Timeline

A Novel

By: Michael Crichton

Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd

In an Arizona desert a man wanders in a daze, speaking words that make no sense. Within twenty-four hours he is dead, his body swiftly cremated by his only known associates. Halfway around the world archaeologists make a shocking discovery at a medieval site. Suddenly they are swept off to the headquarters of a secretive multinational corporation that has developed an astounding technology. Now this group is about to get a chance not to study the past but to enter it. And with history opened to the present, the dead awakened to the living, these men and women will soon find themselves fighting for their very survival--six hundred years ago. . . .©1999 by Michael Crichton; (P)1999 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

"COMPULSIVE READING . . . BRILLIANTLY IMAGINED."
--Los Angeles Times

"EXCITING . . . CLASSIC ADVENTURE . . . [A] SWASHBUCKLING NOVEL . . . CRICHTON DELIVERS."
--USA Today

"MORE SCREAMS PER PAGE . . . THAN JURASSIC PARK AND THE LOST WORLD COMBINED. . . . THE PACE WILL LEAVE MANY BREATHLESSLY GRASPING FOR OXYGEN MASKS."
--San Diego Union-Tribune

A Page Turner

Timeline is a fast-paced science fiction novel which incorporates time travel, historical conflicts during the dark ages (France, 1357) and a group of current day historians and students who are caught dangerously in the middle.

Although slightly “cinematic”, Crichton provides just enough character development, time travel technology and historical reference to keep this book “lightweight” and enjoyable throughout. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of Europe in the 1300s as compared (or actually contrasted) to our current lifestyles. Political affairs, personal interests and greed seem familiar but everyday survival and personal success take on an entirely different meaning. I found it hard to put down towards the finish.

The narration and sound quality were good.

Great historical / science fiction

While this book is definitely meant to be a page turner, it's not a mindless one. The theories that Crichton uses as his premise are fascinating in themselves, and although (as he says in the epilogue) we're still a long way from actually applying them, the plot is close enough to what "might someday be" to make it exciting. The characters are fairly well developed, and the suspense is well-played. I listened to the book in the car on the way to work, and I got so wrapped up in it that I missed my exit on a couple of occasions. This one should definitely be on everyone's list.

Clever!

I loved this story. It was brilliantly written. The narrator was very good, except a couple of the voices were so low volume that I kept having to turn the volume up, then when someone else spoke, it was so loud it blew out my ears. Otherwise, great story and performance.

'TIME TRAVLERS BEWARE'

I read this book when it first was published. it was a great read, i did not enjoy the audible version. It seemed so contrived, the pacing was off, sometimes our own mental versions of the sounds sights and experiances of the charactors are far better than what the audio director decrees.

A decent book

It was a decent listen, However the ending was anti-climactic and a bit disappointing. I was expecting to find the real motive to be more sinister than it was.