As a young child I absolutely loved the movie, and as I grew older decided to read the source material. As I previously stated I'm a huge fan of the movie and the book put it to shame. As usual with any source material the book is always best and that does not change with this series. If you have seen the movie the book is vastly different and a completely different ride. While I enjoy both stories I think the book told it better. characters and plot points have major differences or are all together different. Michael Crichton has a fantastic way of writing and really understands the subjects he is writing about. I felt like a child experiencing the story for the first time. I truly can't recommend this book enough to anyone looking to give it a try. Regardless of your knowledge of the story you will enjoy the book. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would.