Rating: 
Summary: Not Crichton's Best
Review: Actually the rating is more of a 3.5. This book had some obvious postives and negatives. The beginning is confusing and the first 40 or so pages are a real drag. It's obvious Criton did research and all, but its in no way exciting. Then the book starts to pick up and gets interesting during "The Keys" section. The characters are well developed and Crichton sorta ties everything together, but it gets old quickley. I had to force myself to finish this book. Worth reading, but expect for the book to bore you for a little while.
Rating: 
Summary: A masterpiece by the master of suspense!
Review: This is another winner by Mr. Crichton. Great book and a great story to tell. Read it and see for yourself!
Rating:
Summary: His best!
Review: Wow! I started Crichton's The Great Train Robbery saturday and finished it Sunday, what a cool book. I've read a lot of Crichton's other stuff--Jurassic Park, Sphere, Congo-- but this book was his best. The book does a great job of taking the reader back in time to England in the 1800'S. Plenty of intrigue and suspense wrapped up in the seamy underwold of old London, and a great surprise ending! Best of all the book is based on a true story; it fits the old saying that truth can be stranger than fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Not just describes, but transports the reader 1800s London.
Review: Crighton does a wonderful job transporting the reader to the 1800s London. The descriptions and the detail are flat out amazing. At some points, it seemed like Crighton himself lived in London during that time. Though immersed in tremendous detail, it so skillfully done that it does not bog down the reader. From the making of safes, to burial procedures, to the slums, and to escaping the most unpenetrable prison, the reader is bombarded with mesmerizing detail. In my opinion, this is the most captivating book ever written.The detail alone would be worth twice the price of the book. The language, though initially confusing with bits of 1800 English, adds to the effect. Crighton yet again uses one of his main strengths - fluidity, to heighten this reading experience. Finally, the plot itself is downright brilliant. A high class, educated man performs the most brilliant preparations for a mighty bank robbery. This book chronicles what the man does. The chapters where he plans out the taking of the keys is some of the most inventive writing ever. This book has great language, superb detail, and an exciting, captivating, intriguing plot. I would recommend this to book to anyone and everyone.
Rating:
Summary: A fine mixture of reality and fiction!
Review: This story is based on real facts, but like Capote's "In Cold Blood" it is a novel. And an excellent one, too. The novel reminds us somehow of a report in a magazine or a newspaper written in several sequences and appearing over a certain period of time. Here we are right at the Victorian way of writing: Dickens used to write his novels this way. Stephen King has tried to revive this art several times, beginning with "The Green Mile". But Crichton did it in the genuine way. Not only did he write about the Victorians but he also tried to reflect their style. He mixed reality and fiction in a very delicate way, so you have always the impression that everything is real in this story, even the dialogues the author could not find recorded. His research of the era was thorough, and so his characters and the setting are genuine. In addition he wrote a very suspensful story, not exactly a pageturner (thrillers had not been invented back then), but a very interesting and attractive book for modern people. The subject is timeless, though: How can I get at other people's money without being caught? A very good book, indeed!
Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful and rich in information
Review: A very good book to read on a rainy night. You become completely immersed in the Victorian culture and at the same time Crichton involves you in an intriguing soon-to-be robbery. This is not necessarily about the characters, but about the times the robbery took place. The amount of detail is quite voluminous, but not enough to stop reading. Every chapter, I said to myself "Oh great, another thing I have to learn about the culture and the society before reading about the robbery", but after the first page of each chapter, I'm into it again. This is up there with "Jurassic Park" - highly recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Impressive
Review: Perhaps this book has less of a high profile than the more science-oriented science fiction he writes, but I found that I enjoyed this more than any of the other Crichton books. It exceeds even his normally high standard of producing entertaining reading. Strong characterization combined with a wealth of historic detail make the book both compelling and engaging. Worth a go whether or not you're a Chrichton fan.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: It doesn't get any better than this! Not only is this story true, but it has plot twists, imagery and detail that rival any suspense fiction I've ever come across. If you are into historical England and want to learn about the Victorian society while simultaneously engaged in one of the most amazing modern day heists, look no further. A MUST READ.
Rating:
Summary: Michael Crichton at his best!
Review: This book is a must read! It is a bit difficult to get started, but once you get into it it is suspenseful and exciting. The book is not at all predictable and full of surprises. I would especially recommend this book to young adults, or youths who don't mind a little difficult reading.
Rating:
Summary: One of Crichton's top books
Review: This novel is written incredibly well, and leaves you knowing just what happened. The clever plotting of the characters and Crichton is incredible, and the way that everything seems so natural makes this book such an easy reader. Once again, Crichton's research shows in this book, from the amount of knowledge portrayed on topics from lockpicking to nobility. I read it a few times over, just to imagine it all over. The book is descriptive enough to be imagined as a movie.
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