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Sphere
I know Crichton can write masterpieces like The Lost World or Congo, but still...Sphere is his best ever...!!!! It is truly a page-turner, when I got it I read it just for a little bedtime reading, however I ended up reading it until 3 AM in the morning!!!! There is no doubt about Sphere, buy and read it. It's worth your money and time!!!!
Sphere
The set-up is great! A space ship found at the bottom of the ocean that's been there for at least 300 years. But a variety of mysteries are just not dealt with and the ending leaves you with a "well, what the hell is that thing" looming.
Sphere
This book captured my imagination and I think it did the same for most people who read. It posed some intriguing questions about the power of the human brain, something which the human race has been fascinated with from time immemorial but which we still know very little about. The time travel aspect of the book was also interesting, albeit somewhat cliched. All in all, a great novel, its only weakness being a mundane, anti-climactic ending which stands in blatant contradiction with the rest of the plot. --DB
Sphere
i felt that the book started out great! I was so excited to turn to the next page. I kept thinking about all the possibilities of how the story could play out. Then i started to get disappointed. First off, I would have enjoyed the book better if they would have explored the ship more and didn't just focus on the sphere. Second i found the characters didn't seem that realistic. I still was confused about who Jerry was. Harry's shadow? Then they find a body in the ship that looks like Beth... what is that about? The manifestations were not that original. Squid? And what exactly was that foam? Frankly it sounded like the book was written just to become an action packed movie. To be fair I thought that the added scientific information about black holes and zoology was great to learn and the book is worth reading if you want a lot of suspense. Finally i want to add that Micheal Crichton has written books that i would give 5 stars (for example: Airframe).
Sphere
I'm a Crichton fan, but I'm very disappointed with Sphere. It's been awhile since I've read it, but I remember thinking how unbelievable most of the book was. I don't know how I finished it.
Sphere
Typical Crichton, this novel spins a suspenseful web around technology with a typically reluctant, but plucky, lead character in Norman. The suspense was real and gripping throughout the book. I read each page with anticipation, expecting (and getting) a new plot twist at every turn.Why three stars? The ending drifted predictably to a Dallas-esque, never-mind-it-was-only-a-dream conclusion. The ending was so lame that I really felt let down. In the end, it was a five star book with a one star ending. I still recommend the book for the roller coaster ride it is. Just quit while you're ahead with about ten pages to go.