Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat Good But Not Great
Review: Since there are over 1400 revies, no need for me to list the details of the story. They're at other posts. Here's my feeling of the reading experience:STRENGTHS OF THIS NOVEL: movement, pacing, good concept, events are well stringed along WEAKNESSES OF THIS NOVEL: characters lack depth, believability issues sometimes, not enough details to feel one is actually in the medieval ages, characters seem to get out of problems too easily (i.e. lots of other people die around them but the main people do not).
Rating: 
Summary: Slow start worth the wait
Review: I don't read much Crichton. With all of the corporate-greed-turns-technology-evil plots, they start to all feel the same. I picked this one up at a Library book sale for a buck. I was hoping for another 'Eaters of the dead', but it feels much more like Jurassic Park. It really is a good book, though it starts out in a slightly confusing way. In a testament to Crichton's character development skills, the first 32 pages of the books introduce us to a myriad of interesting characters that have bascically nothing to do with the actual story. They do, however, provide an intriguing mystery that makes us want to read through all the quantum theory stuff to get to the story. As such I won't tell you much about the story. The story focuses on a group of archaeologists (some graduate students) who are working on a cluster dig on the Dordogne river in France. Two castles, La Roque and Castelgard, lie on opposing sides of the river valley. In the mid-14th century these two castles were the staging ground for a pretty typical dark ages private skirmish. Caught in between the two are a mill (one of the few of its kind found) and a monastery. When the dig team discovers some disturbing contaminations to the dig, one their sponsoring companies, ITC, enters. Come on, its a Crichton, you didn't think you could escape big business, did you? The body of the story is fast-paced but it gets a little redundant with all the captures and escapes. The climax, which is a real blood pumper, is built feverishly with a mixture of plot-twisting suspense, race against time puzzles and good, old-fashioned 'I am going to die!' fear moments. The finale kills the excitement by tagging on some obligatory corporate greed thing. The epilogue, however, cleanses the palette of the bad taste with a nice sentiment. It's a good read, plus you can impress your friends with all of the quantum theory you learned. Regardless of the fact that understand absolutely none of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Quantum Medievalism
Review: Firstly, let me take a moment to congratulate Mr. Crichton for writing once again another masterpiece, a piece of work that easily rivals the very genius that is Jurassic Park. Timeline is an epic journey from the twenty-first century to the fourteenth century and back again with twisting plot lines converging into a magnificent ending that leaves the reader wanting to read the book all over again. I was thoroughly fascinated with the entire book, as there is not a single dull or boring part in the story. Robert Doniger is president of a quantum technology company named ITC (International Technology Corporation). His company has developed the technology to travel to different universes at any timeline in order to rebuild historical buildings and sites. This technology is a secret however, so when a Professor in charge of a French restoration site funded by ITC learns of this technology, he blackmails the company into letting him travel to the very site he is restoring in 1357 AD France. Something goes terribly wrong though and the Professor never comes back, so ITC gathers a group of the professor's associates to go rescue him. At this point, the characters learn what quantum technology and multiverses are and how it is possible to travel between universes. The archaeologists are thrust into a world of violence and fear as France is in the middle of the Hundred Years War with England. More specifically, in the areas of Castlegard and La Roque, along the Dordogne River as Sir Oliver de Vannes' rule was being assailed by "the Archpreist" Arnaut de Cervole. The characters are faced with their own problems though as they are chased by rabid knights, sentenced to death by villainous barbarians, and forced to use all their wits to survive an incredible adventure that will have you on your knees in suspense. Using stunning imagery and realism, Crichton successfully recreates a perception of what the world must've been like in fourteenth century France. From chivalry to clothing to the warfare, nothing is left out to ensure a realistic reading experience. The book is so immersing, I actually thought I was in the fourteenth century, but just for a moment. I read the book in two days, because it was too far too interesting to take a break from. The action and suspense never lets up once the adventure begins and waxes into a heart-stopping climax full of surprise twists and turns. Although the idea of traveling between universes seems far-fetched, Crichton does a decent job explaining how it is possible so it works for the story. The scientific language he uses may be a tad advanced for someone who has not studied physics, but that does not ruin the story for the reader if he or she does not understand it. I found this layer of the story to be quite interesting as well and Crichton did a magnificent job blending it with the medieval aspect of the story. Anyone who is interested in physics or medieval history should find this book most compelling and insightful. For the most part, the book was very realistic except for the universe traveling, which Crichton explains at the end is fantasy, and was derived from speculation. He made a special point at the end to explain that he tried to make his medieval world as accurate as possible, so this book may prove as a learning experience for some who are interested in those times. I recommend this book as well to anyone who wants a fantastic adventure story that might take some thinking about to enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Suspend Your Disbelief
Review: Knights and ladies, action and suspense, science and history -- Crichton provides a perfect formula for a page-turner. And even if, by the end of the novel, I felt that there are many better ways I could have spent my time that week, I certainly enjoyed reading Timeline and often couldn't put it down. Parts of the novel read like a James Bond film, especially when our hapless heroes who get sent back in time (or do they get sent across parallel universes?) are outfitted with 14th-century-style gadgets that will come in handy at just the right moment. Timeline's protagonists are quite naive, particularly for graduate students and professors, allowing them to get themselves into one mess after another. And, of course, they have the perfect combination of physical and linguistic skills to get themselves right back out of trouble at the last possible second...only to find themselves in an even worse predicament. Don't bother trying to scrutinize Crichton's science. It is well researched and well presented, as is the history, but in the end the reader must simply trust the bold statement of one of the novel's characters: time paradoxes do not occur. Can this be why 20th century Americans can travel back to 14th century France and not carry civilization-destroying diseases with them? Or are we to dig deeper when we learn that the plague hit France less than a year after our heroes left? Plenty of questions come to mind that Crichton does not answer, but this is a novel to get lost in and to spark your imagination, not to over-analyze. Anyway, you'll be too busy turning pages to worry about the subtleties of quantum physics and parallel universes.
Rating:
Summary: Crichton is a genius.
Review: I stumbled on this book by accident when a film trailer for the movie Timeline was shown at another I attended. Since I knew that the film was undoubtedly based upon one of his books, I looked for it. Wow, what an incredible read. Crichton is a genius. He has such a varied repertoire of interests that he is able to weave a tale of incredible detail. He also has a wonderful sense of character. Top that with the capacity to tell an exciting tale, and his book Timeline captures your attention from the opening words. Both science and history are part of the book. As in Jurassic Park, a scientist without much conscience places others in peril, forcing academics from the social sciences in the position of saving the day. In this instance a professor of mediaeval history and archaeology and his graduate students. The scenario shares more in common with a serious Monte Python and the Holy Grail than with a sugar coated Camelot; the world is dingy and dirty and dangerous, and the knights' behavior doesn't lend much credence to their reputed concept of chivalry. The book creates the ambiance of the archeological site then transports the characters (and the reader) back into the past of that site at a critical moment in its history. As with Eaters of the Dead, Sphere, and Jurassic Park Crichton's characters learn as much about themselves as they do about the world in which they adventure, developing as people in ways that they might not have done had they not had these adventures. They rise to the demands of their circumstances and of the needs and expectations of their compatriots, sometimes surprising themselves by their own abilities and courage. All in all the book is very satisfying. I can hardly wait to see the film.
Rating:
Summary: Chrichton's done it again
Review: At first you're probably thinking, where is all the sci-fi stuff?? Well, as the book keeps giong, it'll pick up the pace. When you first understand what Crichton's actually explaining, you'll be amazed. If you're into Crichton's books, I guarantee you that you will not be disappointed by his latest and one of his best books. Worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: Typical Crighton. Good, easy, and fun reading.
Review: Medieval experts travel back in time to rescue their friend trapped back in the past. Adventures ensue. The book is an easy pleasure read, great on vacation. After reading almost everyone of Crighton's books, I have to say besides Jurassic park, this one is one of the better books in his catalog. It is fun, descriptive and original. If you are familiar with Crighton, you will recognize that his charaters are somewhat cardboard. Likeable good guys, very bad bad guys. The story is predictable, but enjoyable, and you will be turning pages to see what happens. His descriptions of science and history are the highpoint of the book. His writing is descriptive and you get a good visualization of the surroundings. You can easily imagine the settings he describes.
Rating:
Summary: Quantum Foam Makes Me Roam
Review: A Review by Adam A couple driving through the desert in New Mexico stumble upon a man that appears to be crazy. He is wearing a felt robe that is still cool and has a white ceramic cube with ITC on it. The man seems crazy and is mumbling something about how "Quantum foam makes me roam." The man is then taken to the hospital and later dies. The hospital finds a map of a monastery in France which is currently being excavated by a team of archeologist that is being sponsored by ITC. I read Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park and I would have to say the beginnings of both books are relatively the same by introducing characters that never make a second appearance. However, the book starts off well and will get anyone hooked to the book. The action was great and several good questions make you enjoy the book even more and want to keep reading. Also, the book has some humor, for example, Chris gets separated from Kate and Marek. Chris follows a boy and he asks if Chris is "gentle" and Chris says yes. He finds out that "gentle" means a noble, which is a rather bad spot to be in, especially in Medieval France. The only bad thing about the book is (in my opinion) the quantum theory was gone over for a chapter but it seemed longer. This was boring but it was good nonetheless since it sets up some of the story.
Overall, I would have to say this book was great and I would suggest it to anyone. I suggested it to my friend who reads only fantasy books, and he enjoyed it. The book took a little while to get into the Medieval France part but it wasn't boring getting to that point. So if you like science-fiction or fantasy, this book is for you, but I believe everyone can enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: A lot of fun to read
Review: Timeline was another fantastic, thrilling adventure and in a way, similar to Jurassic Park. What JP did to bring dinosaurs to life, Timeline does for the Medieval Period. Crichton has clearly done his homework, as usual, on both the technological and historical fronts. I typically have found stories set in the Medieval Period to be rather boring as history, particularly European history does not tend to interest me. This book managed to bring the time period to life in such a manner as to make the factual explanations every bit as interesting as the action and suspense. While Crichton may not rank with the classic authors of all time, this book, much like Jurassic Park was a terrific page-turner.
Rating:
Summary: Timeline: my favorite book
Review: Timeline is a book written by Michael Crichton ( Author of Jurassic park ). Here's an outline of the story; In a very quiet little town in Arizona, a man is found walking in the middle of the desert, with no car, bike, or any means of transportation anywhere near. The next day, he is dead at a hospital, from an unknown cause. A company called ITC is behind it all, but nobody knows it's secret. Suddenly, an accident occurs at a lab, and the only people that can help are a couple of friends at an excavation site in England. When the friends arrive at ITC headquarters they find that their friend, the professor, is in great danger. ITC reveals their astounding technology to these people, and tells them that the professor is not where anyone would expect, the professor is stuck in the past. Now, these friends must suit up for the old ages because they will soon find themselves in the past, too. Read this exciting book written by the author who gave you Jurassic park, lost world, and many more. When you read this book, you too, will feel as if you are locked in the past, fighting off nights, and running, for your life. This book is so good, you can not, and will not put it down once you have begun. If you are looking for a fast-paced, non-stop action packed book that combines ancient technology with the twenty-first century, then this book is definitely for you.
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