Michael Crichton

TIMELINE

IS SPINNING A TALE MORE IMPORTANT THAN HISTORICAL ACCURACY?

OUTLINE• DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK

• PLOT

• CHARACTERS

• SETTING

• INTELLECTUAL UNDERSTANDING

• EMOTIONAL UNDERSTANDING

PLOT SUMMARYAndré, Kate and Chris are uncovering a site in Dordogne, France. Their Professor leaves to discuss something with the boss of the company that’s funding them, Doniger. Days later they find a note from him dated 1357. Doniger sends someone to pick them up and take them to Arizona. The find that time travel exists. They go back in time to 1357 to Dordogne. The three find that the local lord, Oliver, is about to be attacked by warlord Arnaut. They split up, and André finds the Professor. Kate and Chris

PLOT THINGY

KATHERINE ERICKSONKnown as Kate

American

Dark tan and freckles

Short, blond hair and blue eyes

Wears a wig to make her hair longer, as short hair in the medieval ages was a sign of heresy

Not pretty, but attractive

CHRISTOPHER STEWART HUGHESKnown as Chris

English

24

Knowledgeable about medieval science and technology

Orphan since his parents died in a car crash

Fussy

Stomach trouble

DR. ANDRÉ MAREKDutch

29

Tall, muscular build

Fanatical about the Middle Ages.

Assistant professor of history at Yale

Very slight Dutch accent

Refuses to grow a beard as it wasn’t fashionable in the Middle Ages. This basically sums him up.

CHARACTERSCharacter Position Details

André Marek ‘Peasant’

Kate Erickson ‘Peasant’

Chris Hughes ‘Peasant’

Professor Johnston

‘Nobility’ A professor in history who get lost in time

Sir Guy Nobility

Lord Oliver Nobility A paranoid lord

Arnaut Nobility A warlord, fighting against Lord Oliver

SETTINGPart One: Corazon, America – 1998

Part Two: Dordogne, France – 1998

Part Three: Black Rock, America – 1998

Part Four: Castelgard, Dordogne, France – 1357

Part Five: Castelgard, Dordogne, France – 1348

Part Six: Eltham Castle, England – 1998

INTELLECTUAL UNDERSTANDINGArchitectural technologies

Medieval sciences and technologies

Gunpowder’s origins

Medieval

“The original recipe [of gunpowder] … had come from China. But the details of how it had arrived in Europe were in dispute.” pg. 415

Quote

INTELLECTUAL UNDERSTANDINGSieges

Tactics for both offense and defense

“Those arrows are going to force Arnaut to pull his siege engines back-too far back to be effective” pg. 419

Quote

INTELLECTUAL UNDERSTANDINGQuantum physics

Time travel

Scientific without being accurate/real

“What we have developed is a form of space travel…it means that we travel to another place in the multiverse” pg. 124

Quote

EMOTIONAL UNDERSTANDING

Frantic to find the Professor before the 37 hours are up

Worried about anachronisms

Fearful for their lives

Confused about directives

Sad about deaths and the final conclusion (suspense…heh heh heh…)

“And in that moment, their situation was clear to him. Their guides were both dead. One machine was gone. Their return marker was shattered. Which meant that they were stuck in this place…with no prospect of ever getting back. Not ever.” pg. 197

Quote

EMOTIONAL UNDERSTANDING

Interested in Medieval society

Fascinated by the events

Relieved to find a way to get back home (ceramic marker)

Proud for finding the Professor

Happy for Kate and Chris (they get married in the end)

Quote

“Kate said to Chris, ‘Do you have the ceramic?’‘Yes. I have it.’” pg. 469

EMOTIONAL UNDERSTANDING

I felt suspended, like there was always something that I didn’t know

Curious to see where the story would be going

Drawn into Crichton’s descriptions and scenes

His physical, emotional and mental descriptions were fascinating

Quote

“She knew what it was: a beheading block. She was powerless to oppose him. The knight pushed her down roughly, forcing her neck onto the block…she saw a shadow move across the grass as he raised his axe into the air…” pg. 408

CONCLUSION

The plot changed between 1357 and 1998

Fascinating read

Unpredictable in a good way

Characters were realistic and believable

Sounds real even though its not

Suspense is marvellously written