Neanderthal: A Novel

I was intrigued by the concept of the book. Unfortunately the author didn't deliver on the product. I found that the characters were left undeveloped, the government fell in to the old (Power Hungry) stereotype, and it left an unanswered ending. It was an average read, but I wouldn't recommend it

The book was to fast and not very intellectually engaging. Yes, this is popular fiction but I feel this is more in the realm of a young adult book rather than a book for adult readers. I suggest a book by Micheal Crichton called Eaters of the Dead, minus the odd name it is a far superior book.

While the idea is very interesting and well thought out, I felt that the author was having trouble keeping the reader interested. It was drawn out in places and needed more...Oomph! I was interested throughout half of the story yet had to push my way to the end only to be neither excited nor dissapointed with the outcome. Overall great idea, bland execution.

I am not surprised to see that many reviewers dismissed this book. Society today asks for critical reviews. I am a creative individual, with an open mind. It is possible for me to read science fiction without constantly saying "duh, that would never happen." I found the book an enjoyable light read. The story is engaging, but yes it is fiction. I did not expect to read this book and conclude Neanderthals really exist. I did however expect to be entertained with a quest for something unbelievable. I recommend this book and expect it to be quite enjoyable for most open-minded readers.

This book had so much promise. What an interesting premise! Yeah, but it was so incredibly BAD, I was rolling my eyes constantly. My gf picked it up, but she had the good sense to stop reading it a little ways into it.

The writing is ok. The plot, characters, peripherals are just horrible. Don't waste your time with this one.

An excellent book that compares to the science fiction adrenaline made popular by Michael Crichton. Like any good book, you find yourself cheering during the action and sad when it finally ends. I consider myself a slow reader and finished it within a week.

I thought this book was excellent. It was one of the best books I've ever read. I thought the scientific information was great because it made a far fetched idea, believable. I learned quite a bit about neanderthals in this process as well. It may not be the best book of you are an expert on Neanderthals, but for myself, I greatly enjoyed it. John Darnton has become one of my favorite authors. I was disappointed to see he's only written one other book, however, that book (the Experiment) I also loved! This was lots of fun. I didn't want it to end. Highly reccommended.

The premise is great: scientists find a band of lost Neanderthals and go native for a time. The author should have stuck to one plot thread, or two at the most, but there are far too many plot threads going on at once, and I got frustrated flipping from one to the other.

After having read quite a few reviews of this book, I was surprised by the number of positive comments. Many people commented that the real science should be ignored in favor of the story. In the example of Star Wars someone gave, that is true. Star Wars never touted itself as anything but purely unrealistic fiction. This work, however, seemed to claim otherwise. And even if the science isn't perfect, that's forgiveable if the rest of the book is, well, good. Unfortunately, this book wasn't good or accurate, nor was it realistic. But I suppose in the end the money is what matters.

This book is very far fetched even though it does try to explain the "big foot" myth. It's slow reading with poorly developed characters. It has some entertainment value but do not pay full price for this book.

I'm surprised that there were so many negative reviews about something I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. I cannot understand how a novel that makes it to the new york times bestsellers list seems unappreciated by the the store crowd.

I personally enjoyed the story, the characters, the flow, and especially the speculation as to why the neanderthal became extinct and why we survived. Mr. Darnton (i'm assuming he got the theories from some anthropological experts) presented a very very plausible explanation why this happened. None of the old "we're good, they're bad, they're stupid, we're smart" kind of thinking. Just good old fashioned evolution.

Excellent

I enjoyed this book, at times. But then reading it was somewhat like a chore at times as well. True, it has a lot of action, but typical "Hollywood" action. Maybe it will make a popular movie someday.

Reviewers, lighten up! If you're interested in
an intellectually stimulating story about an ape,
read Daniel Quinn's Ishmael. Darnton's book is
just a fun read for those of us who are predisposed
to thinking about origins. I thought it was a
good book to read on the beach. I probably
wouldn't buy the T-shirt anyway!

I was surprised to see the negative ratings about this book. It's been a while since I read it, but I remember enjoying the plot, the characters, and exotic locale. Nothing profound but just a very enjoyable read.

In our so-called sophisticated society, we as humans choose to ignore the possibility that simplicity is the greatest life. In this story, two archeologists with a past are brought back together to 'rescue' their professor from the unknown. With life and death moments, scientific discoveries, enigmas, and true character development, we discover why humans are at the top of the food chain and what really caused Neanderthals to die out... A must read for all ages.

Well. This could have been a good book, except for the completely predictable plot turns, poor character development, inconsistencies, and ridiculous ending. Good thing this book was given to me. Don't waste your money-- better yet, re-write the thing yourself!

Darnton is no Chricton This book seemed to be devoid of scientific research. We know a lot about Neandertals now, but Darnton ignores it all. And he comes up with an AWFUL moral to his story ... one that's an insult not just to his characters but to all of homo sapiens. There's some action, but it's contrived. I did not enjoy this one in case you can't tell ... :-)

This novel was disappointing; the author failed to maintain my interest about the time the modern crew found themselves in the Neanderthal Shangra-la. I found ALMOST ADAM is much better and sustained story, but two older works dealing with Neanderthal-Homo sapien interfaces are EATERS OF THE DEAD and THE INHERITORS.

This book has something for everyone. There is love,action,comedy,science fiction and more. It is very graphic and also
has alot of detail. In the beginning it is slow and can seem a bit boring but once you get past that it becomes a great book. Most of the things in the book are unexpected. The book also has its sad moments. all and all this is the perfect book.

This book has something for everyone. There is love,action,comedy,science fiction and more. It is very graphic and also
has alot of detail. In the beginning it is slow and can seem a bit boring but once you get past that it becomes a great book. Most of the things in the book are unexpected. The book also has its sad moments. all and all this is the perfect book.