Michael Crichton : Two Complete Novels

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother
Review: Admittedly I have only read Rising Sun and not Disclosure but one was enough. My wallet is eternally grateful that Rising Sun was so bad I have never been tempted to buy another Micheal Crichton novel. I found the book very hard to read and in fact I gave up half way through and just read the last few pages, something that I never normally do. I hate to say it but for once Hollywood made a movie that was better than the original book. I almost liked the movie. I thought that my ineptitude with foreign languages was the problem but when I lent it to a friend to translate the phrases for me, he said that he couldn't and they must be a dialect of some description. He is now working in Japan and speaks the language fluently. I lent the book to another friend and I don't care if he never returns it. You may think I being harsh but then if you liked the book you can merely write me off as that one in a million wierdo.

Rating:
Summary: They're All Out to Get You
Review: Michael Crichton's paranoia-driven novels play on the scare-of-the-day headlines that keep us all looking over our shoulders. Disclosure panders to the worst fears of innocent victims of ... harassment accusations. The trouble is, things like that do happen, so you can't resist reading to see how Crichton's characters handle these muddy situations. The characters themselves are flat and not memorable, but I find I have to find out how Crichton will deal with such politically delicate topics.

Rising Sun is a bit dated now that Japan is no longer the economic force it once was. Still, it wasn't long ago that Japanese interests seemed on the verge of buying up Hawaii and the West Coast and it could happen again. At least, that is what you'll think as you read Rising Sun. I started the book on a flight from San Francisco to San Diego. Midway through the flight, I looked around the plane and realized I couldn't understand any of the conversations or read the titles of the books and magazines my fellow passengers were reading. The flight was filled with Japanese tourists and businessmen. I could feel Michael Crichton's paranoia.

Rating:
Summary: This book worth second or third reading
Review: This book was both interesting and informative. It reffers to a period in time when there was great concern over the rising industrial power of Japan and their business practices. A very readable and worthwhile book.

Rating:
Summary: Two Excellent Novels
Review: This omnibus contains two excellent and controversial masterpieces of suspense. Rising Sun is a great crime mystery, and also shines light on the business tactics of the Japanese, albeit with a bit of paranoia. It may seem ironic now, since the Japanese economy is NOT what it used to be, but it is an interesting footnote and a very good novel nonetheless. In his next book, 1994's Disclosure, Crichton continues his habit of writing about the issues of the day, not some time in the future (something he has always done). It is the famous and controversial story of a man who gets sexually harrassed by a woman. Good book, his best, in my opinion. Get this excellent collection if you haven't already read these two books.

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother
Review: _Rising Sun_ is an amazing tale of intrigue, politics, and murder. It tells of Japanese and American socio-economic practices, and how they (in this case) fatally interact. Reading this book, I was entranced and enthralled. The pages seemed to turn themselves! This is a must read book, one that exercises your mind, as well as your adrenaline. _Disclosure_, on the other hand, was a disappointment, especially after reading _Rising Sun_. A mediocre story of "reverse" sexual harassment, I remained uninterested and almost bored throughout much of the story. The weak setting, poor character development, and sub-Chrichton quality plot all combined to make this novel a chore to read. Though _Disclosure_ is weak and disappointing, _Rising Sun_ is a sure-fire winner. One of the better novels by Chrichton that I have read, I would recommend it to anyone (though some of the more graphic sex and violence scenes may be inappropriate for younger audiences). However, given the weakness of _Disclosure_, I would recommend investing in a copy of _Rising Sun_, and skipping _Disclosure_ altogether.

Rating:
Summary: Half excellence, half mediocrity
Review: _Rising Sun_ is an amazing tale of intrigue, politics, and murder. It tells of Japanese and American socio-economic practices, and how they (in this case) fatally interact. Reading this book, I was entranced and enthralled. The pages seemed to turn themselves! This is a must read book, one that exercises your mind, as well as your adrenaline. _Disclosure_, on the other hand, was a disappointment, especially after reading _Rising Sun_. A mediocre story of "reverse" sexual harassment, I remained uninterested and almost bored throughout much of the story. The weak setting, poor character development, and sub-Chrichton quality plot all combined to make this novel a chore to read. Though _Disclosure_ is weak and disappointing, _Rising Sun_ is a sure-fire winner. One of the better novels by Chrichton that I have read, I would recommend it to anyone (though some of the more graphic sex and violence scenes may be inappropriate for younger audiences). However, given the weakness of _Disclosure_, I would recommend investing in a copy of _Rising Sun_, and skipping _Disclosure_ altogether.