Rating: 
Summary: Good Book, Poor Ending
Review: This is an interesting but lengthy novel about interdimensional travel to medieval times. As stupid as that sounds, the book is realistic fiction, incorporating pieces of very prominent theories in all realms of physics today. Crichton did well on this piece (I'm not too impressed with his other work), and demonstrated an accurate knowledge of physics, computers (parallel processing), and medieval society. Even if you're not interested in the science of the book, there is a good storyline among the characters. Overall, a well written book, but it has a poor ending. It looks like they're going to ruin the good aspects of this novel with the movie "Timeline", so if you're going to see the movie definitely read this first.
Rating: 
Summary: He knew he was writing a movie.
Review: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Or in this case, the book or the movie script? This book reads exactly like a "novelization" of a movie. It is about time travel back to medieval France during the Hundred Years War, but never gets away from time travel paradoxes. Such as "we've got to repair the machine because they can stay back there only 36 hours" when you could repair the machine in 36 years and go back to a time 35 hours after they got there. Aside from that, there are many aspects to the plot that don't make sense and could have used a good editor. One hopes the movie makes more sense. Still, like a lot of Koontz' and Ludlum's books, it's a good "read", but if you want to learn about the Middle Ages, read Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror".
Rating:
Summary: Quantum events don't have a timeline!!!
Review: This was a fairly good yarn, except for the attempt at mixing science with fiction. On the one hand, they go to excruciating details on getting you to buy into the science behind quantum events. Then at the end of the book, they have tied a one-to-one correlation between the 14th century "characters" events with the modern day "lab" events. Both are true in relation to their own time, but there is NO relation between the two timelines! What is keeping them from going back for the protagonists 5, 10, or 15 years later? Yet, to make "Drama" Michael ties the two timelines together as a single time. I can just hear the physicists yelling, "Why are you hurrying??? Order a new window, wait the two months!!!"On the whole, read this with a HUGE grain of salt. It is a good story, but Mr. Crichton should have not tried to explain the science behind it if he is not going to stay with it!
Rating:
Summary: See you at the movies
Review: I agree that this brilliant writer has written a fine film script and an essentially boring book. I gave it three stars because you can pass the time with it without getting ill, but it has very little to offer besides an interesting, if hardly original, premise and one drawn out escape after another. I guess the character develpment will be left to the actors. Good luck, I say. I thought the "just desserts" of one of the main characters was over the top and distasteful-not clever, as I'm sure it was meant to be.
Rating:
Summary: Predictable plot & characters, but original idea
Review: Well, as far as a thriller book goes, this one is pretty standard, both story - line wise, and character wise. On the other hand, putting the story in medieval times was original. The physics & history seem very well researched, and many of the survival issues the people enocuntered seemed genuine.
Rating: 
Summary: WE NEED YOU TO HELP US GET HIM BACK
Review: I finally finished reading this book-and it was pretty good-there was alot of detail! And the medieval times were interesting-like how they get away from the bad guys and stuff! I know the movie will be good and interseting!
Rating:
Summary: lets not over think
Review: I have read timeline twice and loved it both times, it is far fetched with some holes, and SHOULD probably be a screenplay.
The other reviews seem to be by people looking for faults.
I am just an average reader who likes sci-fi. This book never stops, once the heros reach the year 1357, and is hard to put down, save for the wanna be critic intellectuals. The beginning sets the groundwork with neccessary science background, and character development. Crichton really does his homework on this one. The ending is awesome!!
Give it a chance, I dont think Indiana Jones would've survived all his scrapes either. Just read and dont pass up your bus stop.
Rating:
Summary: Swashbuckling
Review: Having read this book when it 1st came out I could see it becoming a movie. Although Crichton has been around a while he has become quite popular of late where pretty much anything he writes now is translated on film. I find that while Crichton's not a great writer he is a great storyteller. He does a lot of research making him a true SCIENCE-fiction writer, though he tends to show off ALL his research at times. Swashbuckling, predictable, definite movie material I still liked "Timeline". The little things like the earpieces that translate Middle-French, too many time travel stories ignore the fact that languages change and have every one speak Modern English. I liked his portrayals of Lincoln & Washington and the discussion on why you can't go back and accidentally screw up the timeline like "Star Trek" is always so worried about. I also like how he slipped in "Sir Gawain & the Green Knight" with the mad knight at the green chapel. I did keep waiting for a paradox with the explanation that they weren't really back in time but in a parallel universe, but nothing ever came of that. Sit back & enjoy it!
Rating: 
Summary: Are you serious?
Review: Hey, I can suspend my belief enough for time travel, but not enough for what the main characters acheive in this book. Battle hardened Knights, deadly accurate archers, mideival prisons, these are no match for these college students who suddenly turn superhuman and slice, dice and defeat everyone they encounter while escaping more impossible situations than I can count. This book was highly recommended to me by three people. Great plot, well written, I just couldn't get past the absurdity of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Predictable
Review: It is truly astounding to see such positive reviews given for this book. The only reason I can imagine is that they don't read much fiction. The book simply put is predictable. My spouse began reading this book for a book club. After reading the introduction to the book, I was eager to jump in and read it together. The introduction begins with some non-fictional tidbits about what we'd consider physical impossibilites, but yet may actually be possible. . .things in the realm of Quantum Physics...
The first scene only added to the great potential for an enthralling plot. But sadly these first characters were left behind and the plot entered into the category of literary pablum. After 70 or so pages in, I knew exactly what the plot would be. I laid out the entire plot and stopped reading, while having my spouse continue. Everyday she'd give me an update on the progress of the book and it's plot. Sadly, I charted the plot to a near exact detail.
What's worse than the predictability are the characters. Each has some bit of talent, which then just so happens is essential for them to use on their adventure. Of course in the group there must be a "brainy" one, then a "strong-guy", a clumsy-funny one. . .even these characters are trite and predictable in their actions. If you are just tired of the same old plot in action films, don't read this, you'll just be wasting your time.
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