Rating: 
Summary: Great page-turner
Review: Sphere by Michael Crichton is a book that keeps you captivated throughout with non-stop action from page one. A true page-turner. The book is about a spaceship found at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The navy found the ship and called in a team that Norman Johnson, a psychologist, put together to make contact, if or when we meet extraterretrials. The team goes down to the ship to see what they can find inside. Before they open the doors, one of the team members, Ted, makes the comment "And here we are on the threshold of our first contact with another species." But when they open the door they get an odd surprise. Later, within the ship, they find a sphere. While the team is at the bottom of the ocean, their fears start to become reality. Norman, near the end of the book says, "the fears unleashed by contact with a new life form are not understood. The most likely consequence of contact is absolute terror." The last twenty pages will keep you at the edge of your seat and you won't be able to put the book down. This book is a great book and I recommend it to everyone. I give this book five stars because there are really no boring parts to it.
Rating:
Summary: Best Crichton Book - IMO
Review: Even next to JP, this was the best Crichton book written. It was pure science fiction that challenged your mind, and made you think "what if..." long after the final page was read. I won't devulge many details for those that haven't read the book - but I'd highly recommend it.Like many of his other titles (Disclosure, TLW, etc.) the book didn't translate well onto the big picture. I'm not sure if the screenplay was just bad, or the actors tried to hard to push their personalities over the roles. Not that my point is to bash the movie - just don't judge the book by it.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the movie (of course)
Review: This is the best science fiction book I have read. It is the type that makes one feel lost between reality and dreams. The people are down under the sea for a lot of the story and they start becoming victims of either the sphere, or each other's shared anxiety. And then you get anxious - being surrounded by a dark, ominious sea is all that is needed to make you terrified. But till the end you can never tell if the sphere is a creation of their minds or a being, or what. It's a mystery - the key to any good science fiction. By the way, although Dustin Hoffman is a reat actor, I say you should read the book first. This is definitely *not* the book you would want to spoil by knowing all the secrets. :)
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Summary: Going in Cirles?
Review: Many "professional" reviewers dislike Sphere, believing that the plot is weak and goes in cirles. I am here to disagree. Sphere is a complex novel, though never confusing. Crichton skillfully builds mystery and suspense as the death toll rises. This book combines the past, present, and future in a fast-paced, gripping adventure on the ocean floor. The main characters of this novel are members of an alien-advisory panel. Their collective strength is tested when they are called upon to investigate a plane crash. Not just any plane, mind you, but a spaceship. The catch? The ship appears to be have crashed hundreds of years ago. Upon entering the ship, however, the ship is actually from fifty years into the future. The adventure begins when the team finds a large sphere covered with mysterious designs. As a storm brews overhead, the characters find themselves trapped on the ocean floor, with a new presence in their midst. There's something about that sphere... As a writer, Michael Crichton has made the science of the book easy to comprehend and fun to read. Sphere is a book just about anyone would enjoy, especially as a fan of Michael Crichton. This is yet another instance where the book is far better than the movie.
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Summary: The Sphere is Here
Review: There is no doubt about it, this book rocks. Usually I read books and give up after a chapter or two, but this book kept me interested the whole time. Every page was exciting and fun. One of Crichton's best works and it was very exciting too.
Rating:
Summary: Crichton's Best
Review: If you are a sci-fi fan this is a must read book. Sphere starts out with a so called alien "crash" in the Pacific Ocean. The most odd scientists are called in and are told to keep quiet about what they are about to see. They are astonished at what they find, because nobody can figure out what this huge sphere is. None of the scientists know how to explain it until one scientist goes inside. Unexplainable phenomena start happening to all of them. All of their lives are in danger but will they come out alive? This is the only sci-fi book that I have ever enjoyed maybe that is because of crichton's phenominal writing stlye. This qoute helps the reader get involved into the book and make them want to keep reading. "A thousand feet beneathe the ocean surface in the middle of the pacific, something has been discovered. Its origin, its structure, its malevolent energy are baffling. But whatever it is, it can each your mind. It knows your worst fears. And now it's starting to make those fears come true." I thought that the begining was very slow and boaring, but after they got off the helicopter the story took off and I never put it down after that. The characters were well developed, and you knew what kind of scientist they were and how they would contribute to the discovery to the sphere. Thoughtout the story I could tell what was going on. Crichton used great imagery, especially when discribing what it was like inside the sphere. It felt like you were there with the scientists. The symbolism in this story was great, the sphere symbolized technology. It shows that technology if not known how to use can be very dangerous. This is represented by what happens to them. The stories theme is very similar, saying that not all technology is good. The drawbacks of this book would have to be the lack of development of technical terms used thoughout the story. Most people know what a black whole is but for those who don't Crichton needs to tell us what it is. There are many other scientific and math terms that I didn't understand.
Rating:
Summary: Fasinating
Review: Sphere is one of the best books I have read. the story takes you one way and then another. This sci-fi novel should be read by everybody.You'll notice somthing odd in the book. The beining wasn't what I expected but then the book gets very interesting. I couldn't put this book down. In the end you'll see its not what you expect.With this books written details you'll feel like your in the book with the characters. Like Isiad befor I think this novel sould be raed by everyone who likes sci-fi. And I bet you wont be able to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Best of Crichton's
Review: I also felt very bad when I saw the movie. I had waited too long for the movie release, but the result were very disappointing. It's just too different from the novel. Or is it a common phenomena (if you read it first, you tend not to be satisfied with the director's movie translation)? For me, among all the Crichton's books this one is the most special, although it is a thicker book than others but I found myself still cannot drop it. At the end I was satisfied that I did not drop it in the middle.
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Summary: Sphere - Incredible Suspense
Review: Some people would just as soon not read the book and rent the movie, but the novel Sphere is an exceptional book and a bona fide classic. Although the plot is roughly similar to that of the movie, the squid combat scenes are much scarier and all of the characters are more human. Everything about this novel is just perfect. But this book, it is the best one I have ever read.
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Summary: The Price Of Self-Indulgence
Review: This book is noticeably more psychological than the author's other novels, but just as suspenseful and engaging. The story deals primarily with the misuse of technology for fulfillment of desire. The characters must deal with a proverbial alien vehicle that changes the human that touches it. Tension throughout the book leads up to a heart pounding ending. It is not the most uplifting, ideal novel, but it's fun recreational reading.
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