Rising Sun: A Novel (Michael Crichton)

After reading Jurassic Park, I wanted to read every Crichton book available! After doing so, I have decided that this was the best book that he has ever written! I loved the Rising Sun! It had an intriguing beginning, and only got better as the story went on. This is one of the few books that ever was portrayed in a fair way on television. If you loved the television/movie version, you would love this book! Have fun!

During current times when the whole economic structure of our country is in collapse and when presidential candidates speak of the middle class like it's an endangered species, one should read or perhaps reread this book. It sets a murder mystery in a time when the Japanese were buying up many American businesses although the Japanese were not alone in doing this (Germans, British, etc, etc). They were taking their newly acquired companies and often reincorporating them in places like Luxembourg that could provide large tax advantages (i.e. less tax income for the US). The book suggests that these practices weakened the economic spine of this country. The murder mystery itself is set against some rather interesting cultural aspects that lend some interesting qualities.

I am not a hard-core Crichton fan, but have read enough of his books to expect a combination of mystery, cutting edge science and some "historical/political" message. You get all three in this novel. As others have said, this is a treatise on Japan...the culture, how they do business, and a good one at that...not very flattering to us in the US and, hence, some of the pans by others. Well, folks, the Japanese may not have taken over the US, but, now in the 2000's, we are still open to outside investment. Lessons may not have been learned and Budweiser has gone to the Belgians. Putting the politics aside, the mystery surrounding the murder relies heavily on being guided by the hero, Conner, and his understanding of the Japanese mind. So folks, you will not be bored by REALLY knowing who dunnit before the end of the book...though you may guess. The use of advanced digital recording and processing is no longer so new, but still an interesting addition to the detectives' bag of tric... Read more

Many of the predictions in this book about the Japanese "taking over America" by buying it up have not come true. Indeed, with Japan's current economic decline the alarmist tone of this book is quite laughable. I remember reading it at the time and being somewhat skeptical, but in 2008, this book has almost no relevance except as an example of fear-mongering from a prior decade. The mystery story itself is only so-so. Stick to Jurassic Park or the Andromedia Strain.

As with every review here, it is merely an opinion. So first let met try to find and build a little rapport with a few of potential readers. The Micheal Crichton books which I immensely enjoyed and considered enjoyable reading were Airframe, Disclosure, and Timeline. Airframe, being an immensely captivating read. Disclosure, being one of the few books that led to two sleepless nights of reading. And Timeline, an excellent departure from your typical "Thriller" novel, with a unique and somewhat timeless storyline. With that said, Rising Sun was a bit of a disappointment. The story is not nearly as suspenseful or intriguing as the above titles. The pace is not nearly as fast, nor are the plot twists as captivating or unexpected as his better novels. The plot is, for the most part, quite linear. There are very few moments when you will wonder (or care) what will happen next. Most times it is quite clear where it is going, and there are VERY few times when a plot twist occurs ... Read more