Book Reviews of The Appeal

I'm not sure that John Grisham is still the author that he once started out to be with his first several books. I found this book to be rather hard to keep track of all the different characters that are incorporated into the store telling. It did keep me going till about the last one-third of the book. I finally got through it, but makes me want to look at his writings in more detail the next time he comes out with another book.

Overall, I liked this book although it left bitter and scary feeling in me at the end. It was a very timely reading after all sorts of election campaign in 2008 and was definitely an interesting read for me as a non-American, who is less familiar with political and judicial issues (or corruption, I would say).

Although I couldn't relate much to characters in the book, how things evolved around the litigation was very, very interesting. It made me think how things in the (political) world really are happening and how many incidents are actually related under the surface. We really need to keep our eyes open and watch closely our surrounding events...

I heard there was actually similar real story in West Virginia, the 2004 election of Brent Benjamin to the state Supreme Court of Appeals. If you are interestd in, here is link with John Grisham's short interview. The article title is "John Grisham disses Blankenship, WV court" ==> http://www.wvoter-owned.org/news/2008/01_30a.html

Disappointed in the end

After being disappointed with several of Grisham's latest books, this one stands out. Grisham's got his groove back. Lots of lawyer-ese without boring the reader. And the subject is certainly timely and interesting, with a range of fascinating characters. Not as gripping as The Firm, but definitely a good read.

The book was interesting and kept my attention. But, it left me with a bad taste in my mouth for our justice system.

I found my self feeling quite angry by the end of this book. Angry because this could have been a true story. Things like this happen and the world can be a very unfair and corrupt place. I do think this should have been a shorter book. Too many details!! I am still thinking about it 5 days later however, which I think was Grisham's goal.

This book was different from his normal work because it left you with the question of what is right and wrong not a specific criminal and good attorney like he always has in the past. Not as entertaining but still is worth reading.

Lots of fun, quick read

I was disapointed with the book.

I am a Grisham fan, having read all of his books. This one I found to be quite under par - in fact, boring! If you are new to Grisham, I would recommend reading his earlier works such as "Rainmaker," "The Client," or "The Pelican Brief."

Grisham at his best.

The story centers on a Mississippi law firm consisting of husband and wife who wins a big verdict over a chemical giant, Krane, that has spread carcinogenic pollutants. Krane, fearful that this verdict, if not overturned, would set a precedent that would eventually destroy it, goes into action. It files an appeal that will find its way to the state supreme court, and hires a "dirty tricks" firm to unseat a sitting justice believed to be unfriendly.

Essentially it's a sordid tale of big business and politics vs. big verdicts and class action lawsuits, it begins nicely, and gathers steam, then proceeds to continue blowing hot air at the reader until the unsatisfactory quickie ending.

While there's some food for thought regarding how the legal, political, religious and business arenas may all be connected, there's more garnish than meat in a story which could have been cut by about 100 pages of the filler, and sweetened with about 50 more pages of conclusion for dessert

Right from the beginning you had a pretty good idea of how it would end - not well.

I have read a few others of Grishams books - while I thought some of the characters were interesting - frankly I was surprised by the ending, some parts kept you wanting more.

John Grisham doesn't disappoint. It's a great book.

Another thriller chiller in legal land.

I'm a fan of Grisham's other books, but this one was a big let down.
The writing style is compact but the story ran out of steam after the first half. It became an editorial about the election of judges and lost its entertainment value. The last twist of the book was a gratuitous torture of a main character due to his selling out to corporate greed. Overall, it just wasn't a satisfying read, no matter where your politics are.

It was an okay read, nothing special but passed the time.

Ok, but not as good as some of Grisham's previous books

I found this Grisham novel a bit slow and was surprised by the ending. Although the story line was very timely, I wasn't as riveted as I've been with other novels from this author. All in all, though, not a bad book. Just not one of the best I've read from this author.

A good read, full of diverse characters, including some you love to hate. Who will win the appeal?

Very good book, it is a very fast read.

This was the first book that I've read of John Grisham. I love how there are so many twists and turns, you're not quite sure where the book will lead.

Grisham doesn't always go for the typical happy ending. You'll fall in love with the characters and go through a roller coaster of emotions with them. He leaves you wondering until the very end.

This is probably this best book I have read by John Grisham. It keeps moving and keeps you on your toes because you can form the wrong conclusion. Brand new condition.

John Grisham gives another courtroom bombshell with corrupt political subplot.

This was a very interesting book. I was fascinated by the amount of effort in characters to accomplish their task. It made me wonder if it was true to life. Grisham wrote it in such a realistic style that it makes a believer out of the reader. Captivating story!

Excellent

A great read!

This is typical Grisham... captures the interest from the start. While this story is fiction one can find many similarities to real life.

After finishing the book I picked up the newspaper and read an article (excerpts & summary follow) about Massey Energy the nations 6th largest coal company located in W Va and operator of The Upper Big Branch mine. Big Branch has a troubled safety record and was hit with $900,000 in federal fines in 2009. for 500 alleged safety violations according to Labor Dept records.

Massey CEO lost a $50 Million verdict in a fraud lawsuit and spent $3 million to help elect a state appellate judge who ended up casting a crucial vote to overturn the verdict against Massey. The CEO has donated $50,200 to federal candidates since 1989 and people associated w/ Massey and it's PAC have donated $307,000 to federal political candidates since 1990.

The above resulted in a US Supreme Court dispute that tested the effect of campaign donations in judicial elections. The high court said "a judge must pull out of a case when a serious risk of actual bias arises". Now if we could just get the court to do the same with political contributions and bias!!!

This one will get you thinking about what really goes on behind the scenes in our political and justice system.

This was a good book. The ending was not what I expected. Not all that far-fetched if you follow what is happening in some judicial elections.