Timeline by Michael Crichton Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Timeline
Book Review: "Awesome Time Travel Adventure"
Summary: 4 Stars
I love time travel stories to begin with, and "Timeline" did not disappoint. Three history students are sent back to the Middle Ages by a genius billionaire to save their stranded professor. As soon as they land, they're in trouble. Every 5 pages a new danger awaits. Jousting tournaments, swordfights, puruits by knights, even a medeival seige. The drama and adventure do not let up.Pretty good characters. None overly heroic, though Andre comes the closest, since he is very into the Middle Ages, to the point of learning how to swordfight. Kate isn't afraid to take risks and can take care of himself. Chris was the most interesting. Sort of the Gilligan of the group, always getting into trouble. Loved his development throughout the story.
Crichton did an excellent job depicting the Middle Ages as acurately as you can get. No proper, Shakesperean English or gallant, honorable knights. Kept it real, gritty and even showed how the English language then was nothing like it is today. Also liked his explanation for how they travel to the past. A non-techie like me was able to grasp most of it.
Well researched and well plotted. Another winner from Mr. Crichton.
Book Review: "Tempus fugit" for Crichton
Summary: 2 Stars
Timeline is another case of Crichton following in the footsteps of others and failing to fill their shoes. Just as "Sphere" paled in comparison to Dean Koontz' "Strangers" which dealt with the same subject, "Timeline" is a novel of time travel that pales in comparison to other, more sophisticated stories in the genre.Structurally, the book is similar to "Jurassic Park." It begins with an odd encounter in the desert of New Mexico. Who is this man, how did he get here, and what's wrong with him? It's similar to the mysterious attack on a child in the beginning of "Jurassic Park." At least in JP, we find out what was going on by the end of the book. "Timeline," although much is revealed and explained, never explains how or why the mysterious stranger wound up in that particular part of New Mexico.
Don't get me wrong; the book is enjoyable as a light entertainment. Crichton's flare for description is underwhelmingly evident in the story, but the pace and plotting keep things going. It reads more like a screenplay; in fact I imagine it's already being shopped around to the film studios. And as for the motives of Doniger, the ingenious villain of the story - well, what can I say. The man is genius enough to invent time travel, but all he can think to do is create a theme park? What's going on with Crichton? First "Westworld," then "Jurassic Park" and now we're faced with Medieval Land.
Go ahead and pick this up; you'll probably enjoy it. But if you want some great time travel reading, pick up "The Doomsday Book" or "To Say Nothing of the Dog" by Connie Willis, or "Lord Kelvin's Machine" by Blaylock, or especially "The Anubis Gates" by Powers.
--TR--
Book Review: "Timeline"
Summary: 4 Stars
A great novel/history lesson, Crichton makes another edge-of-your-seat adventure. Three young arcaeologists travel back in time to Medieval France to save their history professor from the cuthroat rebels of the era. It's full of surprises that will just jump on you. It's a book your bound to read in one shot!
Book Review: *YAWN*
Summary: 1 Stars
What and incredibly poor book. The old concept of time travel has rarely been done so poorly. Read something else by Crichton, this is far below his usual great writing. Hell, I even liked "Congo" beter than this dud.Book Review: ...12:30 a.m., school tomorrow, 20 pages left. Still reading
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the best Micheal Chrichton book ever written. A riviting and a very enjoyable piece of work. Chrichton has used his knowledge of science and his skills as an author to his best. The book is about a group of scholars that go back to the year 1357, in the time of the Hundred Years War. Not ten minutes into the year 1357, and someone dies. This book had more eye-popping sentences than Jurassic Park and the Lost World put together! When I got this book, I was hoping to read for about an hour a night. I was wrong. I read for two to three hours a night. I only put the book down because I was no longer able to hold the book properly. My eyes had never inched with so much exhaustion since finals. Get Timeline if your looking for something good to read. If you aren't, get it anyway because it looks cool.