Congo
Congo
By Michael Crichton
Last night, I finished reading Congo by Michael Crichton. While this was probably my third time reading it (the time before this being in middle school), I surprised myself with how much I had forgotten about the text.
Crichton takes a bold approach by structuring the novel as part documented record and part standard narrative. From a craft perspective, this is a very ambitious choice because the frame structure of the story is very dependent on two things -- 1. the endurance of the suspension of disbelief for the readers (specifically how long they're willing to accept the structure implemented by the writer) and 2. the endurance of the writer to control the structure (specifically how long the writer is able to write the story a specific way-- in this case, as a documented record-- without faltering). If either of these two elements (which are usually intertwined) fail, the entire story collapses in on itself.
Almost as if Crichton recognizes such limitations of his readers' disbelief and his own abilities as a novelist, he uses time as a tool to his advantage. Rather than spending pages outlining and detailing complex scenes, Crichton picks to only detail specific scenes and employs abbreviated time to provide a sense of momentum for the reader. Some such abbreviated scenes are only two sentences long, and the overall narrative takes place over the course of only 13 days. The effect of his time usage (for further understanding of time, read The Art of Time in Fiction: As Long as It Takes by Joan Silber) is that the reader is hooked from the opening chapter and propelled through the novel at high speed, thus airing on the side of brevity and minimizing the problems of endurance for both the reader and the writer.
But Crichton’s use of time isn’t only ingenious from a structural point of view; the sense of time throughout the novel also heavily reinforces the thematic patterning at work. While on the surface Congo is generally considered a jungle adventure with science fiction intertwined, the novel focuses heavily on evolution—not only in the world of living species but also technology. More than a few times, the boom of computers is acknowledged by detailing the advancements made by humans from machines which originally took up an entire room to machines which we can carry around with us.
Crichton shows us both where we’ve started and where we’re going, telling us that if we and the world around us doesn’t keep changing with the times that we’re sure to be eventually be fazed out by the world around us. Showing us that our ability to communicate with each other and with other groups (cultures, species, technology, etc.) is perhaps the key to our ability to change and advance.
At the same time, Crichton also cautions us about the evolution of our technology, touching on the fact that the more we advance it, the more “outdated” we make living organisms (such as ourselves) because we’re now dependent on technology. Over 15 or so years ago, the impact of this theme never hit quite as hard, but now I can’t help but consider how many machines and programs I use on a daily basis. In my writing room alone, I can use anywhere from 5 to 6 computer programs at a time.10 years ago when I was in high school, some were either in their early stages of development or weren’t nearly as streamlined as now. 10 years from now, what new programs will we have? By using an urgent sense of time in controlled manner, Crichton mirrors his thematic patterning by showing us the clock is ticking and we can either get onboard or be run over.
Intermix this tightly configured storyline with characters who are all desperate for something (Amy the gorilla is, by far, the coolest character in the entire novel with Karen Ross as a close second), and Crichton succeeds in creating a novel that’s a powerhouse with no excess in its short number of pages.
My only true disappointment was the handling of the climax with the gorillas, but given that it matches his thematic patterning so beautifully…I’m willing to file such a complaint in the “you can’t always have it your way” file. I recommend this novel to anyone looking for serious schooling when it comes to mastering time in fiction and anyone looking for how to use time to best intertwine with your thematic patterning…and of course anyone looking for a mesmerizing story from start to finish.