Customer Reviews

Next (Spanish Edition)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I got this gift as a book, and I read it without checking the opinions first. I'm not sure I've read a book through that I found less entertaining. If I hadn't read it in just 3 sittings, I would never have kept all the subplots straight. The subject matter was very interesting, which is why I did finish it, but I've been known to read textbooks as well. This is not recommended unless you are diehard Chrichton fan.

I have read and loved almost every Crichton work, however lately the books I have seen have evolved into less fiction, more lecture. I do believe that Crichton is combining too much of his lecture material into the books, making his characters seem out of place with their uncanny knowledge of subjects. It almost has the feel of an educational commercial, where the action is stopped in order to provide a quick lesson. Overall the book has plots that go nowhere, characters that do not tie together, and an ending that seems as if the author just got tired of writing. Hopefully Crichton can get back to creating good fiction, and worry less about providing us a moral. Create the story, and allow us find the message. Here's to waiting for the next great novel. Still a fan.

Both entertaining and thought provoking, Next is a novel that will keep you enthralled all the way to its disappointing end. It's not that the ending is necessarily bad, but that it's hurriedly resolved not unlike a TV episode. You'd expect a Crichton page turner like this to have a more involved ending, though maybe that's just me.

Even if you're not turned on by biotechnology, you will be intrigued by the story's interweaving of fact and fiction. It is an extremely current piece of work that will put you smack in the center of the current debate of gene therapy, patents, transgenics, and tissue ownership. You will find yourself smack in the center of it, and will learn quite a bit from this extremely well researched novel (as are all Crichton's books). This is definitely an entertaining and educational read, though simply not Crichton's best in my opinion.

Crichton fans may in fact find themselves confused about whether they really love it or not, but will find that it's still worthy of their time.

Crichton has always been one of my favorite authors because of the way he teaches at the same time he is telling a story in his novels. This title was amazingly entertaining; towards the end, I could not put it down. The chapters are very short, and the books is constantly switching between various points of view. This makes it an easy book to pick up and read a few pages every once in awhile if you are a busy person. As you may have read in other reviews, there are a number of plot-lines and characters. Yes, at times, these are hard to keep track of. However, I did find that they came together nicely in the end. Crichton wove all these various plots together in a skillful fashion, although the reader must be paying attention to see this. I do not think it is any fault of the writer if the reader cannot pick up the finer points of the novel.

Briefly, the subject of the book centered around various aspects of genetics. It shed light on a lot of the ethical and legal issues that are appearing in the modern day world about such ideas as "transgenic" lifeforms, the use of tissue, and patenting genes. It succeeds in presenting interesting and often eye-opening possibilities.

Overall, this book would be enjoyable to the Crichton fan, the intellectual, those interested in the subject of genetics, and anybody with who loves a fast-paced story and keeps an open mind.

This was the first of Crichton's books that I have read, and I have to say, I had a very difficult time putting it down!

I was perusing the bestsellers in the airport on one of my many adventures to Seattle, and the bright yellow cover of this book caught my eye. I read the synopsis, and a few pages in the middle of the book, and was hooked. Even though I wanted to buy it right then and there, I exercised some self-restraint and waited until I got home to buy it on Amazon (soooo much cheaper if you buy used books.) I also bought Prey, (which was just as good) since it appeared in my "recommended" list.

I've never really had an interest in bio-genetics or even science really, but as a law student, I found this book incredibly relevant and captivating. I had just read the Moore v. Regents case in my Property law class, and to see how that case could create such a significant impact on individuals and the genetics field was just amazing. The Moore case set a ground-breaking precedent in California, and it's not very difficult to imagine the kind of situation the Burnetts faced in the book, from actually happening now in CA.

Although some of the other readers found the individual plots a little difficult to follow, I rather enjoyed all the different stories weaved into one overall plot. Everyone's individual story relates somehow to the others, it made me think of the "six degrees of separation." While some of the fictional situations are a little outrageous in this day & age, it's not too hard to see how easily they could happen not too far in the future.

What I really loved about this book is that it's so hard to tell what is fiction and what is factual. Obviously the characters and their stories are fictional, but the ideas and scientific developments that lead to those stories are true! It's not unimaginable that those sort of situations could happen in the very near future. If you flip to the end of the book, you can check out some of the resources that Crichton used in writing this book, which makes it that much more relevant and fascinating!

Definitely a must read, even if you've never read any of Crichton's books before.

The characters have the depth of cardboard, most are unpleasant and untrustworthy, the plot is contrived and preachy. Some plot points are gratuitously sensationalistic. The humor brought by the transgenic parrot is its only saving grace. Had it not been chosen for our book group I wouldn't have bothered and I suggest you don't either.

Those of us who enjoy Crichton's other works will find this book interesting, but don't expect his usual fascinating page-turner. There is no clear plot running through the book and no clearly defined main characters. In fact, I often had to backtrack to previous chapters to remind me which character was which. This is sort of a hodgepodge of loosely related stories bound together by the shared topic of gene research, animal transgenics, patents, and greed. The stories merge together at the end of the book in a set of ridiculous and implausible coincidences surpassed in their improbability only by the fighter jet plane crash in Fred Forsythe's book, The Afghan.

In short, in NEXT Crichton presents the exciting, scary, and problematic aspects of current genetic research, and current applications, in the form of a very readable novel. Not as much fun as JURASSIC PARK, but still one of Crichton's best.

As other reviewers point out, there are a few too many essentialy independent subplots to keep track of. Two exaggerated transgenic animals, an African Grey parrot and a chimpanzee ("humanzee") strain credulity. African Greys are impressive---an enhanced Grey might have astounding language stills---but not the reasoning skills to go with them that Gerard has. Similarly, a "humanzee" raised in a cage would be just at least as retarded as a human child raised in a cage. Dave is portrayed as being was well developed as a human child of the same age---albeit with a few peculiar quirks. Both are cute and provide comic relief. My only concern is that many readers will discount the other possibilities, problems, and threats Crichton presents which are not at all exaggerated.

Still, these are minor quibbles. If you have enjoyed earlier Crichton novels because you enjoy being educated while reading fiction---you'll love NEXT. I can't imagine anyone giving it less than 4 stars---must be folks with ideological axes to grind, and mad about some of Crichton's earlier novels.

This is not Crichton at his best. So many charactrers and so many stories I was forced to take notes on an index card to keep up with the 20 or so subplots. The novel attempts to tie together too many different issues in this important and controversial area, thus failing as fiction and failing as an educational tool.

I would suggest that the reader skip the entire book and simply read the Author's Note and Bibliography at the end. They alone are worth the price of the paperback and are a great guide for additional reading.

I also hope Michael Crichton will consider writing a follow-up to Next that covers the same issues and is non-fiction. Scary stuff is happening in the courts and labs in the world of genetic engineering. It is not necessary to fictionalize it. The truth itself should frighten and mobilize any reasonable person.

Michael Crichton - he's produced dinosaurs from amber, warned us of the perils of junk science, and combined business and mystery in a number of novels. All very serious stuff. Now Crichton brings us a multi-lingual orangutan, an avian Einstein, and a remarkably robust grade school body guard. It took me about 200 pages to realize that Cricton's sly sense of humor was at work and that I was reading a comedy. Sure there's some serious stuff about ruthless businessmen and scientists, as well as warnings about idiot laws formulated by clueless lawyers, judges, and politicians but once I realized my leg was being pulled the book took on an whole new character. It's a good read that will update you on the perils of modern genetics with lots of fun stuff thrown in. Here's hoping that Cricton includes the heroic Dave and Gerard combo in some of his future novels.