Timeline - Michael Crichton

I'm inclined to think there're definitely 'good' Michael Crichton thrillers, and 'bad' Michael Crichton thrillers, and while 'Timeline' I'm afraid kind of firmly falls into the 'bad thriller' camp at the moment I'm having a bit of difficulty recalling any of the 'good' ones for comparison.* For example during a lean period I recently re-read 'Congo', 'Sphere' and 'Jurassic Park' - which, when I first read them I would've categorized as 'good / bad / wow, that's brilliant!' but this time round, I found them all a bit....well, ho-hum. That said, I suspect that even in my most starry-eyed fan-of-Michael-Crichton's-writing days that 'Timeline' would still have counted as a ...  Read the complete review

Background: I recently read my first Michael Crichton novel 'Prey' to appease my Dentist. And as I am due back to see him next week I thought I would try another so we don't spend all the time talking about my receding gums. About this author: Michael Crichton is not only a great writer of both fiction and non-fiction; he has also directed films such as 'The Great Train Robbery' in 1980. Always best know for his novel 'Jurassic Park' he has written 20 novels, 2 screenplays and been involved in 13 in the Production of 13 major films. Storyline of the book: An old scientist working for International ...  Read the complete review

From the outset I must admit that this is the first Michael Crichton that I have read, although I have seen a lot of his work adapted on film. It is difficult to judge how films relate back to their original novels and usually I’m reluctant to compare the two genres directly but judging from the nature of the Crichton adaptations I have seen I suspected his books would be fast paced and at least make some attempt at scientific realism. In the end that was just about what I got. THE STORY The book starts off as a Sci-fi/adventure/conspiracy novel. An old man is found wandering in the desert near Santa Fe. Soon after being found he dies mumbling ...  Read the complete review

I am not a fan of science fiction. When I see that a book has been written by the author of ‘Jurassic Park’ I would not bother even picking it up. However my husband came home from work the other day with ‘Timeline’ which had been lent to him by a colleague. His colleague had told him that I might enjoy it because of the physics in it. I still thought that I would not bother reading it. When it was time for my bath the other evening I realised I had finished reading my last book so I had to find something else to read. With nothing better to read in the house I picked up 'Timeline'. I started to read it and had difficulty ...  Read the complete review

From the now world famous writer of Jurassic Park and The Lost World, Michael Crichton, Timeline is another science fiction/fantasy adventure. I’ve read several of Crichton’s books and, for me, this is the area in which he excels. The story revolves around a group of graduate students who travel back in time to save their Professor, who has been lost during a previous trip back in time after he discovers that the benevolent corporation who have been funding their archaeological dig in the south of France may not be all that they seem. Timeline begins slowly and this is my only real criticism of the book. Having read about the first 30 ...  Read the complete review