Rating: 
Summary: If you like Michael Crighton, you won't like this book
Review: This is very different from most of Crighton's other books and I liked it best of all. But then, I didn't like Sphere or Congo, or some of his others. He is a good writer as Eaters of the Dead and Travels prove, but he is a little too much in love with Hollywood.
Rating: 
Summary: Thumbs Up
Review: If you're used to the normal Crichton, you might not like this book (as seems to be a wide feeling from all the one star reviews below). This is not a page-turning thriller. It is three chapters of an an actual text an Arab wrote about his adventures with the Vikings...after which Crichton continues the tale as a fictional story he made up, but using the same writing style as that of the Arab scholar. So it is three chapters of an historical document grafted onto a fictional novel. And as someone who is very interested in cultures, I found this book a fascinating glimpse into the Viking culture from the perspective of a foreigner (an Arab). The writing style is perhaps a bit unnatural in that it reads rather awkardly as old texts tend to. But if you're the type interested in history, other cultures, and a book that shows that the Vikings were more civilized than history gives them credit for, I think you'll like this book.
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Summary: Beowulf vs. Grendel: Medieval man vs. Neanderthal man?
Review: This is a facinating and engrossing book!At first glance, it looks like another great weaving of history and fiction by Michael Crichton. This book makes a plausible case for the idea that the events recorded in Beowulf are perhaps based more in fact than in legend (ie, mythology). Perhaps the encounters of Beowulf and his Norsemen with the "monster" Grendel and his kin were in fact encounters with Neanderthals. Some anthropologists think that isolated groups of Neanderthals could have existed in remote parts of Europe into the middle ages. Also, many anthropologists think that Neanderthals were cannibals. This, of course, leads to fascinating speculations. If primitive man could survive (in isolation) into the middle ages, could he have survived (in isolation, of course) into our century? What about tales of the Yeti, the Sasquatch, Bigfoot, etc.? The Eaters of the Dead make one long for another Crichton book of this genre!One word of caution, however!! The title will generate strong rections from many people! I was snug in my seat on a long flight, happily reading this book when a flight attendant walked by. That lovely lady grabbed my wrist, jerked the book out of my hand, and demanded: "WHAT ARE YOU READING?!!!" I patiently tried to explain that the book is a novelization of Beowulf, a literary classic. She looked at me as if to say: "Yeah, right." Then she did say before walking off: "You don't look like the kind of man who would read stuff like that!" While I found her reaction amusing, I did notice that she kept an eye on me during the rest of the flight!
Rating: 
Summary: Boooooooring!
Review: This was one the worst books I have ever read. The characters were lifeless, the story lame, and the ending simply awful. I would give it less than 1 star if I could.
Rating:
Summary: Stinker
Review: I have read 7 of Michael Crichton's books and they are among my favorites. But he really missed the mark with this one. Boring!
Rating: 
Summary: Agreed, nice try... falls short of good
Review: Ingenious idea to write Beowulf from an outsider/foreign point of view. Crichton starts off strong with wonderful tense and regurgitative viewpoints that can only be describes as "short" and "journalistic". The style is strange yet highly interesting. And then the style changes abrubtly. It's no coincidence that the first 3 chapters were paraphrased from the acutal Ibn Fadlan manuscritps and the remainder of the novel is Crichton's attempt to copy that style. Although he proceeds with the story at a furious pace, it seems to get lost in his attempt at "faking" this ancient prose. Like I said before, nice try....falls short of good. If you want to read something magical, based in history(?), read Beowulf and wonder at the magic of orginality, not originality trying to duplicate magic.
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Summary: Ibn Fadlan's adventure with the Vikings was great!
Review: As a scholar of archaeology and anthropology,i,truly liked this novel.It is a pure historical adventure with great characters that comes to life as one reads it.It is also a well written eye witness account.As an history and legend and even anthropology lover,i would like to say again that this book is great!Thanks to Mr Crihton.
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Summary: I wish I had been forewarned (don't waste your time)
Review: This was one of the worst books I have ever completed. I kept waiting for it to get better, but it never did. In fact, the only reason I read it was because it was bundled with Sphere and Congo into one book. When I read Crichton's footnote saying that he wrote the story as a challenge to come up with a modernized version of Beowulf, I felt as if I had been made the butt of a practical joke, with everyone pointing their fingers at me laughing! The story was slow, the characters were lifeless, and it seemed to me as if I were watching a bad 1950's sci-fi/horror film (emphasis on BAD). I have read worse stories, but had the sense to cast them aside before completing them. This may be an interesting chapter in Crichton's literary life, but only to historians. I only wish Amazon's rating system would let me issue less than one star.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: All I have to say is read this book if you like books with culture, history, battles, and great writing.
Rating:
Summary: Ibn Fadlan lives through Michael Crichton!!!
Review: Ibn Fadlan is a Scribe in Super Hero tights and Michael Crichton brings him to you!!! This book has got to be one of the Greatest!!! Buy it, Borrow it, Rent it, Steal it!!! Get this book between Yourself and the World and you'll come out of it smarter, wiser with a fresher look at the World.
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