. After returning to England, the professor finally has solid proof to show that he was not lunatic and that he had truly discovered the existence of Jurassic life left on earth. Ned discovers that his love has married another man, and decides to accompany Lord John on his next voyage.

MY OPINION:

Once I got past the difficult word and sentence structure of the writing, the story is really interesting. The adventures that Edward has on the trip, and how he feels about the pillars of danger his group and him experience, was something I felt like I could relate to. Each of the characters has an equal amount of importance. I could relate to the story in some ways as I have watched the movies that followed this book such as “The Jurassic Park,” before I read the book. The events occurring in the story are quite easy to understand and follow, even though the writing is difficult. I would recommend this book to high school students more than middle school students, due to the high levels of difficulty in the vocabulary. I give this book a seven out of ten, and I would definitely read this book again.

STUDY QUESTIONS AND VOCABULARY:

FIRST SECTION

1. Why did Gladys reject Ned’s proposal?

1a. Gladys was in love with another man. (9)

2. Who is Professor Challenger?

2a. He is a professor, with a somewhat crazy and in complete stories about his trip to South Africa, who Need has been sent to interview. (34~39)

3. What did Professor Challenger claim to have seen?

3a. He claimed to have seen a pterodactyl up in a tree. (41)

4. Who did Ned plan to stay in contact with?

4a. Ned would write to Mr. McArdle his news editor, about his adventure. (56)

5. Why is Ned trying to avoid all the details?

5a. He avoids all the extra details in order for it to be easier to shape the writing for Mr. McArdle.

Levity (7)

Acrimonious (13)

Recriminations (32)

Pigmy (32)

Melancholy (57)

MIDDLE SECTION

6. Who “chartered a steam launch” to go up the river?

6a. Lord Roxton had chartered the steam launch to carry them up the river (65)

7. “Curpuri,” said Gomez” was explained to be what by Lord John?

7a. “It is a name for any kind of devil. The poor beggars think there is something fearsome…” (65)

8. Why did Challenger yell, “Eureka?”

8a. He had discovered a way out of the cave, however there was a huge gorge blocking their pathway. (90)

9. What was the name of their place of refuge?

9a. They named it “Fort Challenger” (100)

10. What did Ned compare the hidden place to?

10a. Ned compares it to the “Seven Circles of Dante.” (103)

Prevailing (65)

Polysynthetic (72)

Obliterated (82)

Satiation (99)

Undulating (103)

                               

LAST SECTION

11. What did Lord John see outside?

11a. He saw a snarling, fierce creature looking animal heading towards them. 113)

12. After Ned is awoken, where does he find himself?

12a. He finds himself in a pit with pieces of flesh lying around. (149)

13. What did the professor answer Lord John?

13a. “A question, no doubt, be eagerly discussed in every scientific society in Europe and America.” (151)

14. Who did the crew watch “scream with terror?”

14a. They watched the Indians scream with terror, as a result of being afraid of the creatures. (165)

15. When Ned returned, what had occurred with Gladys?

15a. She had married another man, and had become Gladys Potts after taking her husband’s last name.  

1. Woes (111)
2. Reed (131)
3. Solemnity (148)
4. Sonorous (151)
5. Pororachaus (181)