Ahh.. The Pre-Micro Chip Era

This is a well-written thriller, a cautionary tale of man’s relationship to and with technology. Written in the early 1970s, it was very cutting edge for its time. The fear of technology, especially computers, taking over the world is ribboned throughout the story. I would recommend this listen for its nostalgic (historic?!) value even if you are too young to remember when smoking was allowed in hospital rooms, a female surgeon was an oddity and a file cabinet sized computer was a slick, very expensive science miracle. As thrillers go, it’s not edge of your seat but, as with much of Michael Crichton’s work, it will make you think.

11 people found this helpful

Not the best Crichton

Yikes. I thought this would be an interesting blast from the past, but the story is plodding, the characters are not engaging, and the narrator is pretty over the top. Pick a different Crichton novel, this one deserves to stay on the shelf.

6 people found this helpful

average

nothing about felt compelling, really had a hard time finishing. One of his worst books

2 people found this helpful

Wow!

Love this author and the narration was absolutely superb! Can't wait to start my next!

2 people found this helpful

Must be one of Crichton's first books.

I enjoyed the overall dialog of this book. The narrator was wonderful. I couldn't have listened as long as I did without him. The story would have been better if the "Dr. Ross" character had been given some of that women’s activist attitude. Alas we are reading in the 70's after all. Based on this read, I realize I don't like older works of current novelists stories. I like to read or listen to them crisp and we'll thought out.

2 people found this helpful

Another good Crichton novel

This was a good but not great Crichton novel. Several times the characters didn't do obvious actions. However the novel does raise scientific and ethical questions which remain true today.

1 person found this helpful

Neoluddite nonsense based on bad science

Narrator killed it, but the story was barely worth finishing. The science is laughably bad and as time continues to pass, it ages even more poorly.

Bit Dated, But Not Bad

This is one of Crichton's shorter works, an interesting medical drama about a patient with epilepsy who has violent seizures which cause him to commit horrific acts of violence. He becomes a test case for a hospital and escapes with his violent tendencies not cured. A fast moving thriller, it is more like Crichton's early works than his later books. The medical background and in depth analysis are here alongside the thrill of the plot. Narration was a bit rote, though the accents were good.

not my favorite Crichton book.

least favorite of his so far. not terrible. just seemed to speed through the story. it was short enough through, I might give it a 2nd chance.

So so

In general I love Crichton, but this book couldn't entertain on the same level. Also narration felt misjudged, making the main character sound like an old age pensioner.