Airframe [Hardcover]

Michael Crichton (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf. NY, (1996)
• ASIN: B000QKOH26
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (564 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Michael Crichton was born in Chicago in 1942. His novels include Next, State of Fear, Prey, Timeline, Jurassic Park, and The Andromeda Strain. He was also the creator of the television series ER. One of the most popular writers in the world, his books have been made into thirteen films, and translated in thirty-six languages. He died in 2008.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars riveting and fast paced, April 29, 2003

By 

Atheen M. Wilson "Atheen" (Mpls, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Airframe (Mass Market Paperback)

I am constantly amazed by the breadth of Michael Crichton `s interests and by his remarkable skill in researching his subjects. I also find his indirectly expressed issues of more than passing significance. In Jurassic Park the issue is the arrogance of science in its manipulation of nature and the tendency of Western science to eschew accountability for the spillover costs to society when things go wrong. Airframe is another example of it. Here the issue of the freedom of speech and the lack of accountability of the media, particularly television news, is explored. In a society that has come to stress individual rights, little emphasis has been placed on individual responsibility. In order to be a functional culture, there has to be a balance of both rights and responsibilities. Airframe makes this abundantly clear.

As so often with Crichton's central characters, a uniquely placed individual must come to grips with the inherent difficulties of fighting an uphill battle against society's inertia. The heroine, Casey Singleton, is given the task of deciding how a disasterous air accident happened before a crucial business deal collapses and takes the company she works for and all of its employees down with it. It is by no means clear what is taking place, and ultimately she must come to trust her own personal interpretation of events to bring things to a head.

The detail is impressive. The characters are well developed and real. The story is riveting and fast paced. A thoroughly enjoyable book.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Crichton's ever written, August 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Airframe (Mass Market Paperback)

This is absolutely my favourite book by Michael Crichton. He may have a medical degree, but he writes about journalism, the media and politics with much more insight than the condescending attitudes of his scientist characters. This book is Crichton at his best--backed up, as ever, by extensive research into the topic, a cast of hugely realistic characters to love and love to hate, and, of course, an intriguing mystery thrown in to boot. Casey Singleton is a classic Crichton heroine--world-weary, wise, and an expert in her field, she reminds me of Sarah Harding from "The Lost World", except Casey has a REAL job. The realism of the plot is one of the main factors in making this one of Crichton's best books--all of this could really happen. I've seen other reviewers bellyache about the mundaneness of the final solution to the aircrash, but isn't that the most chilling note to the whole plot? Just how easily all this chaos was caused? Sleazy journalists, wise colleagues, a comical team of experts called in to exammine the aircraft, and at the centre of it all Casey Singleton, trying to save the company and at the same time trying to stop herself becoming the scapegoat to be sacrificed to the media: for me, this makes a brilliant novel. The final pages will blur by--and when you sit back with a sigh of relief, the underplayed conclusion to this book behind you, there is the final message: Don't believe everything you read in the papers. Well, I said it was realistically underplayed, didn't I?

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep 'em Flyin', January 15, 2007

By 

David A. Cohen "Musical guy" (Jackson (Hole) WY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Airframe (Mass Market Paperback)

This was a very enjoyable novel. The trademark punchy Crichton opening scene, around which the entire story revolves , is incredibly exciting. You'll also get a concentrated class in aviation acronyms. And the thoroughly satisfying "getting even" scene, toward the end, is especially tasty. Once again Mr Crichton gives you the tools to figure out the final revelation, but it will still knock you sideways, because I don't think you'll figure it out. The science is fine, and digestible. Once you get into the swing of things (acronym-wise) even the aircraft reports get semi-discernable, and pleasing. I highly recommend this book.