The Appeal by John Grisham Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Appeal
Book Review: A Lawyer's Perspective
Summary: 5 Stars
As an in-house counsel in a large corporation, I (perhaps surprisingly) enjoyed The Appeal, both as a thriller and as a stimulating piece of political commentary. For those familiar with Grisham's body of work, The Appeal stands as a bookend to The King of Torts. That Grisham is able to catigate mass tort lawyers in one thriller, and then turn around and denounce big business in another novel, is a testament to his ability to argue both sides of a case.
Some reviewers have critiqued this novel for being too plot driven and for being populated by cardboard characters. I disagree. This is a thriller, folks, not a literary character study. And while many characters are recognizable as white hats or black hats, they are sketched with more depth than the denizens of most thrillers, and their actions are (generally) believable. Carl Trudeau, while over-the-top for sure, is a wickedly entertaining villian. Ron Fisk also stands out as a character who wears a nuanced shade of gray, being a generally likeable guy who gets caught up in circumstances beyond his control.
This novel grabbed me right away and kept me on board with a good blend of pacing, legal intrigue and real-world political commentary. (You need only follow the daily absurdities in our presidential election process to see what lengths campaigns will go to buy votes.) I also loved what Grisham did with the ending, throwing a curve ball that will make many Grisham devotees swing and miss.
All in all, this may be Grisham's best-written, most realistic and politically-astute legal thriller.
Book Review: A Legal Thriller In the Best of Grisham Style!
Summary: 5 Stars
Well-drawn characters in conflict, corporations callously rolling over ordinary citizens - oh yeah - Grisham's back!
One of his best, if not the best, The Appeal is a great Grisham read. Extremely timely, it works by playing on current issues - back room politics, dirty tricks, greed, the irresistible appeal of power, manipulation of the voting public, what we know happens but, too often, can do nothing to combat. It's all here in a compelling read you won't put down.
Get it. Savor it.
Five Stars!
Book Review: A Page turner...
Summary: 5 Stars
I couldn't put the book down. I didn't expect the ending...left me disturbed that this could actually happen (& maybe already has). I love John Grisham's books and can't wait untill the next one!Book Review: A Quick Read That Does Not Fully Engage the Audience
Summary: 3 Stars
Carl Trudeau, CEO of Krane Chemical, does not like to lose. His company has just lost a multi-million dollar lawsuit to a Mississippi plaintiff that has proven that Krane Chemical has been dumping hazardous substances that have led to deaths in a small southern town. Krane stands to lose many more such cases unless Trudeau can win the case on appeal.
The husband and wife law firm of Payton & Payton has seen its fortunes plummet since suing Krane in this lawsuit has become their full time pursuit. They have lost their beautiful home, their luxury cars, and their comfortable standard of living. They have won the initial verdict, but now they have to survive the protracted appeals process. Will they see the money soon enough to benefit their firm and their client?
Trudeau will do everything he can to win the appeal, including trying to get a new Mississippi supreme court justice elected to rule in Krane's favor. Will justice be served?
Mr. Grisham delivers the story in his usual easy-to-read, no-frills style and raises questions about how our justice systems are constructed. "The Appeal" is not as engaging as Mr. Grisham's first few books, but is a quick, entertaining read on par with his more recent work.
Book Review: A Waste of Time and Talent
Summary: 1 Stars
Although John Grisham never did nor never had a desire to write literary novels or even literary mysteries, he did in former books provide the elements of a good story and somewhat believable characters. The Appeal has none of these. The characters are archtypes--cardboard cutouts of the crudest order representing good and evil. The plot (is there one?) entirely predictable and tired--Erin Brocovich anyone? Other authors--John Sanford, Jeff Parker, John Lescroat, to name a few--are able to bring fresh stories and interesting characters and themes to the genre; Grisham is unfortunately just tired out