Michael Crichton

Next (Harper Fiction)
$9.99
This is one of the weaker novels I have read. The only thing that really saved it was the pace. Also the fact that Crichton likes to write 3 page chapters. With a busy life I do not have the chance to invest 30 minutes in a book to get to a stopping point. Crichton gives you neat little 3 to 5 minute sections.

This novel is a look at gene therapy. There are about 4 plot-lines which are loosely intertwined and all come crashing into one another at the end. Crichton, being a lawyer himself, likes to use legal proceedings as a plot mechanism and as a way to explain things to the reader. While it was interesting to see the concept of gene therapy, legal rights and possible abuses, the plot felt too loosely stitched together. It was almost as if Mike had some ideas he wanted us to think about, then halfheartedly through in some prose and characters to make it not feel like an article from a law review or a medical journal.

All in all, not one of his better efforts, but works well as a thoughtless leisure read.

T

Prey
$9.99
What's obvious to the reader it's however extremely hard for the main character to discover. The story does keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Not the kind of sci-fi I enjoy the most.

Pirate Latitudes: A Novel
$27.99

I have always been a big fan of Michael Crichton, and was sad to learn of his passing. I have read all of his books and have always found them to be page turners. His writing skills are probably not given the credit they are due because of the commercial fiction genres he worked. This pirate book set in 1665 Caribbean is probably not what most of his fans are used to reading from this author (though Crichton was no stranger to historical fiction, I still consider "The Great Train Robbery" his best Novel). The reader I taken to the far removed Port Royal, a lone British colony holding out against the mighty Spanish empire. The town is home to some unlikely and unsavory characters, a place of sin and vice, and a good place to call home if you are looking to steal some Spanish gold, the Brits don't mind Pirates as long as they are hunting Spanish Gold! There is danger and death a plenty but there is also a chance for a man to get rich if has the audacity and ruthlessness to back up his play. Captain Charles Hunter is just such a man and there a Spanish Galleon hiding in a nearby harbor while undergoing repairs. But the harbor is under heavy guard led by the ruthless Cazell hand picked by the King of Spain himself. Hunter gathers a ragtag crew of cutthroats to go after the Spanish galleon, supposedly os Spanish gold. This is a raucous and fun read that can see going to the big screen soon! I just hope there are a few more gems like this that Mr. Crichton has hidden away....

The Great Train Robbery
$9.99
This adaptation of one for the greatest train robberies in history was very slow in the beginning, but picked up as the novel progressed. Some annoying points were the tangents which Crichton went on in an attempt to introduce or explain part of his story. While somewhat important for the reader, this broke the rhythm of the story and caused me to lose track of the events. Another disappointment was the off handed mention of the impending trial which would occur once the crime was committed. It is obvious the heist will succeed, but why ruin the ending with mentions of the trial which could have been omitted. As for accuracy, it misses on occasion, but maybe Crichton was not looking for accuracy but to tell a good story. Of the three Crichton books I have read, this and Andromeda Strain have been a disappointment but Eaters of the Dead was well written. As much as the author is praised, I hope that the two lackluster books are not telling signs of his other works. I will read Congo next expecting it to live up to the hype I know Crichton can deliver.