I had different opinions as the book progressed. At first it reminded me of his first books esp a Time to Kill and I loved his writing then. The second and third parts not so much. Just an OK read to me.
I really liked the first part. Not to give away the plot, he then spent almost a hundred pages on something that should have been covered in less than 20 pages. I even skipped over some of that part which I have never done with any of his other books, and I have read most of his books. The last third or so of the book was good.
Not really a Grisham fan, and I stopped reading his books many years ago. With the exception of A Time to Kill, all of his books read to me as if a movie was made and he was given the assignment to write the novelization of the film.
I struggle with Grisham and after reading all his early books I am done. I find he spends about 100 pages repeating what he has already told the reader. There is the crime and then he rehashes it in the trial. Maybe a book that was not involving a trial would appeal to me again.
He didn’t develop the characters in my opinion. You wonder the entire book why the war hero shoots the popular minister in cold blood. Grisham ends up telling you in the last pages.. almost in a few sentences. My book club chose it as our selection and nobody liked the ending.
I’ve read all of his books. A Time to Kill in my opinion, is his best and then A Painted House. The Reckoning is good, you do have to stick with the gruesome history in the middle, but I thought it helped explain the main character’s PTSD and why he did what he did. I thought it was one of his better stories, not too predictable, especially the ending.
@Laurie Thanks for the recommendation of Reckoning. Agree A Time to Kill. Thought follow up Sycamore Row pretty good too. Loathed A Painted House — but I have an intense aversion to Southern, rural, poverty as backdrop in film or literature.
@Laurie I agree. Grisham hit it out of the park with A Time To Kill. We listened to A Painted House while driving through Arkansas. It was a total coincidence and made it more interesting.
I’m reading it now. Lots of WW2 history which makes it a little different for Grisham. I’m enjoying it even though it’s horrific real war stuff. Can’t wait to see how it all comes together in the end!
So different for Grisham. I can’t really say I enjoyed the book, but it was interesting how he gathered the 3 parts together. I remember a lot of the Phillipine stuff was so brutal and their soldiers were much admired. He is a masterful writer!
Not his usual…very detailed, gory account of parts of WWII, not the usual “right succeeds over might” scenario. I liked parts of it, wasn’t crazy about the way it ended.
I am reading it now. Slow going and very deprrssing so far. Very war based and without his usual wit. I am a few chapters from the end so I hope it picks up.
I just finished it and unfortunately I thought it was terrible. I finished it but I did not like it at all. Very slow going. His last few books have all been going downhill. Used to be one of my favorite authors but going to put him on the end of my list for awhile.
A disappointing read. Solved the mystery as soon as a read a particular sentence. The African-American characters were stereotyped. Grisham may have done that to reflect the white attitudes of the time as the white folk suffer from a lack of awareness for others.
I’ve just started it and am really loving it.
Just started it too
Just picked it up at the library
It’s really good!
Just finished it. I really liked it.
Yes it’s really good I always enjoy his stories
I’m close… I’m 359 of 697 on the holds list…
I had different opinions as the book progressed. At first it reminded me of his first books esp a Time to Kill and I loved his writing then. The second and third parts not so much. Just an OK read to me.
I agree with you! Liked it at first but just ok overall!
@Vicki I enjoyed the history lesson!
I thought devoting so much to the war was a distraction from the plot and almost seemed like a filler.
@Becky that part reminded me a lot of Unbroken.
I never hear anything about it, but I loved Play in for Pizza!.It was so different from all his others.
@Donna read that years ago and liked it.
Much better than his most recent books and I liked the ending.
A family saga – page turner – I enjoyed it
I really liked the first part. Not to give away the plot, he then spent almost a hundred pages on something that should have been covered in less than 20 pages. I even skipped over some of that part which I have never done with any of his other books, and I have read most of his books. The last third or so of the book was good.
Yes, it’s Grisham at his best! A very good read!
Have not read his latest but his best book, in my opinion, is Sycamore Row. Read it if you have not already
Sycamore Row was really good!
Read most of his work. Taking a pass on this one.
I guess I am in the minority here, but I really didn’t like the book at all. It was 419 pages of bad news and hopelessness.
It was definitely not uplifting!
Sounds like my kind of book.
I’m looking forward to reading it. My favorite at this point is Camino Island.
Not yet
Not really a Grisham fan, and I stopped reading his books many years ago. With the exception of A Time to Kill, all of his books read to me as if a movie was made and he was given the assignment to write the novelization of the film.
@KS fully agree.some literary critics I’ve read do not think he’s a greatWRITER. But appealing plots.
YES!
I just finished The rooster Bar. Not his best work
@Linda I agree. It seems like something he just wrote out of habit to make a few dollars.
@Linda None of his books are his best works! ?
Good but way too much “filler”. Get to the point with less
Just finished it. Like part 1. & part 3, part 2 was difficult subject matter. (Horrific conditions) Interesting, but sad. Well written book.
Not a favorite-disjointed…..
Not one of my favorites.
I find Grisham too predictable. I once read the first page of one of his novels and thought, what’s the point – he already gave away the ending!
@Wilma just like Danielle Steele!
He should have stayed with lawyering, if he was even better at that! LOL
I had a coworker today tell me she just finished it and she said it very good
Currently reading. I like it so far.
I ahve my name on the hold list at the library. What I have heard is that it is different from his other books and very good.
Everything by Grisham is great!
It’s on my list. By times gave it a good review
My brother, who is an avid reader, just told me it’s the best Grisham book he’s ever read.
Amazon reviews so far are not so good….still going to read it.
No yet..but plan too
very good book, i could easily see it as a movie. In fact and i agree with this review. its the best grisham since A time to kill
Not his best. Seemed like it was 2 separate stories written a bit out of order. Didn’t like the ending.
@Laura I agree
I struggle with Grisham and after reading all his early books I am done. I find he spends about 100 pages repeating what he has already told the reader. There is the crime and then he rehashes it in the trial. Maybe a book that was not involving a trial would appeal to me again.
lots of his like that, the way your wanting
might like Camino island
@John okay. Thanks
Haven’t read it yet, but read Rooster Bar and Camino Island this year. They were both really good.
@Carol i read camino island..i d like john Gresham..but i gound this boo to b a bit slow
read it and judge for yourself. It has a hell of a twist you just have to wait to the end to see
He didn’t develop the characters in my opinion. You wonder the entire book why the war hero shoots the popular minister in cold blood. Grisham ends up telling you in the last pages.. almost in a few sentences. My book club chose it as our selection and nobody liked the ending.
i cant even remember why he did it
but loved the book over all
I enjoyed it.
I’m in the process of reading it – think it’s pretty good.
I read it, there was more information about the war activities than I wanted to read. I did not feel it added that much to the story….
Its next up
I was disappointed. Way too much about war atrocities. Not up to his usual standards.
One of his best
Yes ..it was good with a good ending…enjoy all his books
No more spoilers please. I have always felt most of his books’ conclusions were problematic — trite, simple, neat, tidy.
I’ve got it but I haven’t read yet.
Next on my list!
I’ve got it on hold at the library
It read more like Patterson than Grisham. My husband I both were disappointed. Not as good as most of his.
I truly enjoyed it. Definitely worth reading!
My husband reads all of Grisham’s novels. He said while it pulled him in, it was ultimately disappoinoting. Not his favorite.
@Lynda I agree exactly
One of my very favorites!
I’m reading it now. Always a good ride.
I’ve read all of his books. A Time to Kill in my opinion, is his best and then A Painted House. The Reckoning is good, you do have to stick with the gruesome history in the middle, but I thought it helped explain the main character’s PTSD and why he did what he did. I thought it was one of his better stories, not too predictable, especially the ending.
@Laurie Thanks for the recommendation of Reckoning. Agree A Time to Kill. Thought follow up Sycamore Row pretty good too. Loathed A Painted House — but I have an intense aversion to Southern, rural, poverty as backdrop in film or literature.
I understand your aversion-it was like reading about the people I grew up with. I guess for me, it put some of it I perspective as an adult.
@Laurie I agree. Grisham hit it out of the park with A Time To Kill. We listened to A Painted House while driving through Arkansas. It was a total coincidence and made it more interesting.
@Laurie i agree a time to kill was in my opinion the best
A Time to Kill is my favorite Grisham book. His new one not so much. I didn’t enjoy it just slogged my way through.
I usually love his books and this started out great, but about a third of the way in, it went down hill for me.
Interesting. I thought the middle was the best part.
I’m reading it now. Lots of WW2 history which makes it a little different for Grisham. I’m enjoying it even though it’s horrific real war stuff. Can’t wait to see how it all comes together in the end!
I loved the background of the war. A different look at that part of the war. The ending was not predictable.
Just started it, so so good?
So different for Grisham. I can’t really say I enjoyed the book, but it was interesting how he gathered the 3 parts together. I remember a lot of the Phillipine stuff was so brutal and their soldiers were much admired. He is a masterful writer!
It was an interesting read and the ending was a surprise. I can’t say I enjoyed it. It is worth reading but to me it was just depressing.
I enjoy most of his work. It was good.
Im reading it now. Not enjoying it as much as his others but wiil stick with it. I agree with comment that it’s tough getting through gruesome parts.
Reading it right now. It’s a little different-but good enough to keep me reading.
I liked it
Not his usual…very detailed, gory account of parts of WWII, not the usual “right succeeds over might” scenario. I liked parts of it, wasn’t crazy about the way it ended.
I have but it’s slow going and I usually can’t put his books down
I am reading it now. Slow going and very deprrssing so far. Very war based and without his usual wit. I am a few chapters from the end so I hope it picks up.
Very long, my least favorite
I liked it very much. I love historical fiction. I learned things I had no idea happened. It must have taken a lot of research.
@Donna the critics have really praised his research for this book.
@Donna The WW2 story was compelling, back on the farm, not so much.
I finished reading it yesterday. Yes it is a good read.
It’s very different from his past books but totally his style, according to my husband who is reading it now
Of all the Grisham books, my favorite is The Painted House….What did you all think of it?
@Judy it’s one of my favorites. I liked the non-lawyer story, a nice change, but a tough storyline.
I have it on hold at the library
Mixed reviews! I am not a Grisham fan. Loved his first couple of books…but his endings never live up to the story so I don’t bother any more
I just finished it Thursday. I gave it two stars.
I just finished it and unfortunately I thought it was terrible. I finished it but I did not like it at all. Very slow going. His last few books have all been going downhill. Used to be one of my favorite authors but going to put him on the end of my list for awhile.
Me too
I just finished it, and I thought it was good.
Me too
I liked the book right up to the last part, then was so disappointed in the ending-
Uh, oh.
Oh, I’m listening to The Reckoning now, and is is amazing!
Reading it right now and loving it!
I recently finished Rooster Bar and am on the waiting list at the library for The Reckoning. He always writes a good story. ?
Have that one on my list to read.
Don’t read him anymore
Just started it.
Just finished it. Started out ok but I really didn’t like the rest of the book.
@Vivienne But even the legal part was disappointing
I have. I thought it not up to his usual standard; he prolonged the denouement over long.
A disappointing read. Solved the mystery as soon as a read a particular sentence. The African-American characters were stereotyped. Grisham may have done that to reflect the white attitudes of the time as the white folk suffer from a lack of awareness for others.
I did. I liked it a lot. Disclaimer: I never read a Grisham book I didn’t like!
@Karen Am usually a huge Grisham fan.
I don’t know what to say. I guess dismayed???
I liked it.
I have been reading more Baldacci lately. Still a fan of Grisham.
Bonnie a big fan of Grisham, have read all books,,,just The Reckoning wasn’t one of is best in my opinion.
Agree
I loved it but I love anything he puts out. I start getting excited the first week of oct but have to wait until the last week of oct.
Interesting, but not nearly one of my favorites.