Rating:  Summary: Very disappointing Review: Being a huge Grisham fan, I could not wait to read The Last Juror. That quickly turned to being unable to wait to finish it! The book began great, but quickly changed. It just seemed like it did not know where it was going...so many things, too many things were going on. I'd pass on this one.
Rating:  Summary: Wonderful depiction of small southern town in 60's Review: I loved this book. Being part southern,I can attest to the realism and beautiful prose along with a knockout plot. I hated to finish the book and wish there was a sequal in the works. Most of Grisham's books have interested, educated and entertained me. This one is one of his best along with a surprising change of pace. I cannot imagine anyone not loving this book. The characters are so real they jump off the page. If they ever make it a movie, it would never do the book justice. This is five star stuff.
Rating:  Summary: easy to figure out, but still a good read Review: I was hoping for another sleepless night poring over the pages of my latest purchase - alas, I just knew from the title title that JG was back in the saddle and about to hand us another heart-stopping,suspense-filled saga. NOT SO...(although my review of the book is delayed, I did buy it on the release date). I enjoyed the lead characters way of gradually "finding his space" among the "regulars", but the storyline was VERY predictable. I won't tell (I hate when people spoil the ending!!!) who the killer is, but JG gave a hint of some of the vintage Grisham stuff to which we've grown accustomed. Read this book or watch American Idol, both will probably conjure up the same emotions.
Rating:  Summary: Something new from Grisham Review: I enjoyed this book. The protagonist, Willie Traynor, is a journalist/entrepreneur who grows up page by page, and I enjoyed his journey. The town of Clanton is carefully drawn. The book is true to the 1970s as I remember them. And the crime that is the catalyst was truly despicable and movingly told. All that said, there are some disappointments. First of all, I figured out whodunnit and why well before the book ended, and I hate it when that happens. And it does seem to be a valentine to the death penalty, which bothered me enormously. (This from the man who wrote THE CHAMBER?) Perhaps Grisham was just being true to the feelings of his characters, but the blood lust did strike me as creepy. Still, this is a very good writing trying something new, and I applaud the effort.
Rating:  Summary: well done Review: The excellent writing style of this book reminded me of Jackson McCrae's "The Bark of the Dogwood" or possibly some other of Grisham's novels--"The Firm," or "King of Torts." If you're a die-hard thriller fan of Grisham, this is not the book for you. If you like "Painted House" and some of his slower works, you'll like this. I loved it--the man can write!
Rating:  Summary: A bait and switch that works Review: I say bait and switch because being John Grisham, you expect full-blown legal thrillers a la Runaway Jury, The Firm, The Clietnt, etc. But we've seen him try to broaden his range by writing more "setting" and story pieces, rather than potboilers. This trend started with "A Painted House" which was just ok to me, and the thread continued with most of his books after that one where the character's personal story and growth was the theme rather than just the character's response to a situation. As long as the story is good, I don't mind. If you come to this book expecting a potboiler or vintage Grisham, you'll be dissapointed. If you come expecting a good story and seeing if Grisham's gotten better at telling character stories, you will like this book. I think that John Grisham is a storyteller along the lines of Stephen King (different subject matters but still able to grab you and hook you in) and I recommend this book to all those who want an interesting story to read. It is one of his better ones, almost as good as King of Torts.
Rating:  Summary: The Last Juror Review: This book is well worth reading. After initially reading the leaf, one would expect a can't-put-it-down thriller such as "A Time to Kill" or the "Pelican Brief". I think it reads closer to "Painted House" because it does more to tell a tale of small town day to day life in rural Mississippi then a story revenged filled killer. A nice twist at the end helps spice up the story line.
Rating:  Summary: Okay book but now what I was expecting. Review: I expected more of a trial book due to title and cover. The book was a mixture of the trial and life in the south. I did enjoy it but let down because of false expectations. I believe that Mr. Grisham does a wonderful job of makeing you feel like you know his characters. I love Mrs. Callie and her family. Even with this three star review I will by Mr. Grisham's next book also. He always keeps me interested.
Rating:  Summary: Wha? Review: I am completely mystified by the reviewers who gave this book more than one star. Mr.Grisham obviously wrote this in the hours between breakfast and lunch AND on a Sunday after church services. I got so tired of listening (book on tape) to his descriptions about FOOD. Ok, the author was hungry -- we get it. The church visitations were also useless (and there were a lot of those!). And gee, got any political convictions you'd like to share? ZZZzzzzzz. Michael Beck did a fine job as reader (although Harry Rex sounded like he was speaking with large wad of chew stuffed in his mouth). I just didn't like any of the characters (Willie was such a pompous so-and-so). This was not a courtroom drama or a revenge thriller. It just went on and on and on. I think someone needs to nuke Clanton right off the map.
Rating:  Summary: Not your usual John Grisham book!! Review: I was very disappointed with this book, in that it did not follow his usual genre. I did not read reviews ahead of time or I would not have purchased the book. I am an avid reader of his books and buy them as soon as they are on the market. The jacket of the book was very misleading. I kept waiting for the trial to be over so we could get on with the riveting story of the revenge issue. It never got off the ground. I almost did not finish the book. The redeeming factor in the book is the relationship with the last juror, which was the whole point of the book. It should have been advertised that way on the book jacket.
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