Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely positively one of the best books EVER
Review: Having never read anything by Michal Crichton before, when i first picked up this book, i had no idea of what to expect. The beginning was, by degrees, fairly boring. it had a very slow pick-up, and until about chapter five or six, the book was extremly slow-reading. There was one event, and for those out there who have read the book, you will know what i mean, the one event that got the entire ball rolling. From that point on, the book went up and down hills and through loops and everywhere, never loosing any bit of excitement. It was tension down to the last page, but the ending and epilouge were a little on the odd side. I can't say much more here, except BUY THIS BOOK! PUT EVERYTHING ELSE ON HOLD UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED READING IT! you will not be dissapointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Paper Thin Plot, Characters, But a Lot of Fun!
Review: The premise of Crichton's novel 'Timeline' is pretty out there: Twentieth century historians working on the excavation of a medeival castle in France are invited to go back in time to search for their friend by a powerful corporation. I've always been weary of time-travel stories as they can be so easy to screw up. Even one of the best time travel novels ever written, Harry Turteldove's 'Guns of the South,' handles the time travel aspects in a less than stellar way. Nevertheless, Crichton's believability factor soars as he explains in exhaustive detail the method by which quantom mechanics is applied to time travel. Aside from that, the basic story is a little weak. While Crichton's research of fourteenth century France is austounding, it often feels as though he's writing the story to fit his research instead of using the research to support the story. The characters are two-dimensional and not very interesting, with the exception of the company CEO, whose cold blooded attitude makes for great conflict. If you're a fan of Crichton you should enjoy 'Timeline.' Fans of the techno thriller may also enjoy Leonard Crane's 'Ninth Day of Creation,' which is written in a similar style but gives the reader better developed characters and a more interesting plot.
Rating:
Summary: Crichton has done better(TimB3)_
Review: I was really excited to read this book, because I've never yet read a time travel science fiction book that made me believe it or feel any respect for the science behind it. I thought that if anyone could do it, Crichton could. Not only does Crichton not, it seems like he doesn't even try. There are plot holes you could drive a truck through.This was not my favorite Crichton Book He could have done better like in Jurrasic Park. He had my fists gripped and at the edge of my seat the whole time. I couldn't put it down. Timeline was the hardest book to get into. I felt I was bored with the life history of each Character, some details were so boring that I about fell asleep. The setting was superbly put together in my head with words. This is an average example of Michael's writing talent
Rating: 
Summary: another disappointment from Crichton
Review: It is surprising to me that I can enjoy greatly most of Crichton's books but this Timeline seemed silly, I couldn't wait to finish it. Nearly as bad as Airframe.
Rating:
Summary: A lack and a lass...
Review: Crichton again has used the formula that brought such an amazing payoff with Jurassic Park: A thin outline of genuine science, liberally overlaid by sensationalist sci-fi speculation, forms the framework of a high-paced dramatic adventure. With, of course, a smattering of love interest. Unfortunately, the gaps in the pseudo-science of Timeline are even more glaring than in Jurassic Park. Good science fiction should be believable, or at least logical! Crichton chooses quantum physics as his playground, stretches a few fringe facts to extremes, and voila, TIME TRAVEL! His "quantum computer", which uses the theoretical 32 quantum states of individual electrons for ultra-high-density data storage and manipulation, is the most plausible part of the picture he paints. Then he uses his quantum computer to record the enormous amount of data required to formulate a human being, and somehow transfer that into another time and place. Never mind the details. No, no, I don't mean I won't give away the details; I mean Crichton never gives away the details! And there are a lot of big details missing! For instance, Crichton completely forgets to posit an interface capable of making that data into real protoplasm... If his quantum computer could create matter from mere data, jeez, wouldn't that be, like, God?!! It would at least put manufacturing out of business! However, once Crichton gets his characters into the past, he comes into his own. He paints a highly knowledgeable and convincing picture of the place and period. This is where his tale shines! The unexpected complexity and structure of the "Dark Ages" comes to life - language, economy, social roles, architectures and all. And he gives us a clear contrast between life in modern society versus life in that past: Safety and control, versus unexpected physical and mental challenge. He makes his point clearly. How very less alive we are in our sanitized modern world! Despite the book's obvious flaws, ultimately, it is a fast-paced, good read, and manages to provoke some real thought. And dreams...
Rating:
Summary: Timeline Trouble
Review: This book was fairly well planned, but spent entirely too much time in the past. As the book progressed it seemed to turn into a non-fiction history book and a bore. Although planned craftfully with excitement the ending was not at all at the level he can write. Throughout the book I saw no plot development, as in Congo and Sphere. During some points in these books the characters warmed up a bit, but not nearly enough. In my opinion, I would only recommend to somebody who is into the middle ages and its inhabitants.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing
Review: This was really a page turner for me. I enjoyed the combination of history, time travel, and quantum physics.
Rating:
Summary: Crichton does it again!
Review: Once again, Michael Crichton has superbly masterminded a spellbinding book. Not since Jurassic Park has such an enthrallin book come out of his repertoire! The thing people love so much about Crichton's books is that he is able to manipulate scientific knowledge in such a way that it fulfils his fictional fantasies in a way that, to those educated enough, actually appears feasible, and to those less educated, well, it appears as comprehensible as ancient Greek. Not knowing the science behind the novel does not detract from the overall enjoyment of the book however, as the characters, transported back in time spend 37 hours running about 14th century France dodging the dangers of the 100 years war. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to all those who find science-fiction fascinating...
Rating:
Summary: A tiresome trip to the past
Review: While I thought the story iself was fairly imaginative, I thought the time spent in the "past" was an enormous amount of boring running around, one silly life-threatening event after another. Sometimes I couldn't even quite understand the physical circumstances in which these events took place. I was just so glad to finally finish the book.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best, but good
Review: If you are a loyal Crichton fan, you will enjoy this book. It probably will not make it to the top of your list, but enjoyment will be there. If you are new to Crichton, you are sure to enjoy this book. It has of what you heard about him. Michael Crichton does a wonderful job of offering the reader scientific facts along with his wonderful stories. Most of the time, these facts are easily understood, although occasionally, a reader may get lost. In Timeline, I was getting a little 'fuzzy' when they were talking about the quantum phsyics, but hey its quantum phsyics. I re-read that part a couple of times, although it might not have been necessary. I only have two complaints about Timeline. First, the peripheral characters were a little hard to keep up with. Second, the ending was slightly predictable (although does offer a couple of turns in the middle and end). All in all, I think it is a good read.
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