Rating: 
Summary: Swords and Science
Review: Okay, I'll confess that there is a part of me that may not be totally grown-up. But I think that is true for many people and that part of me really enjoyed this fusion of quantum physics and swashbuckling action. Is it the greatest novel ever written.. not even close. Is it 100% believable... nope (you do have to wonder if the best use for a "timemachine" is to try and corner the vacation market. But having said that, the science itself comes off as plausible (even many physicists claim they don't "really" understand quantum mechanics) and no mass market novel with a bibliography as extensive as the one contained here can be all bad. So if you are looking for a nice way to spend a couple of winter evenings in front of the fire, you could do much worse than this latest effort from Michael Crichton.
Rating: 
Summary: Timeline
Review: TIMELINE by Micheal Crichton is a great book because of its mixture of fantasy technology and historic adventure. As in many of Crichtons' novels, he can explain the how his stories could acctually work, unlike in most fantasy or science fiction where its more like "and time travel happened because I said so". The book has enough action in it to keep you interested, but not too much so that it leaves the story behind. The characters are well developed, without stopping the pace of the novel with various memories of characters and side stories that don't have anything to do with the rest of the book. I enjoyed this book, esspecially after the last Chrichton novel was THE LOST WORLD, which was not only a horrible book, but a horrible movie, too. This book was a great relief from that disapointment. I encourage all Chrichton fans to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Best book I've read all year!!!!!!!!
Review: All of Michael Crichton's books have one thing in common...Time. If you are looking for a read-it-in -one-night-page turner...you found it. This one has something for everybody. Yes, the beginning does explain a little about science and Quantum Physics to help you understand the possibilities of playing with time...but even in Jurassic park that was a requirement. I am no fan of science but I enjoyed the few pages devoted to this...because then you're off!!! from modern day archaeology to Medievel times. All the characters are beleivable and real. The character Merik...seems so quiet in the beginning..but just wait!!! He will shock the pants off you. This book is an adventure. Thrills, chills, and suspense....especially 3/4 through.....you can't stop the page turning.This is because every chapter is a watch ticking Literally. It is a countdown and as time runs out you find it truly is Impossible to put this book down. My husband is a devoted Tom Clancy fan..he's just not an adventurous reader. I nagged him to read Timeline all year...he finally did and LOVED it!!!
Rating:
Summary: A compelling book but lacks some detail
Review: If you'd like a mixture of a little bit of science fiction, lots of history and some interesting characters, this book is a must. The premise of 'going back in time' has always been of interest to me and I enjoyed where Michael Crichton took it along with the time period he chose. The primary characters were interesting and the plot wonderful. The only low points were that the characters weren't fleshed out more and that the means of transporting into another time period and coming back were glossed over a bit. I would have enjoyed greater detail in both of these areas. I haven't come across a book very often that I've wanted to pick up and read again as soon as I've finished it, but this is one. I can only hope there's a sequel!
Rating: 
Summary: 3.5 Stars
Review: Imagine technology being invented that can send people to parallel universes that exist at different points in history, essentially almost the same thing as a trip back in time. Good starting point for an adventure story, eh? Now imagine such technology in the hands of an unstable rich genius combining the merchandising greed of Mike Eisner and the megalomaniacal qualities of Bill Gates. Suddenly it doesn't seem as compelling. Toss in a scholar completely versed in every aspect of the culture they end up visiting (gee, what are the odds?), along with several other personality types. Evil lords, nasty soldiers, ravishing ladies. Chances are you have an idea of the predictability factor by now.In true Crichton form, (almost) everything is backed up by science - you can tell he's done his homework. Too bad that, in this case, all the science serves as nothing but props for the plot. People talk differently in the past? No problem, invent a device that translates for you. Need a deadline to create some suspense? Have a 37-hour limit on how long the machine can stay in the past, complete with a digital readout counting down the time remaining. At times I wished it had been done as a straight sci-fi story: Crichton bends over backwards to give the impression *this could actually be done,* only to set up a straight adventure story that could (and was probably meant to) become just a standard swashbuckling adventure movie. It's like using a 60-piece symphony to orchestrate a Rolling Stones album. And yet, familiarity doesn't stop anyone from spinning Beggars Banquet one more time. Despite the overworking tendencies, "Timeline" is an unashamedly fun read. And isn't that what we look to Crichton's fiction for in the first place?
Rating:
Summary: A decent blend of science and fiction
Review: Not the best of his works but it did have me thinking of the possibilities. I found it entertaining and that is, in part, what recreational reading is about. The plot and characters were not as strong as I would have thought for a Crichton novel, but then there is always Airframe. Overall I would put this book on your list of reads but I would not put down what you are doing just to read it. This is a good "between novels" book.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe a decent movie; just an "OK" book
Review: I've read Sphere (good; better than movie), Lost World (terrible book and movie), and Jurassic Park (good; much better than movie). Timeline fell sort of in between the best and worst of Crichton. It was a fun book to read, but not what I would call a "good book" -- an "OK" book, if you will. It felt more to me like a movie screenplay in test format. Fun parts included the desert encounter with "transcription error" man, the inadvertent acceptance by Chris of the jousting challenge, and the ending, which I, of course, won't reveal. The whole "scientific" explanation of the technology in this book was also pretty interesting, if a little far-fetched. The plot DOES have a lot of holes, which detracts from the overall read. Why so quickly dismiss the hospital staff and local sheriff? Where does Stern come up with the "blowout" idea? It just "came" to him, which was sort of lame. The whole underlying purpose for the technology is never fully explained, with the investors and everything -- is it a park or a luxury trip or what? Also, we never see the quantum computer or get a vivid description of the technology -- it's just assumed to be neato. This book is already a game, and I'm sure it's already a movie in production somewhere. It will be a fun movie -- unless it's as bad as Lost World. Then it will be a mediocre rental. For the time being, however, it's a good read if you need something to pass the time on an international flight or a rainy day.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!!
Review: If you were to hand me a book about the middle ages before reading this novel, I probably wouldn't have given any thought to actually reading it. Michael Crichton however has changed all that for me. His ability to bring the era to vivid life has peaked my curiosity in books both fiction and non-fiction about the era. When I first read the book I was looking forward to the scifi but about halfway through I was more interested in the ongoings in the Dorigone(sp?) valley. The scifi was a wonderful complement to a brilliant story. I'd give the book 4.5 stars if I could.
Rating:
Summary: A superb story with poor language choices
Review: There is little doubt that Crichton is an amazing story teller, and this book affirms that. Some customer reviews have pointed to some literary faults, but this book is nevertheless a great adventure story. You will have a hard time putting it down. And Crichton should be applauded for his research of quantum physics and 14th century European life. The main problem I have with this book is how much swearing is in it, including many instances of using God's name in vain. This greatly detracted from my enjoyment of the book, and is the reason for my giving it 3 stars instead of the 4 or 5 that it would otherwise deserve. I can handle a little swearing, after all many people unfortunately do it, and thus may add to the realism of the story. But when God's name is used in vain on almost every page, that is taking it beyond too far. If you are a Christian, I would suggest looking elsewhere for an exciting adventure novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Crichton lays another egg
Review: Having been an avid reader of Crichton ever since Andromeda Strain, always hoping for another of that quality, always forlorn, I must say that of his several literary failures this is Crichton's worst. The pseudo-time-travel framework works (or doesn't work) as a mere device to arrive at a 14th-century Perils of Pauline, with all sorts of ad hoc dangers strung together and avoided by ad hoc tricks in a linear plot (if you can call it that) that lacks tension. The main characters are stereotypical, neither likeable nor damnable, lacking color and credibility. The failure of the quantum-mechanics transport machinery and its Rube Goldberg repair become a flimsy sub-plot, hardly contributing to the story, and the ultimate fates of the entrepreneur and of the medievalist, if not inevitable, are less than satisfying. Doniger is not evil enough to make his end one you can really feel is well-deserved, nor is Marek's character sufficiently wrought to lend joy to his decision and its consequence. The "countdown" device utterly fails to lend dramatic tension. The problem was, halfway through the book I could no longer care whether the adventurers got back to the present or not: If they run out of time and get stuck in the hundred years' war, so what?
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