Rating: 
Summary: An engaging page-turner.
Review: Having read most of Crichton's books, I'm under no illusion that he's a great writer....he's not even close to that. What he does better than most is to 'push the envelope' and explore issues that are usually at the exotic fringe of society, but not mainstream. Thus I was not disappointed with Timeline...I found it quite engaging. There were some serious lapses in logic, but most of Crichton's books are like that. For light, quick reading this book is a winner. The movie that follows will surely rake in millions. He knows what he's doing.
Rating: 
Summary: A great Read
Review: I liked the book quite a bit. I have visited England and been in Medieval Castles and this book was right up my alley. I will now definately plan a trip to France to get a continued dose of this time period. I enoy all of Crichtons' books .......the "science" does get a bit intense to follow for those of us who are not so scientific. I recommend this book. I'll read it again in a year.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and fast paced - Vintage Crichton
Review: Michael Crichton's latest book, Timeline, is a fast paced thriller. While it is extremely difficult to top novels like Sphere and Rising Sun, Crichton's latest is certainly up to par. It was most certainly worth the three year wait.
Rating: 
Summary: uninvolving and trite
Review: I have read all of Crichton's books, and, with the exception of "Lost World," enjoyed them all...particularly "Eaters of the Dead." But this book was just featureless, both from the standpoint of character development and plot. In the end I had to ask myself what it was about the book that was - in any way - redeeming. And I must admit that I did find the physics somewhat interesting. Nonetheless, H.G.Wells' "Time Machine" this was not. A very disapointing effort from an otherwise highly entertaining author whose other books all sit on my shelves.
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting premise - surprisingly banal story
Review: Let's face it -- Mr. Crichton is no slouch. A thorough researcher, prolific writer and skilled storyteller, he is an admired icon and great contributor to our popular culture. Which is why we all look forward to reading new releases of his work, and which is why I just paid the full price for the hardcover copy of Timeline at a local bookstore here in Vermont.The introduction is compelling, and exciting. What promise! The story was captivating until... yes, unfortunately there is an "until" here... the main characters arrive back in time. Suddenly, all of the cleverness of the premise, and the promise of a great story, plummets into a bad plot from a Renaissance Festival. I mean, a joust? Frolicing peasants? Snarling bad guys in black armor? That's it? And the dialog: "So, the pig approaches."? I thought Mr. Crichton was trying to make the point that the modern stereotypes of the "Dark Ages" were inaccurate. You'd never guess it from this treatment. All that aside, I still couldn't put the book down, and I finished it within two days. But boy, I was really hoping for something more. Save your money. If you want to read a really good book on the period, which has interesting (and real) historic characters and a fabulous and terrifying narrative, then do yourself a favor and buy Barbara Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror" instead. That's a book you won't regret adding to your library, and you won't see it on video within 18 months either.
Rating:
Summary: Bring Back the Dinosaurs
Review: I have really enjoyed all his other books, without exception, until this one...every author is entitled to write an occasional dud, and I'm afraid Crichton has done it here. Cardboard boring characters, obvious plot, silly science...ingredients similar to past books but for some reason the cake doesn't rise for this one.
Rating:
Summary: A quick read.......
Review: Absolutely no character development whatsoever. Mr. Crichton didn't seem to be writing for himself, or the reader as much as for the movies. You could practically see each camera setup in his head. Maybe he should time travel back to his early writing days, so he could remember what it was like.
Rating:
Summary: "Timeline" a Classic Crichton Thriller
Review: If you have read and enjoyed any book by Michael Crichton, it is well worth your time to read Timeline. The book is Chrichton's traditional mix of high-tech science and old-fashioned adventure. In short, Timeline is to time travel what Jurassic Park was to genetic engineering. While the similarities between the two might be enough to call them overly formulaic, it is definitely a good formula. This story will clearly become a movie in the near future (when reading it, try Sean Connery as Johnston and Antonio Banderas as Marek), and sell millions of copies, but don't allow Crichton's commercial success to spoil your enjoyment of the product. Timeline flows smoothly from cutting edge physics to obscure but interesting history to heart-stopping suspense, all Crichton trademarks. Few authors are able to make the reader simultaneously think and be entertained, yet with Timeline Chrichton does just this. This book is his best since Jurassic Park, perhaps because of a shared literary algorithm, and it may sound simple, but if you liked Jurassic Park, Timeline is worth your while.
Rating:
Summary: disappointing, but still good
Review: I brought this book because I am a fan of Michael Crichton. I brought it after I read the Introduction and the first few pages. At first I think that Michael can give me a picture of the future technology and an exciting adventure of time travel, but I cannot find what I expected in this book. Secondly, the layout of the story is not very good that you can tell the ending of the story after you finish reading half of it..... The last disappointment is the character, who is the major character ... This book do not have a clear picture about who is the major character. This book spends a lot of effort to descript the world in 14th Century and it does a good job in creating attactive pictures of 14th Century. However, I am looking at a scientific story from Michael, not just a story about Knight and WarLord.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but Disappointing
Review: This is not one of the author's best, but it still held my interest. Character development is very weak and at times the story becomes pretty uninvolving.
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