Rating: 
Summary: Too slooooowwwwww....
Review: I have enjoyed Crichton's books in the past. The scientific world has always intrigued me, and this book definitely fits into that realm.However, it took about 200 pages before this book really started to get interesting. Prior to that, I would almost call it painful reading. The last 300 pages are good, but not great. A great concept, just not a great final product.
Rating: 
Summary: None stop excitment
Review: Crichton has really done his homework and the setting in 14th century France is brough to life for the reader. If you can over look a few weak explinations about time travel and related issues that are not too convincing, you can really enjoy this book. The pace is frantic and once in a while I heard myself even shouting to the characters as they constantly encounter one life threatening problem after another. A classic cliff hanger.
Rating:
Summary: Timeline: Trapped in the past/present
Review: Once again Michael Crichton takes science to the masses. His explanation of quantum physics compares to Jurassic Park in depth and detail. Any serious science fiction / fantasy fan will enjoy the plot. It was predictable, but entertaining. A rescue mission to the past with a few surprises. Chrichton's research into pronunciation of 14th century dialect was insightful. If you wish for a pure science book, this will not be a compelling read. If you look for science applied in plot with a 14th century bend, you will not be able to put it down.
Rating: 
Summary: Wait for the movie
Review: I was pretty excited when I picked this book up, but man was it tough NOT to put it down. after the first third of the book, which is pretty good, the entire story just falls apart. There was so much goofy action and so little real plot that I have to belive this was written with the sole intent of making it into a movie. I felt cheated.
Rating:
Summary: Good beginning, sliding fast.
Review: Charles Pike's review has it right: "Timeline" starts out well, but after catching the reader's interest, it takes some seriously wrong turns. Once the scientists have moved into the medieval past, the book becomes a kind of all-text video game in which they must confront one crisis after another, in a tedious and predictable series of battles. I felt that I was trudging to the end, determined to finish though it was a waste of time. (I just wondered if Crichton might have created a video game first and then written the book.)
Rating:
Summary: Hard to put down
Review: Crichton obviously did a lot of research to build a somewhat believable scenerio for this book. There were a few holes in the plot but I am willing to overlook them for an overall good story. For instance the argument made about how changes in history would not affect the present was pretty weak. I think Crichton just wanted us to ignore that possibility and get on with the story. Once I did, what a great story it was. It was interesting to read about the dig site and the scientific techniques they used to draw their conclusions. Once they all went back it was just one exciting scene after another. I really had a hard time putting this book down.
Rating: 
Summary: WONDERFUL!
Review: Let me just say that I LOVED this book. Prior to reading this book, Sphere was my favorite novel by Crichton. Now I'm not sure -- Timeline might be my new favorite. It had me hooked from the very beginning. I rarely have actual work to do when I'm at work, so I read a lot. I read almost all of this book one Saturday. I came home and finished it, then gave it to my dad to read. Then I gave it to a friend to read. I recommended it to anyone who would listen to me talk about it. I find time travel a fascinating subject. While I doubt the theory Crichton used is possible, it was still interesting to read about. The theories and the problems involved were captivating, even if I knew as I read that it was all impossible. I read to escape reality, and this was definitely an escape from reality for me. I enjoyed it immensely.
Rating:
Summary: Picky, Picky, Picky
Review: Come on guys and gals. Fiction books are just that -- a story from the mind of the author. You walk into his world and you are either comfortable or not. I could nit-pick his books to death and I was not too pleased with the Dinosaur follow-up, but all in all this book presented me with a wonderful world and one that I was truly sad when I had to leave it....now that is what makes a good book--not editing, not predictable plots, not other issues. In my opinion, this book is just a great "read" and I would recommend it to anybody who likes either technology, thrillers and/or history (but all three are not required to have a great time). Crichton has obviously been involved in movies and television a lot with his non-stop, almost unrealistic occurances that keep the main characters alive, but that is my only complaint--a little pacing might be in order. Otherwise, here I am a reader who has been trying to write a novel and if any of you critics think that is easy, why don't you try it. It is absolutely the hardest work I have ever done and my main job is an electronic engineering working on cutting edge military and medical projects. I recommend this book to everyone--even my wife.
Rating:
Summary: Swords and Science
Review: Okay, I'll confess that there is a part of me that may not be totally grown-up. But I think that is true for many people and that part of me really enjoyed this fusion of quantum physics and swashbuckling action. Is it the greatest novel ever written.. not even close. Is it 100% believable... nope (you do have to wonder if the best use for a "timemachine" is to try and corner the vacation market. But having said that, the science itself comes off as plausible (even many physicists claim they don't "really" understand quantum mechanics) and no mass market novel with a bibliography as extensive as the one contained here can be all bad. So if you are looking for a nice way to spend a couple of winter evenings in front of the fire, you could do much worse than this latest effort from Michael Crichton.
Rating:
Summary: Timeline
Review: TIMELINE by Micheal Crichton is a great book because of its mixture of fantasy technology and historic adventure. As in many of Crichtons' novels, he can explain the how his stories could acctually work, unlike in most fantasy or science fiction where its more like "and time travel happened because I said so". The book has enough action in it to keep you interested, but not too much so that it leaves the story behind. The characters are well developed, without stopping the pace of the novel with various memories of characters and side stories that don't have anything to do with the rest of the book. I enjoyed this book, esspecially after the last Chrichton novel was THE LOST WORLD, which was not only a horrible book, but a horrible movie, too. This book was a great relief from that disapointment. I encourage all Chrichton fans to read this book.
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