Retro Reads: The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

It is tough finding solid books for children to read today. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World makes the cut, though:

Doyle is best known for his Sherlock Holmes stories, but The Lost World is the clear predecessor of Crichton’s Jurassic Park series. Readers familiar with both will recognize many similar elements, but Doyle’s novel is more of an adventure novel than a sci-fi exploration of genetic cloning. A product of its time, The Lost Worldreflects the wild spirit of adventure that dominated in the early 1900s–the same drive that sent men like Teddy Roosevelt to map an uncharted Amazonian river. The late Victorians were obsessed with the new Darwinian philosophies; The Lost World parades evolutionary theory as it was in those days, including an absorbing look at the “missing link.” Additionally, cultural stereotypes and language are present, particularly in the way the British men of the expedition describe their indigenous helpers.

Read the rest of the review by Betsy Farquhar at Redeemed Reader.