A Painted House
by John Grisham
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Book Summary Information
Author: John GrishamEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-02-03
ISBN: 0385337930
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Delta
Book Reviews of A Painted House
Book Review: "A Painted House"
Summary: 4 Stars
"The hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same day. It was a Wednesday, early in September 1952. The Cardinals were five games behind the Dodgers with three weeks to go, and the season looked hopeless. The cotton, however, was waist-high to my father, over my head, and he and my grandfather could be heard before supper whispering words that were seldom heard. It could be a `good crop.'"
This is how John Grisham begins his latest novel, A Painted House. Notice anything different? No lawyers, no courts, no juries; for the first time Grisham has totally broken away from his former career and has written his first novel that does not contain "a single lawyer, dead or alive." If anything, this wonderful book is more semi-autobiographical, where Grisham delves into his history and home, in rural Arkansas; the year is 1952.
The main character is a seven year-old boy battling against a plethora of colorful characters: his extensive family, the annoying hill people, and the intimidating Mexicans. It's cotton-picking season, the harvest looks good, but they have to pick everything soon and hope the rain doesn't come early. Luke has some problems in addition to getting up before the sun, picking cotton, till his hands bleed, and trying to not collapse from the heat. One is his brother, Ricky, fighting for his life in Korea, and every day Luke wonders if Ricky is ever coming home. Then there's the knife-wielding Mexican, who deems murder and stabbing as inconsequential as buttering toast and eating cereal. There is the ignominious Hank Spruill, the oldest boy of the "hill people," who has already beaten a boy to death in town, and is now working with Luke, living just yards away. Finally we have Tally, a seventeen year-old beautiful girl (also one of the hill people) who Luke just happens to have a rapidly growing crush for.
The book is a beautiful piece of literature. The writing is simple and straightforward, but then the narrator is only seven years old. The story and emotion is moving, to a point where it becomes as powerful as some of the classic coming-of-age stories. The book is sure to become one of the annals of great writing and to be studied much in schools and colleges in the future.
Originally published on May 7th 2001 ŠAlex C. Telander.
Originally published in the Long Beach Union.
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