Timeline (Unabridged)

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Summary: Chrichton writes an excellent screenplay...
Review: I truly love Michael Chrichton, his blend of Science Fiction, Science Fact, and Thriller elements, is a trademark of his that I've particularly enjoyed. This book is no exception, with some truly harrowing moments, and entertaining dialogue, timeline plays like a big budget Will Smith movie, unfortunately, that's all it is. Crichton wrote Timeline not for the reading crowd, but for the moviegoing crowd. The book makes use of several movie cliches 'Rot in Hell!'-'You First' and others. The character development is all done through dialogue, the bad guy gets what's coming to him, the good guy gets the girl etc. Timeline even goes so far as to include illustations in the text. It really is a pity, because when Chrichton writes for direct book-to-screenplay conversion, his novels lose something.

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Summary: "...an unrelenting piece of entertainment."
Review: In 1992, Denver-area writer Dan Simmons published "The Hollow Man," a Dante-esque novel that involved the use of quantum mechanics. It was a soulful story that delved into the mystical as well as the scientific. Michael Crichton explores some of the same territory in his latest thriller, "Timeline,'' which hits bookstores nationwide today. But Crichton's novel leans much harder on science,and, except for some minor philosophizing, completely avoids the mystical. (For an interesting reading experience, read the two books back to back.) Nevertheless, "Timeline," a tightly plotted, futuristic thriller involving quantum mechanics and time-travel, expertly and seamlessly blends the past, present and future. When a mentally disturbed old man is found in the desert and taken to a hospital for treatment, where he suddenly dies, physicians discover a strange anomaly: The man's arteries are misaligned. Before anyone can further investigate the matter, his company, ITC, cremates the body. The people at ITC aren't talking, especially Robert Doniger, corporate wunderkind and founder of ITC. A genius who believes himself above mere mortals, Doniger has put together a team that discovers a way to travel through time - sort of. Using a newly developed quantum computer, ITC scientists have been able to completely duplicate the essence of a human body (think of a digitally reproduced voice, only on a larger scale) and transmit it from one point to another. (Jaded readers take note: Crichton's research for this book delved into the cutting edge of current scientific know-how.) They also learn it is possible to send someone back in time, using parallel universes that are nearly identical to our own. What his employees don't know, however, is that Doniger has less-than-admirable plans for the technology. When a team of historians and archaeologists in France makes an unusual discovery, the team's leader, Professor Edward Johnston of Yale, is lured to ITC headquarters. A day later, his assistants (AndreÚ Marek, Chris Hughes and Kate Erickson) find a note written by the professor in the midst of their archaeological dig. The three volunteer to go back to 14th century France and find him. Rigged with earpieces that translate the unfamiliar language of that time period, the three are nevertheless unprepared for the violent world in which they land. Only Marek, who virtually immersed himself in 14th-century lifestyle while working on the dig, is able to interact with little difficulty. Beset by knights, nobleman and ladies (who all have ulterior motives), the trio don't know whom to trust. And when they finally find the professor, they learn of yet another unforeseen danger. Structured with a high degree of narrative flow, "Timeline'' is an unrelenting piece of entertainment. Even readers who aren't normally drawn to historical fiction will find themselves turning pages at a fever pitch. Crichton also sprinkles grains of philosophy throughout his narrative. As Doniger notes when preparing for a sales speech: "We are all ruled by the past, although no one understands it. No one recognizes the power of the past.'' Fortunately for his readers, Crichton understands the power of the past and the promise of the future. He puts that knowledge to good use in "Timeline.'' (Nov. 1999, Denver Post).

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Summary: Back to the future
Review: Stirring up memories of "Jurassic Park", Michael Crichton's latest novel plunges us into the heart of medieval France and.....quantum physics. He uses the same formula that he has dabbled with in the past(with great success)-that of combining history with science and delivering an engaging, to-be-read-in-one-sitting book. The book, like medieval France, is not flawless. It is, however, intriguing in its premise of time travel at a sub-atomic level. As usual, Crichton's prose is lean. He doesn't embellish his account with visually rich prose. One supposes that the film based on the book will lend the visual, visceral edge that underlies the book. Though there are parallels between Jurassic Park and Timeline, the books stand apart as imaginative accounts by a writer who likes to think and, in turn, makes the reader think of the immense possibilities that the future holds. With this book, Crichton has taken a step forward, by taking a step back.

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Summary: Very disappointing
Review: I am still waiting for Michael to include a death scene involving Elmo, Ricky Martin, and Rosie O'Donnell in one of his books...and I thought this would be the one.

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Summary: Crichton does it again.
Review: TIMELINE is outstanding, Crichton tells a story that brings together all the elements that made his thrillers so good. With wonderful characters and a fabulous storyline you will be unable to put the book down. Order it now sit down and enjoy!

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Summary: Burn This Noval
Review: This book is as fictional as it gets. It's time for people to live in the real world and stop thinking about things that will never happen in our life time. Burn It.

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Summary: Totally absorbing and engaging....a Good Adventure
Review: Michael Crichton has created another adventure masterpiece. With the success of pictures like the Matrix, one can see this book being made into a movie in no time. I purchased the book yesterday and finished it this afternoon. A very good adventure, totally absorbing and yet it provided an insight into an era of history I had never paid much attention to. I extremely enjoyed the manner in which Crichton weaves Quantum Mechanical concepts with the "Fictional" possibility of time travel. Jules Verne, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlien and Edgar Rice Burroughs all rolled into one.

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Summary: A disappointing mix of science and violence
Review: Michael Crichton takes the "what if" genre very seriously and he deserves admiration for challenging readers. He does a lot of research, and his creations are often rooted in modern, cutting edge science. The science in "Timeline" is a complicated combo of quantum physics and parallel computing. Crichton understands this stuff, but the average reader will feel about six college degrees of separation from it. "Timeline" is filled with weak dialogue and vellum-thin characters. I couldn't help feeling that Crichton decided to let a screenwriter flesh out the characters. (He's already signed a landmark movie deal for "Timeline.") The most interesting character is medieval historian Andre Marek, a slab of Mensa beefcake with a jones for jousting. But, as interesting as he might be, his fate is highly predictable. The violent, medieval action takes place during a war that actually happened, but repetition and predictability ultimately drain the thrills. Marek and company run around castles and mix it up with knights, get separated and reteam, get thrown into dank cells and then escape. Meanwhile, the cast of British and French medieval characters spend most of the book scheming and yelling. The book's main modern-day villian receives a punishment that actually makes the heroes look bad. Crichton has a great track record (I'm still a big fan of "The Great Train Robbery"), but "Timeline" is about satisfying as watching armor rust.

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Summary: The clock is ticking, hearts are racing...Briliant!
Review: You won't put this one down until the very last page, and then start from scratch again to see what you have missed. Brilliantly set in the 14th century (castles, horses and knights) and the close of the 20th this novel just show us that we don't know everything, and maybe never will. The best is yet to come. An excellent read! "The glory of the past is an illusion. So is the glory of the present." Edward Johnston - TIMELINE

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Summary: Even though I've yet to read it, I really loved this book!
Review: Michael Crichton is one of the most entertaining popular authors out there. His novels are always highly engaging, and this one proves to be no disappointment. What can I say? Sparkling prose, taut pacing, witty dialogue and divinely imaginative plotting... I just hope that I still like the book this much after I've read it.