Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Book
Review: As an Arab who is quite intersted in Norse mythology and the Vikings, this book was na amzing read. Crichton weaved the tale of fact and fiction to a threadline. This is the first time I read a book that does not criticize Islamic methods and views, but portrays them respectfully and candidly to the reader.This book is a must read for all Crichton fans and those who want to read a story written intelligently.
Rating:
Summary: entertaining blend of fact and fable
Review: This novel about an arab visitor's adventures with the vikings is a wonderful blend of fact and fable. If you've read "The Andromeda Strain," then you know what I'm talking about when I say that you are always guessing as to whether the story actually happened or not. This book got my mind thinking about the origins of our species and evolution. I believe the "mist monsters" were actually bonobo apes (who are our closest related species). I wanted to read a story about heroes and monsters; I got that and so much more. It is engaging.
Rating: 
Summary: Just to set the record straight...
Review: Right, quite clearly - the first 3 chapters of this book are based on a 10th century manuscript. The rest is wholly fictional. Ibn Fadlan observed and commented on Scandinavian merchants on the Volga. He didn't go anywhere with them, fight anything, or meet Neanderthals. Even if you know nothing of Ibn Fadlan, Crichton himself is quite clear on this point.
Rating:
Summary: Shameless in his blending of fact and fiction?
Review: A fascinating read but I'm a stickler when it comes to seperating fact from fiction. I still don't know where the author draws that line. The style of writing (sometimes painfully detailed scientific footnotes) would lead you to believe this is a meticulously researched scientific document and if I wasn't told otherwise I'd still believe it. Crichton gets 5 stars for gluing me to a book for a day or two but should be ashamed of himself for blurring something as important as historical fact.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what you might expect..
Review: I'll admit, I liked this book better when I first read it in 9th grade. But I picked it up and read it again after seeing the movie adaptation and I was surprised how well it holds up (it's been 6 years). If you're expecting a Crichton book like most of the others, forget this one. This isn't a modern adventure with the usual kind of writing. If you can get used to the primitive writing style (it's supposed to be an ancient journal, after all), it's a really entertaining story. There's a lot of sex and nonstop violence, true, but it isn't gratuitous. It's simply part of the story and it's portrayed as an honest part of life as the Vikings saw it. It's a refreshing change from the sanitized, sterile drivel that fills most of the bestseller lists. If you want some good escapist reading, and you can have the stomach for it, this book is worth checking out.
Rating:
Summary: Is Vahalla any more improbable than "heaven"?
Review: What I think is great about this book is that Crichton ties the history so well together with the story that he wrote, which is why so many people discuss "is this a true story, or fiction".? It is neither, it is both, it is a mix. But the incredible thing is that he achieves exactly what he was hoping to attain, which is that he got us all to read a readaption of Beowolf, and now all of us, whether we liked to book or not, know a lot more about the Viking and the ancient Arab cultures than we did before we read it. And what is really brilliant is that he did it through the premise that the Arabs had a written language, whereas the Vikings did not. Therefore, whereas Viking sagas were passed on verbally, and hence could be changed by the person telling the story, this particular story was put in writing, assuring that it was passed down unchanged. By the way, as a woman of Norwegian blood living in Italy, I recognized some of my Viking traits in Crichton's descriptions of the Vikings - and so did my Italian husband! My compliments to Michael Crichton. From Sci Fi to ER to novels with a historical base, you never let us down.
Rating:
Summary: Great book...
Review: Read when first published back in the 1970's...When I first read it the author claimed that the story was true and found among old texts. The plot has changed some and but is still a great read...
Rating: 
Summary: Extremely disappointing
Review: I have generally enjoyed all of Crichton's novels, but this one was awful. The characters were dull and they were not developed well. The story never really went anywhere. It's a good thing the book was short, otherwise I never would have bothered finishing it. I don't like giving only one star because I have a lot of respect for the author and I've really enjoyed his other works, but it just doesn't deserve any better.
Rating:
Summary: I am Antonio Banderas!
Review: I am Antonio Banderas! Go read about me as I travel to Norway to team up with some Norse dudes and fight guys in bear suits. As a hispanic arab poet, I chop wood while satisfying the Norse women. Livin' la vida loca!
Rating: 
Summary: Crichton Disappoints
Review: I had only read one M. Crichton book before, Rising Sun, and I had loved that book. So going into this I had high expectations and I was severely disappointed. I realize that he was trying to piece together actual documented events and that must be very difficult, but I found the overall work to be poorly developed and lacking in substance despite the copious footnotes.
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