Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Ballantine Books (2008), 448 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Thriller. HTML:Three passengers are dead. Fifty-six are injured. The interior cabin virtually destroyed. But the pilot manages to land the plane. . . . At a moment when the issue of safety and death in the skies is paramount in the public mind, a lethal midair disaster aboard a commercial twin-jet airliner bound from Hong Kong to Denver triggers a pressured and frantic investigation. AIRFRAME is nonstop reading: the extraordinary mixture of super suspense and authentic information on a subject of compelling interest that has been a Crichton landmark since The Andromeda Strain.
User reviews
LibraryThing member AshRyan
Based on the plot blurb on the jacket, this didn't sound like one of Crichton's best novels, so I put off reading it for years. Now I wish I hadn't. Airframe stands up with his best. A story of corporate politics, union violence, bureaucratic b.s., and media responsibility (or the lack thereof),
Casey Singleton is a single mom, and a vice-president of quality assurance at Norton, one of the world's top (and few remaining) manufacturers of airframes (i.e., the body of an airplane, but not the engines). With a terrible but inexplicable accident threatening to upset a vital deal, it's up to her to get to the bottom of what actually happened in order to prove that the model of the plane is safe and reliable. But the union, afraid that jobs are going to be outsourced, will go to any lengths to stop the deal, and that means derailing Casey's investigation. Plus, it seems like there may be someone in upper management working against her as well. On top of all this, Casey is appointed as the company's liaison with the media about the incident. Can she deal with a violent union, back-stabbing co-workers, irresponsible journalists, senseless bureaucracy, and still solve the mystery in time?
As usual, Crichton puts in enough technical detail to make the story seem hyper-real, but not quite enough to bore the reader with minutiae entirely irrelevant to the story. And unlike some of his more science-fictiony stuff, this novel is firmly in the realism camp, along with some of his other better novels (Disclosure and The Great Train Robbery come to mind).
A couple of minor drawbacks: Some of the characters are a bit thinly drawn, for instance the upper-level management of the company, whom Crichton portrays as very hard workers in a sort of vague way but who we otherwise have no idea how they got where they are. And he treats some of his subject matter a bit inconsistently, for instance having a character who appears to be speaking for the author insist that federal regulation is the only way to ensure that corporations make safe products, but then showing regulatory agencies basically just getting in the way with a bunch of useless red tape and showing very clearly that the company's real motivation to put out a safe product is so they can actually sell it and make money off of it and not go out of business and all be out of jobs.
But these are fairly minor issues in the novel. Overall, it's a great read, and I highly recommend it.
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Airframe weaves all of these elements into a seamless whole.Casey Singleton is a single mom, and a vice-president of quality assurance at Norton, one of the world's top (and few remaining) manufacturers of airframes (i.e., the body of an airplane, but not the engines). With a terrible but inexplicable accident threatening to upset a vital deal, it's up to her to get to the bottom of what actually happened in order to prove that the model of the plane is safe and reliable. But the union, afraid that jobs are going to be outsourced, will go to any lengths to stop the deal, and that means derailing Casey's investigation. Plus, it seems like there may be someone in upper management working against her as well. On top of all this, Casey is appointed as the company's liaison with the media about the incident. Can she deal with a violent union, back-stabbing co-workers, irresponsible journalists, senseless bureaucracy, and still solve the mystery in time?
As usual, Crichton puts in enough technical detail to make the story seem hyper-real, but not quite enough to bore the reader with minutiae entirely irrelevant to the story. And unlike some of his more science-fictiony stuff, this novel is firmly in the realism camp, along with some of his other better novels (Disclosure and The Great Train Robbery come to mind).
A couple of minor drawbacks: Some of the characters are a bit thinly drawn, for instance the upper-level management of the company, whom Crichton portrays as very hard workers in a sort of vague way but who we otherwise have no idea how they got where they are. And he treats some of his subject matter a bit inconsistently, for instance having a character who appears to be speaking for the author insist that federal regulation is the only way to ensure that corporations make safe products, but then showing regulatory agencies basically just getting in the way with a bunch of useless red tape and showing very clearly that the company's real motivation to put out a safe product is so they can actually sell it and make money off of it and not go out of business and all be out of jobs.
But these are fairly minor issues in the novel. Overall, it's a great read, and I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member StormRaven
Airplane is definitely a techno-thriller. It focuses on the aftermath of a fatal incident aboard an airplane during a flight over the Pacific. It is not, however, a typical Crichton techno-thriller. The villains are not an evil corporation: the airplane manufacturer is represented by honest,
On the whole, the book seems as though someone set out to write the anti-Crichton techno-thriller. I must say that as a result, this book is better than many of Crichton's other books. Absent the usual anti-technological fear mongering and anti-corporate ranting, Crichton's writing style makes for a decent story that actually has enough twists and turns to keep the novel from becoming predictable. The book spends a little too much time on very technical aspects of airplane design and manufacture, but that is probably necessary for the plot to work. The book is very good at outlining the system used to provide for airplane safety, and details why the apparently cumbersome and ineffective system that is in place is probably the best option available.
On a side note, I often hear people criticizing Crichton for a lack of character development, which I find an odd criticism. Many of the stories he writes (such as Airplane, Rising Sun, Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, and Prey) take place over the course of a few days at most. How much character development can one really expect full grown adults to undergo in that time span? I just don't see this lack of development as a particularly significant problem for the stories.
In the end, this is a decent book. It is not as good as Crichton at his best, but it is definitely better than the average Crichton novel.
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hard-working individuals trying to do their best. The technology central to the story is not the problem. Rather, the problem is the appalling lack of knowledge most of the characters (other than the people working for the airplane manufacturer) have concerning this technology that they take for granted as an everyday part of their lives. The villains (to the extent they can be classed as such) are basically just overly zealous news people looking for a story where there really isn't one, and as such, they don't suffer the usual poetically gruesome deaths typical of a Crichton story.On the whole, the book seems as though someone set out to write the anti-Crichton techno-thriller. I must say that as a result, this book is better than many of Crichton's other books. Absent the usual anti-technological fear mongering and anti-corporate ranting, Crichton's writing style makes for a decent story that actually has enough twists and turns to keep the novel from becoming predictable. The book spends a little too much time on very technical aspects of airplane design and manufacture, but that is probably necessary for the plot to work. The book is very good at outlining the system used to provide for airplane safety, and details why the apparently cumbersome and ineffective system that is in place is probably the best option available.
On a side note, I often hear people criticizing Crichton for a lack of character development, which I find an odd criticism. Many of the stories he writes (such as Airplane, Rising Sun, Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, and Prey) take place over the course of a few days at most. How much character development can one really expect full grown adults to undergo in that time span? I just don't see this lack of development as a particularly significant problem for the stories.
In the end, this is a decent book. It is not as good as Crichton at his best, but it is definitely better than the average Crichton novel.
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LibraryThing member VirginiaGill
I fell in love with this book when it was first published. Completely twisted since at the time I was a frequent traveler. Crichton's books rarely let me down when I want a read that makes me hold my breath and pray like crazy. I still read this book about once a year.
LibraryThing member benuathanasia
Good characterizations. Excellent story-line (I didn't read the blurb first, so it was interesting to see what it was about). Great factuality. Thrilling.
LibraryThing member bell7
After a mysterious airplane accident involving several injuries and even death occurs, Casey Singleton, divorced mother and rising star in the Norton Aircraft company, must head up the investigation of why this happened. In a field that is as complicated as the airframe industry, it can be a
The story is typical Crichton: some technical details, but a relentlessly-paced story with lots of dialog and little character development. The mystery of what happened on Flight 545 and the troubles Casey has with the union over a possible China deal keep you on the edge of your seat. Personally, I would have liked getting to know the characters a little more, which is the main reason I didn't love it. Still, a solid thriller with a pacing that keeps you turning pages late at night.
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nightmare trying to deal with a press that just wants the "video at 11," and Casey is also given the unwelcome task of liaison with the media.The story is typical Crichton: some technical details, but a relentlessly-paced story with lots of dialog and little character development. The mystery of what happened on Flight 545 and the troubles Casey has with the union over a possible China deal keep you on the edge of your seat. Personally, I would have liked getting to know the characters a little more, which is the main reason I didn't love it. Still, a solid thriller with a pacing that keeps you turning pages late at night.
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LibraryThing member shu_shu_sleeps
Bought this in an airport bookstore - and read it as I flew from one side of Australia to the other. Like most Michael Crichton books - I was hooked in quickly and found it difficult to put down. A bit more airport potboiler than some of his other work, but sometimes you need something a little
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light and fluffy.... Show Less
LibraryThing member LouCypher
A big airplane deal with the chinese looming in the distant and a problem abored a Norton-22 causes a few fatalities and 56 injuries jeopardizing the sale. Follow the intrigue as the mystery as to how this happend unfolds.
Classic Crichton picking a topic and showing a side no one ever thinks to
Classic Crichton picking a topic and showing a side no one ever thinks to
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look at. I really enjoyed it although some spots get a little technical for a little too long. Overall good solid read. Show Less
LibraryThing member andyray
i feel sorry for those who read for the thrill and cannot stand learning something. in this well-paced story the reader learns just about every detail of the huge modern jet-liner and that is quite a feat in itself. crighton's characters are not memorable (unless they are transformed into film),
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but the story is solid and i turned the pages to finish this in a record three nights. Show Less
LibraryThing member lilygirl
Marvelous book that kept astonishing and exasperating me by turn.... but it was always the pleasant frustration found in the actions of characters that we wish would act different ways. I loved the technical talk that made me feel as though I had been brought directly into the world. It also
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reminded me of Feynman's investigation into the Challenger disaster. Show Less
LibraryThing member StBu0404
Another great book from Michael Crichton where a plane suddenly has terrible turbulence, which causes many injuries, and the maker of the plane has to investigate to see what caused the problems. A great mystery.
LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
Something is wrong with the plane. A horrible accident leaves three dead and 56 injured. The pilot said it was turbulence, the media says that a design flaw in the plane caused the accident... but Casey Singleton knows that neither of those are the cause. And she'll have to get to the bottom of it
Crichton somehow has the ability to make all kinds of different subjects really interesting to me. With this novel it was aerodynamics. A gripping story, plenty of twists, and short chapters make this the ultimate page-turner. Great for when you want a read that will really distract you... only, I wouldn't recommend reading this on a plane. ;)
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quickly or it could cost her her job... or even her life. Crichton somehow has the ability to make all kinds of different subjects really interesting to me. With this novel it was aerodynamics. A gripping story, plenty of twists, and short chapters make this the ultimate page-turner. Great for when you want a read that will really distract you... only, I wouldn't recommend reading this on a plane. ;)
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LibraryThing member dbeyer
This book was painful to read. It is slow paced, preachy, and just...boring. At the time, it seemed like such a huge departure from the typical Crichton fare such as Sphere and Congo and the wonderful Jurassic Park. Ask yourself this, would you want to read a novel about the inner workings of the
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airline industry and the moral corruptness of the media? Because that's all you get, plus a full on technical explanation of the mechanics of a commercial jet. This book began Michael Crichton's trend towards political and moral preachings in his books, which is now his staple. Lame. It gets one star because, despite all my critcisms, he technically writes very well. Show Less
LibraryThing member sunqueen
I had a hard time finishing this book as it kept losing my interest. Way to much technical information about planes and plane building disguised as plot.
LibraryThing member Detail_Muse
A typical high-tech thriller with stereotypical, cardboard characters. Loads of content about aeronautical engineering. Crichton keeps the reader up-to-the-minute with what the characters know until the last 1/5 of the book, then switches to exclude the reader (probably to build suspense). :(
I
I
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wouldn’t recommend the novel because its technology is outdated and its airline-safety issues provide shallow intrigue compared to those of today. But it was fun to peek back to the mid-‘90s when the book was written, and be reminded of the state of personal communications just before the real leap into cell phones and Internet/email. And it was satisfying to see Crichton rail against the media -- especially the ultra-produced, network “news”-magazines (which have only gotten worse in the decade since). Show Less
LibraryThing member govindraj.umarji
One of the more brilliant works by Crichton. In this book, he describes the story of an organization called Norton, which manufactures Airframes, which is the body of the aircraft. The protagonist is an employee of the organization, who receives a lot of flak for the perceived non-performance of
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her company's product. What follows is a thrilling journey through the world of aircraft manufacturing and aircraft carriers and the media. Show Less
LibraryThing member Majumdar
A riveting suspense thriller which was one of the rare ones that I literally couldn't stop reading.
LibraryThing member Cygnus555
Not the best Crichton... but having been involved in incident investigations, I found it to be intriguing and true to life. You have to respect the level of research that Michael puts behind his books. Even if you don't totally buy what is being said, he at least has the data to support his
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position. Show Less
LibraryThing member krysteria
I’d never read any Michael Crichton before and possibly this wasn’t the one to start off with, since I wasn’t impressed. The opening sequence of the husband, wife & baby daughter on the plane is what hooked me but they weren’t actually real characters in the book. They just appeared in the
So I really didn’t like the characters too much. I thought it was an awful lot to have happen in one single week when the main character just happens to have sent her daughter to her ex-husband’s for the week. How convenient!
I did feel like the airplane manafacturer she worked for did exist, it was described in major detail. Some was far-fetched, however. And I thought the ending was dull.
I guess I was hoping this was a real airline disaster book, but it wasn’t. It was an almost airline disaster followed by boring investigative work that lead to a dull ending.
On a scale of 1-10, it’s maybe a 3.
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beginning and that was it.So I really didn’t like the characters too much. I thought it was an awful lot to have happen in one single week when the main character just happens to have sent her daughter to her ex-husband’s for the week. How convenient!
I did feel like the airplane manafacturer she worked for did exist, it was described in major detail. Some was far-fetched, however. And I thought the ending was dull.
I guess I was hoping this was a real airline disaster book, but it wasn’t. It was an almost airline disaster followed by boring investigative work that lead to a dull ending.
On a scale of 1-10, it’s maybe a 3.
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LibraryThing member hadden
Rather dull book. I only finished it by scanning or leaping several chapters. Many ofthe characters are stock stereotypes. Pro-engineers, and very anti-union, anti-media, anti-businessmen. Not recommended.
LibraryThing member 06nwingert
I was a bit on an idiot an read this on an airplane ride and was scared to fly for several months. (Normally, I can read horror books without them affecting me.) The description of the plane after the accident is still a vivid image in my mind.
LibraryThing member LaroyH
Airframe by Michael Crichton,
I like this book because Michael really describes everything very well, like when he introduces the main character Casey and the job she does. It is really interesting how he goes about telling the proses of an airplane accident and how it is solved.
The plot line of
Another thing i liked about Airframe was how you thought you know what was going to happen next and things were going to be fine and then boom it was just a minor part of a huge plan that you never was coming. That is why i liked airframe.
I like this book because Michael really describes everything very well, like when he introduces the main character Casey and the job she does. It is really interesting how he goes about telling the proses of an airplane accident and how it is solved.
The plot line of
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the book is really interesting to and puts thing into reality for instance, when Casey sees Richard's car, she tells him to get an American made car the workers on the floor wont like seeing that in the parking lot. Later Casey get a threat call and there are people outside of her house she thinks they are going to come into the house and kill her but they are guards making sure she is safe. That was really scary for me when that happened because i have never ever thought about it and how it can really change your life. Also when someone on the floor (where the planes are made) went after Casey because they thought she was putting the company on the edge and basically ending it. Another thing i liked about Airframe was how you thought you know what was going to happen next and things were going to be fine and then boom it was just a minor part of a huge plan that you never was coming. That is why i liked airframe.
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LibraryThing member santhony
Typical Crichton thriller. Take a scientific topic and build a novel around it, entertaining and educating at the same time. He has produced better, but this is certainly not a bad book.
LibraryThing member anderew
My favorite Crichton book, I read this on a flight to Portugal one year. Not a wise move! This book struck several chords which resonated with me: The superficial coverage of complex scientific and engineering subjects by the media to tell what ever story they want; The determined search for truth
I also really liked the climax where MC goes for the sensible, believable reason behind the disaster rather than betraying the themes in his own book and being sensationalist.
Parts of the book read like a screenplay or a book of the film. You can tell that the author had more than half an eye on the big screen version, especially in the hanger scene where the heroine is pursed into the aircraft.
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by relentless investigation of the facts. I also really liked the climax where MC goes for the sensible, believable reason behind the disaster rather than betraying the themes in his own book and being sensationalist.
Parts of the book read like a screenplay or a book of the film. You can tell that the author had more than half an eye on the big screen version, especially in the hanger scene where the heroine is pursed into the aircraft.
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LibraryThing member kayceel
This was published in 1996, and boy, does it show. I was a bit bored by this story, especially since I figured out what happened AGES before the main character did, and waiting for her and others to figure it out was agonizing. There were also a few storylines that didn't quite make sense, and
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never were tied in - made me wonder what the point (aside from adding a few tense "Oh, is she gonna die" moments) was in including those scenes. Show Less
LibraryThing member EmScape
An international flight from Hong Kong to Denver experiences a phenomenon that leaves 3 dead and 52 injured. What happened?
Although the technical information was new and interesting, and Casey is a compelling character, this book was not terribly entertaining. Besides Casey, people did not
Also included were many lines of reports in binary that really seemed to just fill pages.
I will always keep an eye on the slats on all future airplane rides...
Although the technical information was new and interesting, and Casey is a compelling character, this book was not terribly entertaining. Besides Casey, people did not
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havecredible motives for doing the things they did. The plot didn't really add up and the big 'reveal' was something I figured out about halfway through. Accurate portrayal of the media as fearmongers and not interested in the truth but what plays well as a visual was refreshing. A lot of the technical jargon was mystifying and the explanations for it were either non-existant, or unnecessary. I mean, times that I probably could have figured it out myself, there was an awkward interjection of explanation, and there was never an explanation when I was mystified. Also included were many lines of reports in binary that really seemed to just fill pages.
I will always keep an eye on the slats on all future airplane rides...
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Subjects
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1996-11-27
Physical description
448 p.; 4.18 inches
ISBN
0345503090 / 9780345503091