Rating: 
Summary: dont judge this book by the movie
Review: This is another excellant book by Michael Crichton. If you saw the movie and you were going to read the book, but then decided not to because the movie was so bad. Don't make that stop you. This book is different from the movie in a good way. It will keep you on your toes waiting for the next page and its hard to put down. Michael's inticing writing will keep you reading for hours on end, nhe writes the words so articulaly that it is amazing.
summary (without giving away the ending): Two people find this man out in the middle of the desert who they thought they ran over. They take him to the hospital withen 24 hours he is dead because of what the doctors think was cardiac arrest. While in France the team that works for ITC (the comp. that the dead man worked for) is digging up a site when they make an incredible discovery that will alter their lives...rating out of ten:10 1/2
Rating:
Summary: A MUST!
Review: I loved this book, sometimes it brings me to believe that it's possible to exist a time machine and I can travel around the time endless. Have you ever thought about this? Back to the past and see important moments of our civilization! This is something that really excite me.
Rating:
Summary: Highly entertaining.
Review: Michael Crichton's "Timeline" is a most entertaining mix of adventure, believable science fact and fiction, time travel and historical fiction. Suspend your disbelief and you are transported to the 14th century in Medieval France (the Hundred Year War)---the era is beautifully brought to life amidst the knights, damsels and castles. A most unlikable billionaire high-tech genius entrepreneur wants to make the past his theme park. Using believable science, Mr. Crichton convinces you that time travel is possible. That time travel is how the billionaire will create his parks. Something goes awry and three historians must be sent back to rescue a colleague---with a 37 hour ticking clock. Many surprises and twists keep you guessing and wondering about the outcome. Memorable characters, sparkling dialogue laced with wry humor and clever subplots weave an imaginative story line. I found it just as fascinating and engaging on this second read as when it came out four years ago. A most refreshing tale well told.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: This was one of the most outstanding books I have read this year. I went to see the movie after reading this book and found that the movie did not do the book justice. The book kept you wondering what was next and wouldnt let you put it down.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST-READ book - Don't judge it by the movie!
Review: I've never read a Michael Crichton book before, but am an avid ER fan (the TV show he writes for) and heard some good personal reviews of his books by a friend of mine, so I searched at the library for one of his books to try. This book was a fantastic first pick!!! I have interests in scifi, knights and castles, adventure and romance. This book does a tremendous job of combining it all and is incredibly difficult to put down. It involves a description of quantum physics which I have never seriously contemplated, however it got me curious enough to do some of my own investigation of the topic - just enough to understand a little more. Even if you don't understand this science, it's not critical to enjoying and following the plot. I read the book this fall and was unaware that the movie was coming out until I saw the previews on TV. I got so excited and couldn't wait to go see it. Unfortunately, they did a poor job. The first couple of minutes zipped by so fast that it was hard to pick up what was going on at first. I was trying to figure out what part of the movie was which part in the book. I eventually gave that up and just watched it as a different story. Then I enjoyed a little more. So much of the story was cut out and other parts changed. One good thing I can say about the movie - I think they did a good job of picking the actors. Most of them looked as I imagined them. All I can say is you've got to read the book. It is so much better!!!! I love to read and have only read maybe two books twice in my lifetime (I'm 39 years old). Because there are so many books I want to read I don't feel there is time to read something twice. Having said that - TIMELINE is one of those exceptional books that I will read again!!
Rating: 
Summary: The book is so much better than that horrible film
Review: I read the book in September when after I saw a "Timeline" preview. I really liked the book and was looking forward to the movie, but the movie was out and out atrocious. Read the book, don't see the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Timeline: A Timeless Classic
Review: Michael Crichton has yet again created another compelling novel where the line between fiction and reality becomes barely visible, and where science and modern-day technology play the main role in convincing his audience. His fascinating storyline and clever writing techniques captivate the reader until the very last page. Those who enjoyed Jurassic Park, Sphere, Congo, Airframe, - will love Timeline. What makes his story of 'going back in time' so believable is how Crichton uses 21st century science, real historical facts, and references over 2 pages of creditable books on the subject of quantum physics. During the first half of the book, the reader is more or less trying to grasp the concept of quanta, its theory, and how the heck these "multiverses" exist. However, Crichton explains this technology using simple language and a few small diagrams throughout. Slowly the reader begins to understand, or even believe what they have read, and now Crichton has their attention and the adventure begins. Of course this story would not be complete without a disaster that throws our character's lives into a danger other than trying to survive in the past, and leaves the audience thinking "Oh no! Now what?" Like Jurassic Park's power failure that releases the blood-thirsty dinosaurs, here the lab explodes when one of the men - with arrows embedded in his body - propels himself back home unexpectedly only to drop the grenade that he intended to launch at the knight onto the lab floor as he dies.
The rest of the story is played out back in 1357 A.D. as they rescue the professor, and attempt to save themselves before the battle between the French and the English is fought. What makes this novel so fantastic is the amazing storyline, the realistic science, the historical evidences, the drama, the adventure, the chases, the close calls, the fight scenes, and of course the romance and well written dialog that provides suspense, hate, and even humor throughout. The manuscript has everything including a few mysteries and surprises that unwind as the reader goes. Crichton displays his brilliance and talent for story telling in this best seller, and invites the reader to become a part of the journey. I have yet to find any distracting flaws or annoying patterns that would subtract from the reader's experience. Timeline is wonderful entertainment sure to leave the audience breathless and at the edge on more than a few occasions. My only advice is that should fans of the book pay to see the Paramount's version, they might be disappointed. Like most movies spun off of a great book, there are several different changes that they will encounter leaving them to debate if the director did in deed do a lousy job of retelling a great story. If you want fascinating detail and more than 6 hours back in the 1300s, read the book. The movie is a poor remake of one of Crichton's best works. If you do go see the movie, just prepare yourself for a pathetic first 20 minutes that gives the audience no foundational understanding of the science, let alone the real plot, a story where quantum physics is never once mentioned, a completely different account from the book, and a 500-page novel poorly crammed into a 2-hour interval. The movie was okay, but the book is awesome! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect for Vacation Reading...
Review: I read Timeline on the beautiful, sunny shores of a Key West beach..a perfect time for a strained story about time travel. The premise of the book is just fine; fanatical genius discovers a way to "fax" three dimensional objects (people) back in time..Ivy league professor and group of brilliant grad students are on an archaeological dig in France...After the professor leaves to visit the corporate headquarters, the students make an eerie discovery. Unbelievably, they find a document with the professor's handwriting (of course they have a handwriting specialist in the group to verify this) and a bifocal lens of the professor's at the dig sight. Soon they discover their evil corporate sponsor hasn't been truthful and the professor has actually been sent back in time to 1357 and of course the students must save him. Now the fun begins! This is where the book comes alive. Crichton has done a wonderful job reconstructing medieval time with a whole cast of rich characters. His research makes the book more plausible even though with some logic there are gaping holes in the plot. At any rate, the characters are predictable but the action is interesting and the story as a whole entertaining. It's a Hollywood movie in the making with lots of action, bad guys, good guys, princesses and even some romance. Not a bad beach read.
Rating:
Summary: Good "fluff"
Review: You won't find any deep, thought-provoking meanings in this story, but it is what it is: light fluff to read while you're on vacation. This is the first book I've read by Michael Crichton, and I was surprised by his writing style. I assumed this would be more like a Tom Clancy style book, with really intricate detail. But, instead, this was very light, enjoyable reading (not that I dislike Clancy, but I have to be in the right mood for his stories).
Rating:
Summary: My favorite novel of all time
Review: Michale Crichton rules, best writer ever. I love to read but Crichton is the only author that I follow and read all the books of. he rules, my ONLY inspiration for wanting to become a writer. this is the best book ever, it rules.
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