Rising Sun [Mass Market Paperback]

Michael Crichton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 23, 1992

During the grand opening celebration of the new American headquarters of an immense Japanese conglomerate, the dead body of a beautiful woman is found. The investigation begins, and immediately becomes a headlong chase through a twisting maze of industrial intrigue and a violent business battle that takes no prisoners.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A young American model is murdered in the corporate boardroom of Los Angeles's Nakomoto Tower on the new skyscraper's gala opening night. Murdered, that is, unless she was strangled while enjoying sadomasochistic sex that went too far. Nakomoto, a Japanese electronics giant, tries to hush up the embarrassing incident, setting in motion a murder investigation that serves Crichton ( Jurassic Park ) as the platform for a clever, tough-talking harangue on the dangers of Japanese economic competition and influence-peddling in the U.S. Divorced LAPD lieutenant Peter Smith, who has custody of his two-year-old daughter, and hard-boiled detective John Connor, who says things like "For a Japanese, consistent behavior is not possible," pursue the killer in a winding plot involving Japan's attempt to gain control of the U.S. computer industry. Although Crichton's didactic aims are often at cross-purposes with his storytelling, his entertaining, well-researched thriller cannot be easily dismissed as Japan-bashing because it raises important questions about that country's adversarial trade strategy and our inadequate response to it. He also provides a fascinating perspective on how he thinks the Japanese view Americans--as illiterate, childish, lazy people obsessed with TV, violence and aggressive litigation. 225,000 first printing; BOMC main selection.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- The celebrity-studded opening of a huge Japanese office building is marred by the murder of a beautiful American woman. Lt. Peter Smith is called in to investigate and is requested to bring along John Connor, an expert on Japanese culture and fluent in the language. So begins a riveting tale that combines suspense, technology, and a full-scale economic battle for survival. YAs will have no problem following the complex corporate business schemes described by Crichton, whose loyalties are obviously with America. Readers who fear that the Japanese are taking over the U. S. economy will not be reassured.
- Katherine Fitch, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Burke, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; First Edition edition (November 23, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345380371
• ISBN-13: 978-0345380371
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.8 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (143 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #248,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Technothrillers

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

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A new twist for Crichton, January 7, 2000

By 

Doug Vaughn - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rising Sun (Hardcover)

I am not a Crichton fan but for some reason always wind up reading his latest book. There is always at least something of interest there. So I was very pleasantly surprised with Rising Sun, a book that takes an unexpected turn for Crichton in that it is light on the science and heavy on character and plot. A murder mystery entangled in the complexities of Japanese business dealings in America, it provides Crichton with an opportunity - through several of his characters - to vent about Japanese culture and the problems American business has competing with them.

The book works on several levels. It is an exciting mystery, an interesting exposition about Japanese business and culture and - as always with Crichton - a lesson in new technology. Whether the insights one gleans about the Japanese are true or not (and that was a controversial aspect of the book when first published) the image of them presented in the book is perfect to create the tension and intrigue that helps keep the plot ticking and holds the reader's interest till the end.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kohai!!!!!!, December 2, 2003

By 

Will Culp (Greenville, South Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rising Sun (Mass Market Paperback)

After finishing this book, I let out a big breath, probably the first one in over 3 hours, as I could not stop reading this book for its(no pun intended)breathtaking plot and international intrigue. At its heart, this novel is a book about how Japan is taking over America's economy(there are good examples from Crichton, he has done his research, check the rather large bibliography), and the fact that the Japanese will do anything to control it. As Crichton states many times, Japan's motto is "Business is War", and after finishing this, I cannot help but agree. The story revolves around Lt. Peter Smith and John Connor(haha), who investigate the murder of a beautiful young girl, who was murdered at the Grand Opening of the Nakamoto Building.A great mystery ensues, and even Crichton's lack of detailed descriptions flies by your mind like the pages you are reading. I recommend to read this over the weekend on a soft hammock, just to prove you want fall asleep.Also check out Sphere and Jurassic Park, but do not go anywhere near The Terminal Man.......UGH!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Mystery, but Too Preachy for its Own Good, June 3, 2007

By 

Thriller Lover (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Rising Sun (Mass Market Paperback)

Michael Crichton wrote RISING SUN in 1992, when Japan was considered a big economic threat to the United States. Since then, Japan's economy has fallen into a long-term recession, and it has sold back many of the American properties it purchased over a decade ago. Japan is still a serious economic force, but it's no longer the economic bogeyman it used to be.

There's a decent murder mystery in RISING SUN, but this novel is essentially an excuse for Crichton to express his fear of Japanese business practices. Much of the dialogue in this novel is stilted, and is merely a front for Crichton to express his view that the American way of doing business is outdated, and cannot compete effectively against Japanese methods. Many of the characters are nothing more than caricatures designed to push this message.

Crichton makes some interesting points in this novel, but he is not particularly subtle. He basically makes the same points again and again, through one repetitive chapter after another. This novel starts very well, but it eventually wore itself thin with all the doomsaying and preachiness.

RISING SUN is an interesting read, and a clever thriller. But I wish Crichton had spent more time on characterization and plot, and less time on his agenda.