Rating: 
Summary: Another Crichton Masterpiece!
Review: I personally could not set this book down. I'd seen bits and pieces of the movie at a friend's house and decided to read the book to find out how the story ended. The book was much much better than the parts of the movie I saw... and they left out a lot of major story elements in the film. Whether you've seen the movie or not, Sphere is a must read for anybody who enjoys the science fiction genre.Crichton is an amazing writer, but unfortunately his books are usually turned into second-rate science fiction flicks (with the possible exception of Jurassic Park, which was awesome back in 1993). I think this is at least partly because so much of the appeal in his writing comes from the mental dialouge and thought processes, which cannot be conveyed to viewers of a film. Definitely hit this one up if you've got some spare time; it's worth every second!
Rating:
Summary: This is one of the best books ever!
Review: Sphere by Michael Crichton is one of the best books I've ever read, it's full of suspense action, and some of the best character interactions I've read. I would strongly recommend this to anyone who likes any other book my Crichton (Jurassic park, Andromeda Strain, Airframe, Congo etc.).
"For a decade, Norman Johnson had been on the list of FAA crash-site teams, experts called on short notice to investigate civilian air disasters... This time his wife, Ellen, had been annoyed because he was called away on July 1, which meant he would miss the July 4 beach Barbeque" (Crichton 4)
In the first chapter you meet Norman Johnson a 53 year old psychologist whose being called out to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, for what he thinks is just a routine crash inspection. He soon finds out it's much, much more than that. You quickly find out that there is a "Space Ship" 1,000 feet below the surface of the Ocean, and there's "something Alien" inside.
"They walked into the room, moving among the giant hands and claws. And they saw, nestled in the padded hand, a large, perfectly polished silver sphere about thirty feet in diameter. The sphere had no markings or features of any kind" (Crichton 104)
This is "The Sphere" and it is what the book is about. Without giving too much away, when you go in, everything changes and not necessarily for the better. As soon as this is introduced the book really starts to pick up.
"Now the feet of the body were swinging just above his head. Norman climbed another step, and one of the boots caught in the loop of the air hose that ran from his air pack to his helmet. He reached behind his helmet, trying to free himself from the body. The body shivered and for an awful moment he thought it was still alive. Then the boot came free in his hand, and a naked foot-gray flesh, purple toenails-kicked his faceplate... He turned the body so he could see the face. 'It's Levy.'"(Crichton 200)
If this type of writing doesn't intrigue you then this book really isn't for you, but as soon as I started to read this book I couldn't put it down. It's got everything a great book needs, action, suspense, philosophy, science, and everything else you need.
Rating:
Summary: A scientific thriller that will leave you spellbound!
Review: Psychologist Norman Johnson finds himself called to the middle of nowhere, somewhere in the South Pacific. Here, he is told that a spacecraft has crash landed--some three hundred years ago. Sent down with a small group of qualified scientists, Johnson must help unlock the mystery the craft presents. But the very fact that the spacecraft is 300 years old is to be dwarfed by other discoveries they make...and their fears mount as people begin to die... Michael Crichton is probably the best science/thriller writer currently behind the keyboard. His characters are real, and his plots, while outlandish, bristle with intense reality. "Sphere" is a classic novel of terror and discovery, and of the fate people must chose for themselves. A superb novel, one of the best works from one of the best writers.
Rating: 
Summary: Very different from other Crichton
Review: This was one of Crichton's fastest books to read. I found it very hard to put down and extremely fun. The conversations between the characters are informative and match Cricton's style for teaching the reader about science. All of the fantasy aspects keep the suspense and excitement up. If you are able to suspend your disbelief, you will thouroughly enjoy this book. It is fast-paced and suspenseful, and in the end it will leave you thinking. This is one of Crichton's best and I recommend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting idea, but too slow-moving
Review: Norman is a psychologist who once participated on a project for the Carter administration that he viewed largely as a joke: what to do if we ever encountered extra-terrestrial life. When he is suddenly summoned to what he thinks is a airplane crash site, he finds instead that the Navy has found an alien spacecraft deep in the ocean. The team Norman recommended for just such an occasion has already been assembled and he's been included. But what they all find is more powerful and dangerous than anyone imagined.
I found the story slow-moving and almost dull until it got near the end. Yes, the end was pretty exciting, but this just wasn't a thrilling page-turner like some of Crichton's books. The idea was very interesting but the book just didn't have the momentum to keep it exciting. Not one of my favorite Crichton books - 3.5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Super page turner...I loved it
Review: Great pulp SF. Only in the movie version the ending last scene looks like a joke. Good suspense, SF style and vintage MC.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Book
Review: I liked this book. It is about A space shuttle found no the bottom of the ocean that is three hundred years old. A team is sent to explore it and while in side they find that it is an american shuttle. But the catch is, the first space shuttle was built seventy years ago. How did it get there? Read the book and find out. My personal favorite part was when the jellyfish come to town. I didn't like the fact thatit was so confusing.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst book ever
Review: This is the worst Crichton book I've ever read. The characters seem to become hollow in the middle of the plot, which is like a bad chapter of the X-files.
Rating: 
Summary: One of my favorites.
Review: I've always been a fan of Michael Crichton, but this is the book that captivated me. I startd reading this book, and then I couldn't put it down. The rich plot and wonderful details make this a great book for fans of science fiction. It never get's complicated, but never get's boring either. If you were a fan of Prey, Rising Sun, or Jurassic Park, you will love this book. The charachters are all interesting in their flaws and their good charchteristics. There are a few things that might be confusing though. I can't think of an example but I remember getting mixed up somewhere near the end.
Rating:
Summary: There's better sci-fi around
Review: I found Sphere to be pleasantly diverting for a few days, but I guess I'm spoiled by reading novels of late that are actual "literature". Crichton's writing here just doesn't make the cut. His characters are cardboard (even though he tries to give some a PC twist, like the black mathematician), his prose is utilitarian, terse and vocabulary limited (e.g., he used the word "uneasy" twice in two pages to describe one character who was lying and one who had a stomach ache), and much of his "science" is hokey (I say that as a scientist). On the plus side, he does know how to concoct a clever, suspenseful story and reel out just enough of it at a time to keep you turning the pages. My advice if you like sci-fi adventure: your time is better spent reading real writers like Asimov, Verne, Wells, Bradbury, Heinlein and many others.
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