The Lost World is a novel released in 1912 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle concerning an expedition to a plateau in the Amazon basin of South America where prehistoric animals (dinosaurs and other extinct creatures) still survive. The idea of prehistoric animals surviving into the present day was not new, but had already been introduced by Jules Verne in Journey to the Center of the Earth. In that book, published in 1864, the creatures live under the earth in and around a subterranean sea. The setting for The Lost World is believed to have been inspired by reports of Doyle's good friend Percy Harrison Fawcett's expedition to Huanchaca Plateau, in Bolivia. Fawcett organized several expeditions to delimit the border between Bolivia and Brazil - an area of potential conflict between both countries. Doyle took part in the lecture of Fawcett in Royal Geographic Society on 13 February 1911 and was impressed by the tale about the remote "province of Caupolican" (present day Huanchaca Plateau) in Bolivia - a dangerous area with impenetrable forests, where Fawcett saw "monstrous tracks of unknown origin". Additionally, a 1996 Science Fiction Studies review of an annotated edition of the novel suggested that another inspiration for the story may have been the 1890s contested political history of the Pacaraima Mountains plateaus, and Mount Roraima in particular. Characters in The Lost World Professor Challenger, zoologist Edward D. Malone, reporter, journalist McArdle, Edward's editor at the newspaper Professor Summerlee, scientist Lord John Roxton, adventurer Gomez, brother to a slave: master Roxton killed Manuel, Gomez's friend. Zambo, South American black guide. Slavery and racism were regarded as "normal" back in time. Gladys Hungerton, Edward Malone's "love interest". Don't forget social context: women weren't allowed to do anything in those days!
Plot Edward Malone, a reporter for the Daily Gazette, asks his news editor, McArdle, for a dangerous and adventurous mission in order to impress the woman he loves, Gladys Hungerton. He is sent to interview the cantankerous Professor Challenger, who has become notorious for claims made about his recent expedition to South America.
The professor has been plagued by intrusive reporters and, being a man of great strength, has taken to eject them violently, despite the resulting police prosecutions. To gain entry Malone pretends to be an honest enquirer, but is quickly discovered, assaulted and thrown into the street. Although this is seen by a policeman, Malone does not press charges as the original deceit was his. Challenger is impressed by this honest behaviour and decides to reveal something of his discovery of living dinosaurs in South America. Malone is invited to a scientific gathering that evening at which he volunteers, along with the biologist Professor Summerlee and the Amazon adventurer Lord John Roxton, to travel to South America to investigate. After a long and arduous journey they reach the plateau. But one of their local guides hates Roxton and destroys their temporary bridge across a precipice, trapping the explorers on the dinosaurs' plateau, where he expects them to meet their deaths. On the plateau, the explorers encounter five iguanodons and are later attacked by pterodactyls, and Roxton finds some blue clay in which he takes a great interest. After numerous encounters with dinosaurs, Challenger, Summerlee, and Roxton are captured by a race of 'ape-men'. They also discover a tribe of anatomically-modern humans (calling themselves Accala) inhabiting the other side of the plateau, with whom the ape-men are at war. With the help of the expedition's firepower, the Accala conquer the ape-men; and insist that the expedition remain on the plateau. With the help from the young prince of the Accala, whom they had saved from the ape-men, the expedition discover a tunnel to the outside world, where they join a large rescue party. Upon return to England, they present their report, which include pictures and a newspaper report by Malone; but they are disbelieved by the public, until Challenger shows a live pterodactyl as proof, which then escapes into the Atlantic Ocean. At dinner, Roxton reveals that the blue clay contains diamonds, about ÂŁ200,000 worth, to be split between them. Challenger plans to open a private museum, Summerlee plans to retire and categorize fossils, and Roxton plans to return to the lost world. Malone returns to his love, Gladys, only to find that she had married a solicitor's clerk in his absence. He therefore volunteers to join Roxton's voyage. Animals featured Non-Avian Dinosaurs The group encountering Iguanodon Iguanodon Stegosaurus Allosaurus Megalosaurus Apatosaurus Other extinct reptiles Pterodactylus Plesiosaurus Ichthyosaurus Other prehistoric animals included Mammals Megaloceros Glyptodon Dryopithecus Pithecanthropus Toxodon Smilodon
Birds Phorusrhacos Other creatures on the Plateau Ixodes Maloni, a species of blood-sucking tick; named after Malone, the first to be bitten by one Moths; some large specimens were seen flying around the expeditions campfire. A 50 ft long black snake was seen by the expedition. Creatures outside the Plateau Jararaca, a highly aggressive venomous snake Agouti Tapir Encounter with Stegosaurus
Mount Roraima (also known as Tepuy Roraima) is the highest of the Pacaraima chain of tepui plateaus in South America. First described by the English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh in 1596, its 31 km2 summit area: is bounded on all sides by cliffs rising 400 metres (1,300 ft). The mountain also serves as the triple border point of Venezuela (85% of its territory), Guyana (10%) and Brazil (5%). The table-top mountains of the park are considered some of the oldest geological formations on Earth, dating back to some two billion years ago in the Precambrian.
Angel Falls is a waterfall in Venezuela. It is the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall, with a height of 979 meters (3,212 ft). The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyan-tepui mountain in the Canaima National Park.
The steep rock walls of the Tepui Mount Roraima.
READING PRACTICE HERE: Find the version that best suits your computer/printer, reading device...and practice reading. Ideally while listening! http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/139
LISTENING PRACTICE HERE, listen to a recorded version of the novel! Ideally, while reading... https://librivox.org/search? title=The+Lost+World&author=Doyle&reader=&keywords=&genre_id=0&status=all&project_type=either&re