Next by Michael Crichton Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $3.94 You Save: $24.01 (86%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.91 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Next
Book Review: Its a sitcome script...
Summary: 1 Stars
I never read other books by this author, and this one will probably turn me away for them. Some of the issues described are very interesting and even somewhat educational. But the story is broken up into tiny pieces just like a sitcom.Book Review: Less than impressed
Summary: 2 Stars
When a book has the easy readability of a Michael Crichton novel, but little of the spark you expect from his writing, it's tough to size it up. Next is exactly that (and, judging from the comment on the back cover of the paperback version, it's not the first Crichton novel to suffer... more below).
We have a story that's almost interesting enough to keep the pages turning, but it soon gets ridiculous, and not in a very entertaining way. Once the talking monkey appeared(!), the storytelling declined in favor if quickly wrapping it up. Not that I wasn't sorry to see it end.
The comment from the back cover is a quote attributed to the Dallas Morning News, stating that this book was as entertaining as anything Crichton's written since Jurassic Park. If that's true, then Crichton fans have been subjected to some rather tepid novels for the past two decades.
Book Review: Like Crichton, Hated This Mess
Summary: 3 Stars
What do you say about a scatological story more suited to eschatology than to fiction in which every single human being makes exactly the wrong decision when confronted with choices? But worse, what do you say about a story in which the outcomes of those decisions are people not acting the way experience says they should act? That there are way too many characters in this book to care about is reflected in how shallow each is developed. In one of the three main arcs of no less than ten story arcs is a scientist who unknowingly helped create a talking monkey. Upon learning this he goes to the top secret facility where shazam, his swipey card still works a year after he left the facility. Upon learning that his "offspring" is going to be "terminated" he monkeynaps said simian and takes off for, wait for it, his family's home in La Jolla, where it's pointed out that liberal acceptance would only go so far in accepting a talking monkey into the community. Really? That the reader is asked to believe no one called his cell phone to ask him to return the creature that belongs to the Federal Government or that a SWAT team would not show up at his house to take the animal back, but that the newest member of the family can freely take up a desk at the local elementary school where no one questions why he's throwing poo at his playground bullies is just absurd.
The whole Gerard thing, the talking bird, is reduced to similarly ridiculous plot construction even though this is the only truly likeable character in this idiot's tome. At least he's the only character for which an adequately developed sense of self is conveyed even if the play of bird poop is twice important to the plot
And that is just one plot arc of many that play out without any sense of logical context. And the protagonist of the book, or so it would seem, just seems to disappear with those loose strings sort of being tied up in a court decision, but if the author doesn't care to write a proper ending for what is really his main character why should any of us care?
Like State of Fear, MC does a good job of mixing fact with fiction and defends this by his foreword in which he states the book is true except for the parts that aren't. But unlike State of Fear, the story telling here is boring, predictable and littered with cliches. The ideas in this work would have been nicely suited to the reader if it had been written as an essay about the very real problem of gene patenting. It might even have made a difference and benefitted humanity. But this book as fiction is just a waste of time and talent. And humanity benefits from neither.
Book Review: Liked it, but he has had some much better books
Summary: 3 Stars
Usually when I write a review, I list the main characters and the basic plot, then I write what I thought of the book. Its a lot more tricky to do that with Next. Although I liked this book, there were so many characters that I had trouble keeping them straight. I honestly couldnt tell you who the main characters are because there really dont seem to be any. There are several different stories going on at once. I did like the characters Alex, Jamie, Jamie and Dave. Oh and to save a lot of confusion for anyone who is planning on reading this....there are two boys named Jamie. I had to go back and check on whether or not they were the same kid, but there is a reason for them both having the same name. Michael Crichton wrote some amazing books...Timeline, Congo, Jurassic Park...and I was hoping another masterpiece was going to come out. Unfortunately Next wasnt in the same league with these books.Book Review: Must Read - breathtaking!!
Summary: 4 Stars
I must admit - for a Michael Crichton fan, I was a little late in getting around to reading NEXT - and regretted it. A wonderful book, combining fact and fiction yielding a potent story that sets you thinking.
In an age where bio-tech firms are patenting genes, i.e. our genes are now owned by someone else, an unsuspecting person and his family are pursued cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes within their chromosomes.
I give it four stars.