Criticism > Contemporary Literary Criticism > Crichton, Michael (Vol. 90) - Michael Coren (review date 21 February 1994)

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Michael Coren (review date 21 February 1994)

SOURCE: "Office Romance," in National Review, New York, Vol. XLVI, No. 3, February 21, 1994, p. 63.

[In the following mixed review of Disclosure, Coren applauds Crichton's handling of the sexual harassment theme but faults the unbalanced portrayal of good and evil in the characterizations.]

One really has to admire the masters and mistresses of the middle-brow, those novelists who swoop down upon an issue that is capturing headlines and sound-bites and make it the theme of a bestselling novel. Are they vultures or are they eagles? The answer will vary from reader to reader. But for me Michael Crichton's wing-span, his grace in flight, and the clarity of his vision place him firmly in the eagle's nest.

We experienced some of this author's gifts when he dealt with Japanese-American relations in Rising Sun, genetic engineering in Jurassic Park, and the future of the...

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1. Introduction
2. ∗Principal Works
3. Criticism
   1. Pauline Kael (review date 9 November 1981)
   2. David Denby (review date 16 November 1981)
   3. Gary Jennings (review date 11 November 1990)
   4. Ronald Preston (review date 21 November 1990)
   5. J. P. Telotte (essay date 1990)
   6. Robert Nathan (review date 9 February 1992)
   7. Ian Buruma (review date 23 April 1992)
   8. Karl Taro Greenfeld (review date 11 May 1992)
   9. Julian Loose (review date 22 October 1992)
   10. Stephen Jay Gould (review date 12 August 1993)
   11. Christopher Lehmann-Haupt (review date 6 January 1994)
   12. John Schulian (review date 16 January 1994)
   13. Patt Morrison (review date 16 January 1994)
   14. Julie Burchill (review date 22 January 1994)
   15. Geraldine Brennan (review date 30 January 1994)
   16. Douglas Kennedy (review date 4 February 1994)
   17. Michael Coren (review date 21 February 1994)
   18. Francine Prose (review date October 1994)
   19. Publishers Weekly (review date 21 August 1995)
   20. Mark Annichiarico (review date 15 September 1995)
   21. Mim Udovitch (review date 1 October 1995)
4. Further Reading
5. Copyright