1. What are the benefits of having Malone tell the story? Is the story limited in any way by his being the storyteller?

2. What kinds of humor are represented in The Lost World? How successful are the humorous scenes?

3. Should Malone be sad that he loses Gladys? Why or why not?

4. The Lost World is a tale of adventuring men. Can girls enjoy reading the book as much as boys?

5. The Lost World was published in 1912, before airplanes and satellites mapped the world. Is it still possible a place like The Lost World could exist even though airplanes and satellites have not found such a place? If he were writing the novel today, what would Conan Doyle have to change in it to take into account modern mapping techniques?

6. How believable are the novel's characters? Are some more believable than others? What makes them believable or unbelievable? Is Professor Challenger believable? Is Malone more or less believable than Challenger? In what ways?

7. How accurate is The Lost World's natural history? Are the right animals living together in the right places?

8. What do you think of Conan Doyle's depiction of most scientists? Is it accurate? Is the only way to make progress in science Professor Challenger's way? How would present-day scientists respond to Professor Challenger if he were alive and working?

9. The Lost World is a mixture of humor and adventure. Does the mixture work for you, or does it ever distract you from your enjoyment of the novel?