Rating: 
Summary: Timeline: Why it's Good
Review: Timeline: Why it's good "Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory does not understand it." In Michael Chrichton's Timeline, the immense figurative language and detail overwhelm the senses with such great effect that the reader feels he/she is in the book.
A professor of an archeological dig becomes stuck in the fourteenth century, and his students must come to his rescue. During the journey they come over many obstacles mentally and physically so they can get back home.
This setting in the story depicts the real place down to every detail except for the people going through time. All of the dates are true down to the minute, which really adds to the greatness of the book.
When the reader reads this book they will feel what the character feels because the characters are made so well. The excellent protagonist characters really keep the reader wondering what they will do next.
Chrichton's excellent complex plot keeps the readers waiting for the next piece of story. The pacing of the book is perfect, not too fast, not too slow. His excellent foreshadowing techniques keep the reader in line so they will not be lost.
The language of Timeline is somewhat difficult at times because of the Latin and Old French, which get in the way a bit. But all the Latin and French is translated for the reader so it is easy to understand.
All these elements of the story really set off the story. This book is given a three and a half. This novel is definitely worth reading as far as books go. Timeline is a great book as long as the reader does not have too high an expectance of the book.
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Summary: Generic "Action Book" - dull to the extreme.
Review: * mild spoiler alert * Timeline actually starts out quite well. The plot and characters are introduced in Crichton's standard fashion. From there the characters get swept up into the Time Travel plot. The theories and descriptions are intriguing and capture the imagination of one who thinks on the subject of Time Travel a lot. It may be a little boring here for some though. The minute the characters go back in time, this book ceases to be of any interest. As one review put it, there's not a single memorable line of dialogue in the whole book. Endless shouts of "we have to save him" and "there's no time!" (no pun intended) fill the pages. The last 3/4 of the book has almost nothing to do with time travel. The characters just run around in the European Dark Ages scrambling from this or that, running into endless trite complications. It is almost indistinguishable from any other recent Crichton book. Timeline reads like a screenplay and that screenplay is for a bad movie. The only way I can see this being remotely interesting is if you have not read any other Crichton books, or if you have not read anything concerning Time Travel at all. First quarter: 4 stars
Last three quarters: 1 star
Rating:
Summary: Highly detailed and original
Review: A very good storyline. The details are highly imaginitive! The first half is a bit slow-going but then explodes. Great book.
Rating: 
Summary: Wow!
Review: How someone can turn a subject that I am not at all interested in (both time travel and the medeival period) into one of the most exciting books I have ever read is just mesmerizing! I read this book is less than a day (while at college when I had plenty of others things to do) - I simply could not put it down. As trite as that may sound, it is the truth. If you want a good book - read it - whether it sounds good or not - just try it ... you won't be disappointed.
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Summary: An Extravegant Adventure
Review: One of Crichtons's best. The impeccable detail and strings of action captivates the reader and stimulates the mind. Set in current day, a company by the name of ITC (International Technology Corporation) unfolds the mystery of the Multiverse. There are billions upon billions of universes that are layered on top of one another, they split based upon your decisions, in one universe you brushed your teeth and in another you didn't, in one universe Hitler lost the war and in one universe he won. Each universe can be traveled to with the help of ITC. All of the universes are an exact replica of our past.
A professor from a historical association becomes very interested in what a site that he is recreating actually looks like and convinces ITC to let him into one of the machines so he can travel into medieval Castle Guard. The professor's team finds a note from him that reads HELP ME in perfect modern day English while looking through some old documents. Soon after they find the note, they receive a call from ITC that instructs the ones at the site whom are most familiar with the medieval period to get on a plane and fly to ITC. When they arrive they are sent to Castle Guard to find the professor, where they begin the most horrifying 37 hours of there lives. The book is so extraordinarily believable, after you finish reading it you don't just think hat there is such a thing as a multiverse, you know it. The action is perfectly tied in with technology, and you are left begging for more. The last 200 pages of the book are so suspenseful that your heartbeat rises and you are left on the edge of your seat. The amazing description of the deaths may leave some people nauseous. Although the book is long, you never want it to end. Everyone should read this book.
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Summary: Timeline
Review: This book was one of the best books I've read. The scientific data that was involved in it was hard to understand but it was not uncomprehendible. It kept me wanting more, I could not put the book down.
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Summary: Authentic amusement parks
Review: Michael Crichton seems to have a fixation with authentic amusement parks. That was the theme in JURASSIC PARK and we encounter it again in TIMELINE. The wrinkle this time is that history is involved. Through some complicated make-believe theories of physics involving quantum mechanics and black holes, it is possible to return in time to the middle ages. This happens to some of the historians funded by a corporation, working at an archeological site in France, who know very little about the other enterprises of the corporation. There is a portrait of a genius company founder with zero social skills. There is a compelling adventure story given with much imagination. The book contains a bibliography of mostly historical references.
Rating:
Summary: Save your money
Review: -The characters were paper thin.
-The plot was silly and far from original anyway.
-The only interesting part was the discussion of quantum physics. It felt like I was reading a screenplay for a very bad movie.
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book
Review: THis book is exciting and fun. It would not let me set it down
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: This book might as well have been glued to my hands from beginning to end. Great plot, never a dull moment. Very good ending too... Only weakness was in presenting some of the characters. I would have liked to hear more about Lady Claire, during the story. Unfortunately, she became neglected right about the time I developed an interest in her character. And the timetravel premise was not an issue at all. In fact I thought it was very well presented, considering the book is "fiction", after all.
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