Rating: 
Summary: Tastes like non-fiction!
Review: This book was my first Michael Crichton novel and it was mind-blowing. A fantastic book. It was filled with incredible detail to the last point making it seem all the more realistic. Being intrested in Physics myself, I was farmiliar with "Many Worlds" theory and was surprised he included it in a Mass Market novel with such effect. It really makes you think.......
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Concept
Review: I found the story concept very interesting BUT I can not say this is the best Crichton has done. His character development was somewhat weak. Nevertheless I think it will make a great movie.
Rating: 
Summary: A Disappointment
Review: In "Timeline" Michael Crichton takes an idea, "Quantem physics" and develops recent discoveries to their logical, although unlikely, results. In particular, Mr. Crichton talks about, in detail, how recent discoveries in "quantem mechanics" would allow a type of time time traval. First one charactor, unknown to the others, goes back into time to the site of a modern dig. When he appears to send a message through time to them, a rescue mission is sent back. Of course this mission has all kinds of troubles, which is the basis of the story. Sort of.The problem with this story is at least twofold. At least a third of the story is focused on quantem mechanics and how time travel may be possible. It is almost if Mr. Crichton wanted to write a time travel story, but was embarrassed to do it unless he could justify it scientifically. His basis for time travel is no more valid, in my eyes, then any of the other theories for time travel put forward in standard pulp fiction. But, as opposed to writers who know they are writing ficton, Mr. Crichton takes too much time to explain how this could be possible. Secondly, why did he make this a time travel book anyway? If people from our time, or the future, went back into the past, you can expect certain conflicts. Modern ethics v. Medieval Ethics or Modern Technology v. Medieval Technologies. Often times you can see the same problems as when a person travels to a foreign culture or place. People, without fault, will make embarassing errors or mistakes. None of those themes are found in this book. The only reason why, it seems, we have time travellers, is so the author can explain in more details the times and customs of France in the past. As such, the action and conflict in the story takes too long to develop. Once it appears, there is alot of action and fighting, chases and conflicts and general adventure. But even these scenes are weakened by some of the wide swings in the charactors whose attitudes and actions change dramatically as the story continues. The book may have mass appeal based on the number of reviews, but it had little to offer me. It wasn't a total loss, but it was close. I have just come to expect more from this author.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This was one of the best books I've read. The story is so fascinating. I couldn't put the book down. Michael Crichton's words are so vivid and descriptive--I felt I was in medieval France all along. A must-have for anybody's collection.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Concept
Review: The story line had a lot of potential, however, I think Crichton had other ideas in mind when he wrote this book. Possibly a movie. Toward the end, some of the battle scenes were a little too descriptive, and very, very long. It seemed like the last part of the book was a never ending battle and the characters being hero's time and time again. It's as intriguing as his other books, however, it lacks that "Classic Crichton" ending. I enjoyed the book immensely despite the critiques of the ending above. It has a great story line and a huge potential to be a great book. The characters have the "Classic Crichton" way about them and that mysterious nature. Puzzles from the beginning keep you reading.
Rating:
Summary: I would pass on this one.
Review: I bought this book with high expectations. I typically like this type of story (time travel, sci fi, etc) but in the end I was pretty disappointed with the book. The plot once they head back in time goes on this tear of running from one escapade to another, except the flow doesn't make sense. They just seem to bounce from one thing to another, the character development doesn't make much sense, people do these bizarre things for no apparent reason. I did finish the book, but I wouldn't bother to read it again or reccommend it to others. This book could have been so much more, which is perhaps why I found it so disappointing. Sorry, liked his other books, but not this one.
Rating:
Summary: Excelent Reading
Review: I found this book a delight to read. Once again, Crichton has wrote a thrilling adventure. After the initial development, this story realy got going and I had a hard time putting it down. I was a bit dissapointed with the premiss and the science was a bit speculative and outragous. But, his characters were well developed and interesting. I wish that he had explored the science a bit more rather than it developing into a historical novel.
Rating:
Summary: Not typical Crichton
Review: Although an enjoyable read, this is not Crichton's best by far. Usually when one reads a Crichton book, you expect a compelling mystery laden with technology. You do not get that in this book. This book feels more like it was made to be a movie. The techonolgy of time travel never really enters the story. Yes it is there, but he never gets into the nitty-gritty as he does in Andromeda Strain, Jurrasic Park, AirFrame, and Congo. That was missed by me. The other issue that I had with the book is that a lot of the characters seem to be ripped right out of Jurrasic Park. Overall, this book did not feel wholly original, as do most of Crichton's book. If you want to read a book about time travel to the 14th century, read Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: This is the best sci-fi that I have ever read! If you like medieval history, you will love this book. The story moves a little slowly at first, but engages the reader's curiosity enough to keep him or her reading. When Mr. Crichton leads the reader to an archeological site, and gets into the detail of the students working there and the history of the region, the book becomes totally captivating. Again the story drags for a chapter or two when the students go to the ITC lab in New Mexico, but when they finally travel back in time, it is nearly impossible to put the book down. Each chapter ends with the reader wanting to find out what happens next. Crichton description of the settings makes the reader feel as if he/she were there. The only thing I didn't like about the story was that all the main characters barely escaped death about five times. I agree that this book would make a great movie, but it also makes a heck of a novel.
Rating:
Summary: This book is worth your time and $$
Review: This is Chrichton's most exciting novel since Jurassic Park; No doubt he will turn this into a blockbuster movie too. The reasons this book is hard to put down are: 1) Time travel and medieval France are both realistically and convincingly portrayed 2) The plot is a never-ending, heart-pounding race that won't let you leave it I have long thought that Chrichton's main characters are really the ideas onto which the story is thrust. In this book, it is time travel and history of medieval France. After finishing this book, my interest in history and the Middle Ages was rekindled, and it can't but do the same for you. Buy it; read it; love it.
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