CD-ROMs! Small (aka, hilariously clunky) cell phones! Modems! Virtual reality! Sexual harassment lawsuits! And hey, what's this Internet thing?

Yes, it's ripped right from the headlines... of the early 90s. Which is fine, that's when the book was written, but it's so funny how the book trying so hard to seem contemporary and topical makes it feel dated that much sooner.

So it was fine, it kept me reading.

But... I'm not sure it actually all came together in the end.

(SPOILERS)

OK, at the end, we find out that Meredith's goal was to get rid of Tom, so that she wouldn't be blamed for her screw ups. Fine, but... how exactly was she planning on doing that? It was clearly her intent to actually have sex with him. When that didn't work out, she decided to file the false sexual harassment complaint, but what was the original plan? The only thing I can figure is that maybe she was going to blackmail him, him being a married man and so on... but this is not at all clear, and it feels more like it just wasn't thought out very well.

First published in 1994, Disclosure by Michael Crichton, is one of those novels based on actual events, though this is not made clear until the end of the book, in an ‘afterword’. Whether that information would have made any difference to my reading is an unknown. It reads like fiction, so I read it in that spirit.
The stated theme is that of sexual harassment and its potentially corrosive effects on both corporations and society in general. Written at a time when such complaints were increasingly being made by men against female employers, it examines the subject in detail, without ever making it into a treatise. The facts and ideas emerge naturally as part of the plot, as guided by the characters. So, it’s a cleverly constructed work. There was, for me, another underlying theme, though I’m not certain the author presented it consciously: I hope he did. That other idea concerns the corrupt foundation that underpins many commercial ideas and actions. The presentation of many characters as ruthless, uncaringly ambitious and utterly devoid of any moral compass creates an atmosphere in which even a flawed hero can appear almost saintly by comparison.

There were times, early in the book, when I was unsure whether I would read to the end. For reasons that have nothing to do with the story, I had to read it in a number of small bites. Only the last third of the 450 pages was I able read in anything like uninterrupted form, which was just as well, since the denouement starts early and builds very well over these last pages. But the reason for my initial hesitation was twofold. There’s a deal of inconsequential detail; the sort of thing that apprentice writers are warned against: what someone had for breakfast, the processes of domestic living, etc. The second barrier was the amount of technical information given in the form of either business or product-specific jargon, often without sufficient explanation. Having been involved in both business and computers during my lengthy employment, I was able to interpret enough of this to make it at least comprehensible. But I suspect many could be thoroughly confused by it, and I doubt it was essential to the story; less technical descriptions could have been given instead.

However, I’m glad I persevered. The story grew more engaging as I learned more about the main characters and came to care what happened to them; both good and bad. It’s an absolutely essential aspect of the story for me: without at least one character I can empathise with, I’m unlikely to finish a novel. Fortunately, due to good writing, there were many well-written and engaging characters in this tale.
Lauded as ‘The thriller that opened a new chapter on the sex wars’, this is a book that allows the modern reader to more thoroughly understand the mechanisms, philosophies, emotions and ambitions that drive some of the sexual harassment cases that continue to be made by both genders.

Is it a good read? The curate’s egg comes to mind, but, once over the unnecessary detail and jargon, I found the book illuminating, interesting and even engaging. So, for me, this turned out to be a good read in spite of its flaws. And I’d recommend it to those who have some knowledge of business and the world of computing. For others, it may be sensible to have a dictionary of business terms and another of computer jargon to guide them through the sometimes cryptic language.

I don’t know how well this has aged in the era of Weinstein and me too. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, I just don’t think it happens with the frequency I was inferring Crichton proposed (something along the lines of 50/50).

That being said- I read it in three days - it was entertaining and fast paced and sort of just what I needed. It entertained me. That’s all I really needed.

Not my favorite of Crichton’s but not the worst.

One of Michael Crichton's best works in my opinion. I just couldn't put this book down. Hell, at one point I even forgot to blink

Sometimes you just find an author who you can read so easily. Crichton is that author for me. Even when he is writing a book about sexual harassment in the workplace.

Another compelling and gripping story from Crichton. I couldn't put this book down. The corporate political intrigue kept me engrossed and desperate for the next move. Crichton manages to cover sexual harassment and associated gender issues without falling into the typical tropes or indication of male bias while making it extremely entertaining. Sometimes the gender talk seems a little heavy handed, perhaps to drive a point, and in typical Crichton fashion the ending was lackluster. Overall a fantastic read.

Completely forgot I read this thing until a short while ago. It was as dumb as the movie.

getting past the dated technology. I found dealing with technology i was distracted by the tecnology era rather than the story. It was more like an historical novel. Also details in the law has changed since this was written. So as far s the story goes it was ok. enjoyed it but not a spell-binder.

(3.75) There exists a certain cuteness (sweet nostalgia?) reading a technology-based novel from the 1990s. Oh the days when CD-roms and cell phones were barely comprehensible!

The dated nature of the plot isn't ruined by it... just the opposite: The backbone of this story is about sexual harassment (and gender equality in the workplace) and (sadly... soberingly) the same issues, bias, and stereotypes exist today. At the end of the novel there's an endnote that this story is a Rorscach test. That what you see and more importantly, what you feel about this story reveals something about you. I'm inclined to believe this.

The narrator was terrific (A++) and this was an excellent choice for a 4-hour round trip car ride today.

I can see how this novel made a lot of noise in the 90s.

UPDATE: omggg just realized the narrator was John Litgow!

MINI-REVIEW

DISCLOSURE investigates what it's like for a man to be sexually harassed but have no one believe him (i.e. instead the computer company sides with the woman). As things worsen, we get to see the man's working world constrict around him as all his friends turn away.

Of course, this all leads to a bigger matter, typical of the Crichton novels, but we love it.

A very good read.

OVERALL GRADE: B plus

Provocative. Still relevant. Makes you think. Whom would you believe?
Log in.

This started out with way too much technical mumbo-jumbo in the first 150 pages concerning a corporate merger. Then the pace picked up and went right to the heart of the plot. A legal thriller about a sexual harassment case. An interesting story that was well written and a page-turner. A good read after all.