During the grand opening celebration of the new American headquarters of an immense Japanese conglomerate, the dead body of a beautiful woman is... read full description
reviews
Feb 08, 2012
Donovan
rated it: 
Rising Sun is a fun and fast paced read that I found difficult to put down. Admittedly I saw the movie before I read the book and I think that helped me visualise some of what was going on.
Plot ***Spoilers***
During a party at the United States offices of a Japanese corporation, a professional escort is found dead, apparently after a violent sexual encounter. Police Detective Web Smith and John Connor , a former police Captain and expert on Japanese affairs, are sent to investiga More...
Plot ***Spoilers***
During a party at the United States offices of a Japanese corporation, a professional escort is found dead, apparently after a violent sexual encounter. Police Detective Web Smith and John Connor , a former police Captain and expert on Japanese affairs, are sent to investiga More...
Aug 30, 2011
Laura
rated it: 
I really enjoy how Michael Crichton can keep me glued to the page with plot twists and fast pacing, but I really hate when he gets too preachy. I think that is his biggest weakness as a writer. All of his books have some kind of lesson to be learned, typically it's the dangers of fast-growing technology, but his best novels show the reader why this is a problem instead of insistently telling us. For example, in Jurassic Park we didn't need a lecture on the dangers of playing God and giving life
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Jun 02, 2010
Tony
rated it:
Michael Crichton- Rising Sun (Ballantine Books 1993) 3.75 Stars
When a woman is murdered in the beautiful new Nakamoto Tower in L.A. at its grand opening, an investigation begins. Lieutenant Smith must now work with Captain Connor to dig through the lies and deceit to uncover the truth. Connor teaches him much about Japanese culture and helps him understand their actions. Just when they think that they are close to the truth they discover that once again they must weave through the ma More...
When a woman is murdered in the beautiful new Nakamoto Tower in L.A. at its grand opening, an investigation begins. Lieutenant Smith must now work with Captain Connor to dig through the lies and deceit to uncover the truth. Connor teaches him much about Japanese culture and helps him understand their actions. Just when they think that they are close to the truth they discover that once again they must weave through the ma More...
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Dec 01, 2009
Chris
rated it:
Great book. Movie did pretty good depicting the main points. Kind of rough language and themes throughout, though...
If you're not going to read Shogun or something like that, there are some very basic things about Japanese culture to be learned from this book, ...
... like ... the underling apprentice is to play the wreckles bad cop, and if it works in getting what's wanted in business or politics - great. This keeps the big boss out of the messy stuff. If it doesn't w More...
If you're not going to read Shogun or something like that, there are some very basic things about Japanese culture to be learned from this book, ...
... like ... the underling apprentice is to play the wreckles bad cop, and if it works in getting what's wanted in business or politics - great. This keeps the big boss out of the messy stuff. If it doesn't w More...
Jan 28, 2009
Luke
rated it:
In Rising Sun, Crichton takes a step back from the science world to give his thoughts on the world of business. It's not a usual topic of his - superbugs and mechanics and illness being his forte - but it is a subject that the author really seems to take to.
I'm certain that there's been criticisms of this book here as racist. Indeed, Crichton's feelings about the need to protect America's businesses from Japanese takeover are addressed in a final, nonstory chapter. However, the subtl More...
I'm certain that there's been criticisms of this book here as racist. Indeed, Crichton's feelings about the need to protect America's businesses from Japanese takeover are addressed in a final, nonstory chapter. However, the subtl More...
Aug 04, 2011
An absolute page-turner. Michael Crichton's plots were always gripping (except for Timeline,which is stupid). While I find it slightly contrived the way he weaves his own political and sociological beliefs into his stories, it is usually fascinating. In this book, this includes well-founded comments about US trade inequalities with Japan, as well as questioning attitudes to child custody (ie it is possible that a mother can be irresponsible and that the child would be better off with the father)
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Jan 20, 2012
Kat_merle
rated it:
Rising Sun
by Michael Crichton
I have sort of a love hate relationship with Michael Crichton. I always love his books but I really don't know why. Typically his subject matter is of no interest to me but I simply can't put the book down as the story is so riveting. I feel a little like he always tricks me into learning things I have no interest in. Rising Sun is perhaps a little better in this regard since I do love a good murder mystery. The plot walks a fine line between the More...
by Michael Crichton
I have sort of a love hate relationship with Michael Crichton. I always love his books but I really don't know why. Typically his subject matter is of no interest to me but I simply can't put the book down as the story is so riveting. I feel a little like he always tricks me into learning things I have no interest in. Rising Sun is perhaps a little better in this regard since I do love a good murder mystery. The plot walks a fine line between the More...
Mar 02, 2009
Kevin
rated it:
I don`t recall seeing the movie and I just read this book for the 1st time 15 yrs after the fact. Another great Crichton book. Prophetic. Even though the Japanese economy has stalled , the unfair trade practices (Japanese don`t find them unfair) , dumping , intrigue and sabotage , bribery and gifting, collusion , closing of their own markets and government sponsored sabotage of our own have all shown themselves to be true. They still reap the benefits of decimating American competition via
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Oct 08, 2011
Hilmi
rated it: 
Leftenan Peter J. Smith,yang bertugas sebagai pegawai di bahagian Perhubungan Perkhidmatan Khas di Jabatan Polis Los Angeles (JPLA),telah ditugaskan untuk membantu siasatan terhadap sebuah kes pembunuhan seorang gadis kulit putih di sebuah bangunan syarikat Jepun yang beroperasi di Amerika Syarikat(AS),iaitu Nakamoto Corporation. Atas permintaan,Peter dibantu oleh Kapten John Connor,seorang anggota polis yang berpengalaman dan arif mengenai bahasa dan budaya Jepun. Namun,siasatan mereka bukan su
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May 16, 2010
Matt
rated it: 
In the early to mid-1990's a wave of anti-Japan hysteria swept through some segments of the American population. I distinctly remember watching two newscasts from this time concerning Japan. One talked about people's fear of Japanese 'interests' buying up significant portions of the U.S. The other showed video clip of people venting their anger over Japanese imports by destroying a Toyota pickup with baseball bats and the reporter (off-screen) explaining that the truck was built in the U.S. at
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Dec 13, 2009
Danny
rated it:
Interesting plot but many passages just seem to be nothing more than Michael Crichton expounding xenophobic beliefs about the Japanese in the troubled economic times the U.S. faced around the time of its publication. Anyone living in the U.S. int he early 90s can remember the paranoia over the rise of Japanese economic power. The book seems outdated in this sense. As a technothriller, the book also loses a certain sense of excitement that it must have had in 1992, when it was published, due to t
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Jun 26, 2010
Stef
rated it: 
Very entertaining and, as all of Crichton's work, very informative. Crichton manages to interweave the book's political message nicely into the action sequences and I suspect it's only his talent for writing that stops this book from seeming preachy.
The topic itself, Japanese companies' corporate policy when it comes to the US market, was a hot potato at the time the book was published. Crichton firmly takes a stand on the issue but still handles it with the utmost respect, especiall More...
The topic itself, Japanese companies' corporate policy when it comes to the US market, was a hot potato at the time the book was published. Crichton firmly takes a stand on the issue but still handles it with the utmost respect, especiall More...
Nov 01, 2010
Meaghan
rated it:
I really enjoyed the cultural research that Crichton puts into this novel. While I don't know much about Japanese culture there seems to be a lot of research done into how culture would play a part in a murder investigation. I also enjoyed how Crichton makes a point about Japanese investment and business practices in the United States. As stated before I do not know much about such things but it has made me question a few things. Perhaps, I will do some research of my own. I really enjoyed More...
Nov 27, 2010
Leslie
rated it:
This is a fun, fast read. The analysis of the American-Japanese relationship in the early 1990's is fascinating. He really learned a lot about Japanese culture in order to explain some of the events in the book. All the action takes place within 2 days of a murder that occurred at the opening of a huge Japanese business building in L.A. There are high speed chases, dirty politicians, subtle attempts at bribery, and a very smart and experienced senior police officer with a deep understanding
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Dec 21, 2011
Jan
rated it:
Another "older than me" book! I read this one last year (2010). The reason that i was intrigued by Michael Crichton's writings is just because he's the one who wrote Jurassic Park. Yeah, this is the first books that i read by him.
Okay. So, it was good. The lines were fine. i learned a lot from this one. Michael Crichton always gives us infos we can't "meet" in our daily lives. I also enjoyed adjusting myself to the time where there were still no CCTV cameras.
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Okay. So, it was good. The lines were fine. i learned a lot from this one. Michael Crichton always gives us infos we can't "meet" in our daily lives. I also enjoyed adjusting myself to the time where there were still no CCTV cameras.
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Dec 04, 2008
Jim
rated it:
I have to be in the mood to read Crichton & I had this book around for years before I got to it. It was very absorbing. Nothing too special, but a well done thriller.
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Nov 19, 2011
Diego
rated it:
Of course, this book will have some mixed reviews, because it gives some strong opinions on some sensible matters. But that's one thing I like about Crichton in general, even if I don't agree with him or he ends up being totally wrong on something, he writes on interesting topics and doesn't hesitate to really challenge the reader about his way of thinking.
Other than that, it's really an entertaining book, I don't read crime thrillers very often, but I can easily say that this one was More...
Other than that, it's really an entertaining book, I don't read crime thrillers very often, but I can easily say that this one was More...
Dec 29, 2011
Maria
rated it:
A crime thriller but, as Crichton says in his bibliography, "This novel questions the conventional premise that direct foreign investment in American high technology is by definition good and should be allowed to continue without restraint or limitation." So mostly what was interesting about the books was all of the research about Japanese culture and business practices that was included in the text. Thought-provoking, especially reading it in a foreign country and having similar que
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Dec 27, 2011
Gekko
rated it:
Enjoyable, if solidly middle-of-the-pack Crichton fare. What's interesting about reading this in 2011 is that, although the fear of Japanese businesses taking over America seems rather quaint in light of Japan's subsequent property bust and "lost decade", the whole situation is eerily similar to the current situation vis-a-vis China. Indeed, you could replace Japan -> China, change a few company names and language snippets and you'd have yourself a highly topical contemporary thrill
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Oct 16, 2011
Jason
rated it:
I started reading Rising Sun several months ago, made about a hundred pages into it, enjoyed it, and abruptly stopped. While working through The Cloister and the Hearth I picked it up again because I needed something modern and I wanted to finish it. I began reading from the beginning instead of picking up where I left off.
Summary
Lt. Peter Smith is an LAPD Special Services officer. When a congressman gets drunk or foreign dignitaries are involved in a crime, he’s the man who ge More...
Summary
Lt. Peter Smith is an LAPD Special Services officer. When a congressman gets drunk or foreign dignitaries are involved in a crime, he’s the man who ge More...
May 10, 2010
Cmbrooks
rated it:
The gala launch of a new building for a Japanese technology company in Los Angeles forms the backdrop for the murder of a young woman. The unfolding of the murder story illustrates the book's thesis that American competitiveness is waning and the Japanese are winning a trade war with the United States. The murder investigation includes some surprises and the murderer as eventually discovered has no motive explained. Could have been a better book with more attention to the main plot.
Jan 05, 2010
John
rated it:
I can't necessarily recommend this at large since it revolves around a fairly explicit crime, but otherwise it is a good read. Funny story: I somehow convinced my Senior year English teacher that I was better off finishing this book than doing whatever it was we were doing that day in class-- I remember reading this in the library at school during class time! I must say that her bending the rules a little for me just because I was in the middle of a good book really endeared her to me.
Jan 16, 2012
Susan
rated it:
When I started reading this book, I thought it was the novel for Die Hard. So I was immediately confused. Both novels involve murder in a Japanese named building in LA - and similarly named. Once I realized they were different stories, I really enjoyed this book. It was outstanding. It should be required reading for all college students and politicians, and US Corporations who are or contemplating outsourcing. Excellent combination of action thriller with real life economics.
Nov 24, 2008
Bailey Jane
rated it:
I read this novel when I was a teenager and I remember it being very political rather than scientific or action-packed. Much like how Jurassic Park differed so much from the movie. In the book, there were entire chapters dedicated to explaining the political nature of certain corporations and at that age it did not interest me. I would like to revisit these novels as an adult to see if my attention span has lenthened and am more in tune to issues discussed in these books.
Jun 18, 2010
Japanrick
rated it:
I read this my first year after coming to Japan in 1990, which was about the end of the Japan-bashing era in the US. The recession hit that year and Japan suddenly found itself on decline as an economic power. The fears stoked by Lee Iacoca and others about Japan, Inc. now seem seriously over-wrought. This novel is full of faceless scheming Japanese working behinds the scenes to control the situation. After living in Japan for 20 years, the story just seems ridiculous.
Mar 02, 2009
Francisco
rated it:
Captivating "who done it". I read this book years ago when Japanese culture was more likely criticized than understood. I thought it was interesting how politics, business and cultural interweave. It has both extremes from the drinking culture to the ethics of honor and respect. As I said if your into learning and understanding a different culture this has it's interesting revelations in contrast to what we live and are exposed to in this country.
Nov 17, 2011
Shannon
rated it:
In the 80s the big American fear, especially in California, was that the Japanese businesses were going to take over. Strangely, the fact that the Dutch and British had more holdings than the Japanese never mattered.
That said, Japanese conspiracies were popular and this was one of the better ones, which also allowed us to perceive the Japanese manner of thinking.
BTW, this book was better than the movie. Overally, a very good read but not great.
That said, Japanese conspiracies were popular and this was one of the better ones, which also allowed us to perceive the Japanese manner of thinking.
BTW, this book was better than the movie. Overally, a very good read but not great.
Sep 06, 2010
Peter
rated it:
Lieutenant Smith and former officer John Connor (a Japanese culture expert) respond to a death at a Japanese business building in L.A. Smith gets swept up in international power-struggles as he follows Conner through the maze of politics, LA's underworld and ruthless business negotiations.
A highly-entertaining read. I really enjoyed following detectives on their three-day investigation around L.A. as well as the international aspect of the book.
A highly-entertaining read. I really enjoyed following detectives on their three-day investigation around L.A. as well as the international aspect of the book.
Nov 25, 2009
Susan
rated it:
Engaging murder mystery with Japanese language and cultural componenets mixed in with a homicide investigation. It can be considered as a foreshadow to the present economic crisis and its outcome as it really hightlights the notion of survival of the fittest in terms of economy and trade. The dialogue is weak, character development is poor and this story can be easily misinterpreted as tirade against the Japanese and their "business is war" ideas.
Oct 27, 2011
Thomas
rated it:
More of a crime/suspense novel than a pure thriller. Chrichton continues to surprise with his versatility. So skillfully written in the first person that you hardly notice. The narrator (lead character)is a bit of a victim and his side-kicks are more interesting, I found. The deceased young woman is brought to life as a character and you always feel on the verge of sympathy for her. An intricate plot with some interesting forensics.
