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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5 stars - just on principal can't give Grisham 4 stars until he returns to [b:The Firm|1001556|The Firm|John Grisham|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1336151961s/1001556.jpg|38270] or [b:A Time To Kill|907830|A Time To Kill|John Grisham|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1280501786s/907830.jpg|1804929] form, but this book is very clever, an incredibly fast read and pure entertainment. Cliched as it sounds - this book was a rip-roaring ride!
Does there come a time when, as a writer, it really doesn't matter what you write, any old trash with your name on it will sell?
I'm not asking because i think Grisham has written a load of rubbish here, but i'm concerned that he could be heading that way. I don't think a first time author would have been able to get this published but then again, maybe i expect too much of him.
The story starts off well enough, but wanders off into a fantasy that just isn't believable. There is an excitement to his earlier books that appears to have gone. Well thought out plots, interesting characters, exciting ideas all missing. There is no point to this book. Grisham's best stories have a point or make a statement. A Time to Kill, The Client, The Runaway Jury.
John, you don't need the money, so take a break for a couple of years. Step off the treadmill of book production you seem to be on and come back refreshed and ready with something that will grip us like you used to do. Find a point, a statement or a cause and write for that, perhaps.
John Grisham used to write books i couldn't put down. now i'm not sure i'd want to pick them up.
I'm not asking because i think Grisham has written a load of rubbish here, but i'm concerned that he could be heading that way. I don't think a first time author would have been able to get this published but then again, maybe i expect too much of him.
The story starts off well enough, but wanders off into a fantasy that just isn't believable. There is an excitement to his earlier books that appears to have gone. Well thought out plots, interesting characters, exciting ideas all missing. There is no point to this book. Grisham's best stories have a point or make a statement. A Time to Kill, The Client, The Runaway Jury.
John, you don't need the money, so take a break for a couple of years. Step off the treadmill of book production you seem to be on and come back refreshed and ready with something that will grip us like you used to do. Find a point, a statement or a cause and write for that, perhaps.
John Grisham used to write books i couldn't put down. now i'm not sure i'd want to pick them up.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't usually read Grisham but a co-worker who likes Michael Connelly suggested this book to me. While I found it entertaining, and I certainly was interested to find out what the real story behind the judge's death was, I felt like something was missing from the story.
I think my biggest issue with the book was the protagonist wasn't someone I felt I could root for; while I'm not sure the crime that landed him in prison the first time was necessarily thought out and planned by Malcolm, but he's still a criminal, and I can only get so excited about a criminal outsmarting the government. Plus, I felt that the ending was a bit of a letdown; at a certain point it became pretty clear who killed the judge even if you didn't know the entire story leading up to the killing.
Certainly not the worst book I've ever read but it also didn't turn me into a Grisham lover.
I think my biggest issue with the book was the protagonist wasn't someone I felt I could root for; while I'm not sure the crime that landed him in prison the first time was necessarily thought out and planned by Malcolm, but he's still a criminal, and I can only get so excited about a criminal outsmarting the government. Plus, I felt that the ending was a bit of a letdown; at a certain point it became pretty clear who killed the judge even if you didn't know the entire story leading up to the killing.
Certainly not the worst book I've ever read but it also didn't turn me into a Grisham lover.
John Grisham é um dos meus autores favoritos e, até agora, não me desiludiu com livro algum. Este não é a excepção. Demorei mais tempo a lê-lo porque, apesar de estar em casa, uma broncopneumonia não é coisa que nos deixe com vontade de fazer coisa alguma que não seja dormir e vegetar no sofá ou na cama até ganhar raízes.
Malcolm foi preso injustamente. Advogado numa pequena firma duma pequena cidade, acabou envolvido num esquema de lavagem de dinheiro sem saber como e acabou condenado a 10 anos de prisão sem ter feito coisa alguma. Preso numa cadeia de mínima segurança, acaba por se tornar "advogado de cadeia", termo pelo qual são conhecidos os advogados que ajudam os outros presos a resolver os seus problemas.
Quanto os assassinatos de Fawcett e da sua amante são cometidos o FBI tem zero pistas - nada na casa foi mexido, não houve arrombamento nem roubo. Só há um cofre vazio e demasiadas perguntas sem respostas.
Ao fim de uns dias do assassinato, Malcolm contacta o FBI através do director da prisão, afirmando saber exactamente quem é que cometeu o crime bem como o motivo. Em troca, exige a sua libertação imediato, um novo rosto, o prémio monetário e a entrada no programa de protecção das testemunhas. Será que a informação de Malcolm justifica todas as suas exigências?
Só nas últimas páginas do livro é que acabamos por perceber o alcance das informações que Malcolm dá ao FBI e a verdadeira história por detrás do assassinato. Como sempre nem tudo é claro na história até ao desfecho final, o que, sinceramente, acaba por ser a grande mais valia deste autor. As reviravoltas são tantas que, em determinada altura e porque tinha estado um ou dois dias sem pegar no livro, tive de voltar atrás para perceber o que se estava a passar. Gosto quando isto acontece!
Malcolm foi preso injustamente. Advogado numa pequena firma duma pequena cidade, acabou envolvido num esquema de lavagem de dinheiro sem saber como e acabou condenado a 10 anos de prisão sem ter feito coisa alguma. Preso numa cadeia de mínima segurança, acaba por se tornar "advogado de cadeia", termo pelo qual são conhecidos os advogados que ajudam os outros presos a resolver os seus problemas.
Quanto os assassinatos de Fawcett e da sua amante são cometidos o FBI tem zero pistas - nada na casa foi mexido, não houve arrombamento nem roubo. Só há um cofre vazio e demasiadas perguntas sem respostas.
Ao fim de uns dias do assassinato, Malcolm contacta o FBI através do director da prisão, afirmando saber exactamente quem é que cometeu o crime bem como o motivo. Em troca, exige a sua libertação imediato, um novo rosto, o prémio monetário e a entrada no programa de protecção das testemunhas. Será que a informação de Malcolm justifica todas as suas exigências?
Só nas últimas páginas do livro é que acabamos por perceber o alcance das informações que Malcolm dá ao FBI e a verdadeira história por detrás do assassinato. Como sempre nem tudo é claro na história até ao desfecho final, o que, sinceramente, acaba por ser a grande mais valia deste autor. As reviravoltas são tantas que, em determinada altura e porque tinha estado um ou dois dias sem pegar no livro, tive de voltar atrás para perceber o que se estava a passar. Gosto quando isto acontece!
This book seemed a bit off for Grisham and was tough to get into. Lawyer Malcolm Bannister finds himself in a minimum security prison for racketeering charges for working with a crooked client. A federal judge is killed and Bannister claims he knows who did it. He will work with the FBI if they clear his sentence, put him in the witness protection program and perform surgery to change his face. What are his motives and how does he know this info?
I had mixed feelings about this one. The plot was well-planned and the characters were some of the best that he has written in a while. The ending dragged out a bit at the end, but other than that it was a good book.