Rating: 
Summary: Reading in the Dark
Review: This book is entertaining, simple and well structured. Chrichton is a man of few words...which helps when you read the book on a pocket pc.
Rating: 
Summary: A Book Doctor's Take
Review: Timeline is a well-written, highly suspenseful, action-orientedscience thriller. The plot is well thought out and tightly woven, andthe scientific premise is fascinating and extremely well-researched. The presentation of detail, both scientific and historical is expertly done. The technological innovation of the time travel (alternative universes through quantum foam) is unique and convincing.What makes it work for me is the grand scale of it all. Crichton sets up big stakes. The person travelling is vaporized by lasers, then "faxed" through tiny wormholes into another potential universe of which there are an infinite number. The author shows us a big underground complex, fabulous cyclotron-scale machinery and a compelling demonstration of the technology. This is big science involving huge risks; it is grand in scope and the details seem right. We want to suspend disbelief for time travel because time travel has reached a mythological status in our society. Who wouldn't want to travel back in time? It's a secret fantasy for many of us. Note: this was also true for Jurassic Park. We wanted to believe that it was possible to bring dinosaurs back to life, out of extinction. Dinosaurs are grand and fantastical; anyone would want to see one. Our desire to have it be true is part of why we go along with the leaps of technology in Jurassic Park. The same is true in Timeline. In addition to the science being appropriate, Crichton's historical context feels real. The Medieval characters speak and act in a way which while not expected, feels right on the mark. I am not an expert in the French Middle Ages, but sense authenticity in this book. Also, I couldn't put this book down. The chapter breaks were predominately cliff-hangers and the pacing was fast and furious. Crichton sets up a "ticking clock" time table and puts it out front where all can see, and where we can worry about it. It's a tried and true tactic and it works very well here. And lastly, the thematic elements are strong, convincing and arise neatly out of the story without being dictated to the reader. I draw attention to this here because the successful handling of theme is something which cannot be accomplished without adequate handling of plot and character. And even so, it is not an easy thing to do well. It is done well here. Nevertheless, with all that said, I believe that Timeline could be improved. First of all, there are too many characters. While Crichton does a fair job of keeping track of them all, with so many major characters, the reader doesn't have time to become emotionally involved in any of them. The major protagonists are Marek, Chris, and Kate. Professor Johnstone and Stern are minor protagonists. The major antagonist is Doniger (in the present), but there are a series of characters in the past who provide the main threat (Sir Guy Malegant, De Kere, Oliver). The book would benefit from trimming one or two of the protagonists, or pushing one of them into the role of a minor character. The most memorable protagonist is Marek. He is unique, likeable, and he always acts up to his potential (which is considerable). Marek has all the ingredients of a perfect thriller protagonist. As a book doctor, I would suggest making Marek the primary protagonist and diminishing the role of Chris or Kate. Chris was my least favorite character, mainly because he is so ordinary. Therefore, I wouldn't mind seeing his role lessened. Kate was nicely drawn and would make a good alternative main protagonist. These suggestions, as always, are merely that; the role of a good book doctor is to analyze and suggest, then let the writer do whatever he or she feels is right for the book. I believe that focusing on Marek would of necessity expand his character. It would put him "on stage" more, and we would get a better insight into him. We would get more emotionally involved in his dilemma. We could see more character growth this way, and there would be a defined character arc which is lacking in the book (with the exception of Chris's character). More on character arc below. Another problem I had with this book was the intense action all the way through. Intense action is great, and here it is handled well. However, the pace never lessens. There is no sense of rhythm, no time to catch your breath. The action scenes lose their power when put between two equally intense scenes because we have grown insensitive by overexposure. Also, many of the scenes are rushed. The setting details are often brushed over so that the pacing isn't slowed. I found much of the detail which Crichton did include fascinating; it enriched the story for me. Including more setting in certain, carefully-chosen scenes would serve to slow the pacing a bit too. This would enhance the experience of the story. If I had worked on this manuscript, I would have suggested that the author examine the scenes one by one to look at pacing. Character development and setting are two things which slow the pace, and this novel could use a bit more of both. With that said, however, I have to say that overall, Timeline is an excellent thriller. It has an unparalleled premise, innovative and carried-off brilliantly. The author has gone to great trouble to insure the verisimilitude of his setting, characters and dialogue. The book has all the ingredients of a blockbuster: high stakes, nail-biting suspense and fast-paced action. With a few minor adjustments - trimming the number of major characters and the strengthening those who remain, fixing the glaring coincidence which strands the heroes in the past, and tweaking the pacing - this book could be flawless. Even so, I look forward to Crichton's next novel with anticipation....
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Summary: I missed three episodes of "Survivor", but it was worth it
Review: I have actually never seen the show, but isn't that a great opening line? Anyway, this book is written in a similar fashion as the other "outdoor thrillers" as I like to call them, such as Jurassic Park and The Lost World. However, the amazing descriptions of the land that you are transported to are unlike anything I have ever read. Ignore the person who says that it has the same plot as the others (a madman making a theme park) because I didn't find it to be stressed as much as in the JP books. This book is worth buying because of it's a new idea and a great and exciting story from The Man.
Rating: 
Summary: Hopes Dashed
Review: In the beginning... I thought Mr. Crichton was back on track, writing a real novel after some past silliness of the Jurassic variety. The deserted desert opener is appropriately creepy, the history is fascinating, the physics piques my curiosity, the tech stuff is plausible and even the characters are believable. But then... disappointment sets in, page by page, as I realize this is just another movie script loosely disguised as a bestseller. The action scenes, the improbably slow passage of time with more happening in a half hour than could possibly happen, etc. and yet, I read on to the end, turning pages, curious about the outcome, glad on the whole that Crichton takes the trouble to entertain us in any format. I'll recommend it, but with a mild warning about the need to suspend one's disbelief.
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Summary: The Timeline
Review: While I found it slow to start, it took off and flew, it kept me extremely interested. I listen on my one hour commute to work and it was hard to turn it off and go to work. I loved this book.
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Summary: Actually, It's One of His Best
Review: God knows this book already has enough reviews, but since it has an abundant number of negative reviews (and indeed, the first one visible one the page), I have decided to put my 2 cents in. Well, simply put: (and coming from a reader who has been through all of Crichton's non-fiction books but one) it's one of his best. The only ones that i think surpass it are JP and Disclosure. And if you were one who liked Jurassic Park (and who didn't?) then this is right up your alley. It is a thrill-a-minute ride of suspense, but without leaving out complex science issues, indeed, there may be more here than in any of Crichton's other books. The issues of quantum physics and quantum teleportation raised in this book are very interesting and thought-provoking, and it actually serves to make time travel seem possible. For these reasons, and many others, it is a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: disapointing
Review: This book was entertaining for awhile, the mixture of science and fiction was, as always with Crichton unique. However the characters were hardly developed and shallow as was the story. I felt like it was written for the sole purpose of being made into a movie. Overall it was a big disapointment.
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Summary: Fun time travel reading!
Review: I love time travel! This is a great book for anyone that enjoys the idea of time travel. It falls in with Star Trek, Quantum Leap, Frequency, etc. Timeline throws in a bunch of cool new technical info that can make it possible to go to the 14th century. It seemed to take a little while to build up momentum but once they "leaped" I could not put the book down. Great book for a summer vacation. Much more exciting than Airframe.
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Summary: so so ...
Review: This is a fine story. But looks to me full of bugs. I am a MA of the history of science. I didn't do it by myself, but a friend of mine studied the history of Chinese siege warfare, including the use of firearms. That's why I liked his description of medieval life. As to the quantum mechanics, I have to say it's a disappointment. Technically, this book is far from _Jurassic Park_. The use of quantum technologies is nothing but a spell. Finally, you learned nothing but some buzzwords. The gap is too wide, you just can't buy it. In _Jurassic Park_, there's more-or-less valid way to build a dino out of amber preserved insects. In _Timeline_, you have to suspend your disbelief over and over because most critical technologies were not explained. Nothing is explained. Let's say the lossless fractal compression. If it's fractal, it's very possibly lossy. Otherwise, it's not going to reach a very high compression ratio, as loseless compression is subject to a theoretical limit related it its entropy. So you don't have to use fractal. Believe me, fractal is just one of the many unexplained tech terms used in this book....
Rating:
Summary: Starts Great, Ends Weak
Review: I've been a huge fan of Michael Crichton for some time, his novels combine the action and suspence of a blockbuster movie, but at the sametime not becoming a trashy "airport" novel. Timeline is no exception doing for timetravel what Jurassic Park did for genetics. But there are problems here, the characters are far to shallow, we are told that they are good or evil from the first paragraph, sides from which the characters rarely deviate. With the characters being so black and white it does mean that this book is quite put downable in places. Also Crichton's views on affecting the future in this book are quite the opposite of the chaos theory views that were preached in Jurassic Park. The film will be great, but the book could have been better.
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