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adholmes3's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
luca_33's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
celtic_oracle's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first Grisham book I've read, and it wasn't quite what I expected. This is very much out-of-the courtroom civil law stuff, while I was expecting a courtroom drama. All the same, it was an entertaining, if not a little depressing read about big tort lawyers and the power of the almighty dollar.
The only real criticism I have of the book is that it could probably be about a hundred pages shorter. All the real action seemed to happen in the last hundred and fifty pages or so - that was the point that I found it really hard to put the book down.
The only real criticism I have of the book is that it could probably be about a hundred pages shorter. All the real action seemed to happen in the last hundred and fifty pages or so - that was the point that I found it really hard to put the book down.
amber_tke's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
3.0
John Grisham writes easy-to-read books about male lawyers, their female mates and their increasing amount of drama concerning their job.
Stephen King writes easy-to-read books about creepy, weird and/or supernatural occurrences and the people (and their mates) that are affected by them, often set in Maine.
As I was reading this, I realized how similar the two writing styles of King and Grisham felt to me. Both write in a familiar way across many of their books, ensuring that dedicated fans will continue to get what they want. Both tend toward the popular fiction realm and far from the literary world. Both have stories that are easy to get into, no matter how far-fetched they may seem. Both create characters that feel two-dimensional, even fake. Maybe these characters make a decision that seems out of left field, but by the end their personality will have warped back to whatever it initially was.
And all of this just fine, for I liked King for a long time, and I like Grisham (and this title) for its familiarity and ease of reading. This book is about a lawyer laboring away in a dead-end job as a public defender who gets an amazing offer (right after he has issues with his girlfriend) to sue a company for gobs of money.
So begins the quick descent into the world of massive tort litigation--TV lawyers, ambulance chasers, ginormous class-action lawsuits and blurred ethical boundaries. I don't want to give away any more, though this book is about as predictable as they come. I didn't feel better about myself after reading it. It didn't make me question anything, or even ponder something more deeply. But once I finally started reading it, it went quick and easy and enjoyable enough.
Stephen King writes easy-to-read books about creepy, weird and/or supernatural occurrences and the people (and their mates) that are affected by them, often set in Maine.
As I was reading this, I realized how similar the two writing styles of King and Grisham felt to me. Both write in a familiar way across many of their books, ensuring that dedicated fans will continue to get what they want. Both tend toward the popular fiction realm and far from the literary world. Both have stories that are easy to get into, no matter how far-fetched they may seem. Both create characters that feel two-dimensional, even fake. Maybe these characters make a decision that seems out of left field, but by the end their personality will have warped back to whatever it initially was.
And all of this just fine, for I liked King for a long time, and I like Grisham (and this title) for its familiarity and ease of reading. This book is about a lawyer laboring away in a dead-end job as a public defender who gets an amazing offer (right after he has issues with his girlfriend) to sue a company for gobs of money.
So begins the quick descent into the world of massive tort litigation--TV lawyers, ambulance chasers, ginormous class-action lawsuits and blurred ethical boundaries. I don't want to give away any more, though this book is about as predictable as they come. I didn't feel better about myself after reading it. It didn't make me question anything, or even ponder something more deeply. But once I finally started reading it, it went quick and easy and enjoyable enough.
jujujuris's review against another edition
3.0
Wealth and greed in the legal profession is a theme that has been explored on all forms of storytelling. Doing this through the lens of a young, disillusioned lawyer isn’t anything new which made this read feel a formulaic and predictable for the most part. The characters felt less compelling than they were in The Summons, despite being thematically similar.
What The King of Torts does well (and better than most, I think) is creating a character that is set up to be relatable because you recognize his situation (which fosters some empathy) but plays out to be someone you are inclined to dislike. The effect this had on me as a reader was dissonance between wanting to root for him and despising him. This internal tension that I had to sit in throughout the book made reading this feel different over similar narratives with the same theme and perspective.
Dance Macabre, Op. 40 by Saint-Saëns as played by Emil Tabokov with the Sofia Philharmonic.
What The King of Torts does well (and better than most, I think) is creating a character that is set up to be relatable because you recognize his situation (which fosters some empathy) but plays out to be someone you are inclined to dislike. The effect this had on me as a reader was dissonance between wanting to root for him and despising him. This internal tension that I had to sit in throughout the book made reading this feel different over similar narratives with the same theme and perspective.
Dance Macabre, Op. 40 by Saint-Saëns as played by Emil Tabokov with the Sofia Philharmonic.
yuliyono's review against another edition
3.0
hmm... hmmm.... ceritanya lebih banyak tentang praktik peradilan ganti rugi, nuntut sana-nuntut sini untuk mendapat keuntungan dengan menggugat karena merasa dirugikan oleh seseorang/institusi. sayangnya, nggak ada pembunuhannya blas.
selama baca jadi bertanya-tanya, apakah di Indonesia ada juga pengacara yang mengkhususkan diri di bidang gugatan ganti rugi ini ya? di buku ini sih kayaknya praktiknya kotor banget dan menghalalkan segala cara.
selama baca jadi bertanya-tanya, apakah di Indonesia ada juga pengacara yang mengkhususkan diri di bidang gugatan ganti rugi ini ya? di buku ini sih kayaknya praktiknya kotor banget dan menghalalkan segala cara.