Atlantica - 01.09.2000, Side 22

20 A T L A N T I C A
earlier writers, like Balzac for example, wrote much more on a
mental plane than modern writers. Modern writing is more
physical, there is more action, less thinking, going on. I think
the greatest novels written in the last century were by Freud.”
Novels? Now I’m very puzzled and wonder if he got enough
sleep after his 22 hour journey.
“I really think the ego is a fictional character just as Hamlet is.
It shows you how an excellent novel can change people’s ideas
and the way they think.”
And does he normally like the film-versions of his books?
“It has happened that I’ve felt physically sick when watching
a movie based on my novel and have had to leave the theatre.
I was so disappointed. I think the films have always turned out
a little different to what I imagine. It’s natural. When I wrote
Jurassic Park I never thought that it could be made into a
movie. When I watched it for the first time, I felt uncomfortable.
I went back home and my wife asked me how I had liked it. I
told her I felt uncomfortable, because the whole thing was so
realistic. Almost too realistic. My wife’s response was ‘Well it
must have been good then’. I also particularly liked Disclosure,
the characters were pretty close to what I had imagined.”
Crichton graduated summa cum laude at Harvard and lec-
tured on anthropology at Cambridge for a while. He then paid
his way through Harvard Medical School by writing pseudony-
mous novels, until the publication of the successful The
Andromeda Strain.
“My first big break was when I was still in medical school. I
had been writing this odd, cold book called The Andromeda
Strain. When I first showed it to my editor he said I had to make
it more realistic. So I went through all these science textbooks
and added all sorts of information and diagrams and brought it
back to him. He said ‘Michael, you’ve done a very thorough job.
Congratulations. But no one is ever going to read it’. He must
have been surprised when it became a best-seller.”
CRICHTON is obviously blessed with a vivid imagination.
From dinosaurs to a sexual harassment case, from a killer virus
to time travel, I wonder how he gets the ideas for his novels.
“If I write too much for too long, I find my ideas getting stale.
That’s when I realise I’ve forgotten to live my life as well. Then I
have to take a break, possibly to travel, or not to do anything
special at all, to recharge my energy. I tend to get most of my
ideas from real life, as strange as they may seem.”
I imagine that Crichton lives the Hollywood lifestyle, sur-
rounded by directors and movie stars.
“Not at all. I live in New York State. I did actually live in Santa
Monica for some years, but I didn’t like it at all. There are parts
of that life that are inevitable, the dinners, the meetings... but
no, all that is not for me.”
I tell Crichton that Icelanders are now selling rights to the
Sagas to Hollywood producers, and ask him for his expert opin-
ion.
Crichton pauses and thinks very carefully. “Are they making a
film or a TV series?” I tell him that two or three films may be
made from the Sagas.
“I know that epics are coming back now, there seems to be a
public interest in seeing them. I bet, however, that the Roman
writers would turn in their grave over things like Gladiator. I
think it would be possible to make a movie from the Sagas, but
they would have to be very, very careful. The best of literature
has been made into the worst of films, and vice versa.”
I ask him whether Iceland gave him any inspirations for a new
novel.
“That will just remain to be seen” he replies with a glint in his
eye. “I will definitely come back soon, and travel around the
country.”
Crichton sets off for downtown Reykjavík, an anonymous, if
amazingly tall, figure in his blue jeans, anorak and backpack,
hoping to return with some fine examples of Icelandic art.
airmail
Anna Margrét Björnsson is a staff writer.
Michael Crichton’s latest novel, Timeline, is published by Random House.
It has happened that I’ve felt physically
sick when watching a movie based on my
novel and have had to leave the
theatre. I was so disappointed.
“
”(Michael Crichton)
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THE LOST WORLD
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