The Appeal

What has happened to Grisham?

What in the world has happened to John Grisham? Has he run out of ways to make his books interesting and/or exciting or just forgotten how to do that? I loved his early books but in the last few years his books have become increasingly boring. Years ago he forgot how to write a satisfying ending, but at least the journey was entertaining ("The Broker" for example.)

With "The Appeal" he has reached a new low. I plodded through the thing hoping that eventually there would be something interesting only to be disappointed at the end of every chapter, including the last one.

I used to wait impatiently for a new Grisham book and loved his early works like "A Time to Kill." In the last few years I've read his books sporadicaly and with varying degrees of disappointment. This will be the last. My verdict on John Grisham is that he should retire from fiction writing and go back to practicing law.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

excellent book vintage Grisham

John Grisham is tops when it comes to writing legal thrillers. His books pose the realistic thoughts of what if..... in regards to legal issues. This book is about the possibility of can a position be bought on a Court. Since the Roman's this has been done so why should be belive it can't happen in America. No question in my mind that more than one Judge currenty sittin on the bench has been paid for his position. Grisham writes with a Southern flavor that's makes you long for the smell of Magnolia's and the South. You can never go wrong reading a John Grisham book.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Raw emotion and not-quite-justice

There is an old civil rights joke about a black defendant who says: "If you're looking for justice in the courtroom, that's what you'll find - just us!"

The Appeal is a gritty tale, filled with the raw emotion of of human suffering, a classic David vs. Goliath plot, three dimensional characters, and some very realistic twists. John Grisham ain't famous for nothin'. He has written a compelling novel.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Wealth Overpowers Justice

Once I began reading this book I could not put it down. In the beginning, (for being a younger audience member to such a detailed book) I didnt quite get the point of the story. I am not one who follows politics. But as I kept reading, Grisham continued to bring me in through the many characters and perspectives he created. He also explained in high detail about politics. As you go along the tale of one man's journey to regain wealth and power in society you will see the effect that money has on people and the justice system in our world today. You can't help but to think to ask yourself, "do things like that actually happen in our present world?" The book is very entertaining throughout the story up until the end. The end of the novel was very weak and leaves the reader hanging. However, the moral is clearly shown in this story and I would recommend The Appeal to anyone looking for a dramatic novel filled with the harsh truths in our society.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Chilling, Astounding Political Novel Goes to the Heart of Human Nature

From the very beginning of John Grisham's novel The Appeal, he proves to be a very powerful author. The book is loaded with imagery and description, projecting, in great detail, every scene, every expression, every emotion of every character. Somehow, as it alternates between a variety of main characters, The Appeal portrays each one's nature so clearly that the reader finds himself agreeing with every perspective, virtually living and understanding the life of every character, and not just that of the "good guy."
The Appeal describes an innocent, middle-aged man who is suddenly thrown into the heat and thrill of a legal race, and also, though he is unaware of it, into the manipulating hands of dangerous and cunning characters whose reputations and companies are at stake. It depicts not only the campaigning involved in a legal race, but also of the pressure that the responsibility of acting in the US government has on family life and personal standards. It reveals the cunning art of advertising, the sometimes evil and dishonest work that is put into the manipulatation of public views. It shows both the great variety and the many similarities of the many players on the chessboard of politics.
The Appeal also demonstrates a scale of brilliant planning behind the story. At the heart of what should be the climax of the book, an incredible twist in the plot blasts everything into a completely new perspective, adding a whole new dimension to not only the storyline, but to the entire order of human society. The Appeal's ending is unprecedented and very dramatic, once again astounding the reader with its chilling and memorable aspect that reaches to the depths of human nature.
I recommend this book to any reader looking for a striking, memorable novel. The Appeal is original and unsettling in its plot, themes, and grip on reality. It more than earns its place on the New York Times Bestseller list, and John Grisham is going to be a sought-after author for me for many years to come.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Last Grisham book I'll read

I hate to say goodbye... I've enjoyed a number of other Grisham books. But this one just seems angry, bitter, and political. If you love trial lawyers, and think that they are altruistic, selfless do-gooders who really do what they do just for the sake of the poor and downtrodden (instead of for the multimillions in judgments), then you might enjoy this book. But when Grisham tries to make heros of these folks, it just doesn't fly... just can't swallow it. Along the way he makes vindictive little stabs at so many other people that the tone just seems depressing and bitter. There's not a lick of humor in this book... what happened to the old Grisham?

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Good to see Clancy writing again

Good, traditional Clancy. On the level of Pelican

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Not Grisham's best

Like most Grisham books, this was a pretty easy read and held my interest, for the most part. However, in the end it fell flat. I thought the ending was weak--as if the author was tired and ready to be done.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An Okay Read

A pretty fast read, with an ending that was unexpected for a John Grisham book. Great book for a vacation or car trip, but I probably won't read it again.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Good choice for Grisham fans

Exciting & interesting story. I admire how the greed of tort lawyers as well as the profound narcissism of big business. It made me hate both parties. The ending was anticlimatic & a bit of a let down, but i would recommend this book.

Give it a ho! Give it a hum!

Read John Grisham's 2008 novel THE APPEAL primarily to while away a couple of hours. When stuck in an airport, let us imagine, or in bed late at night fighting insomnia. *** You will also garner as a by-product of time invested a few facts about the workings of courts in Mississippi, including trial courts and the elected nine-person Supreme Court in Jackson. You are presented a teary melodrama about innocent little people being kicked around by evil tycoons. You get a slightly different take on the psyches of John Edwards stereotypical trial lawyers: sure they are quirky egomaniacs, but deep inside their combative souls there is a spark of love for the little man and a professional intent (compensated by contingency fees) to right gigantic rascals tooth and nail in court. *** Once read, soon forgotten. -OOO-

Fantastic

I loved how interesting grisham can make these legal cases and it shows just how good of an author he is.

disappionting ending

great plot and story but the ending was a let down.

Too slow & too many characters!

I am a big fan of John Grisham but I was disappointed here. Grisham usually makes me feel like I know the characters so well that I can believe they're real. Here, the vast cast isn't fleshed out enough due to the huge number of players. Added to the fact the plot itself is tedious and incredibly slow the book is just average. While the ending was both parts predictable and not, it still wasn't satisfying. There are plenty of better offerings by this author.

'>' THE CLIENT but '<' THE FIRM or PELICAN BRIEF

I enjoyed this Grisham novel so much more than the last one I read [THE CLIENT], that I was on the verge of rating it with 4 stars.

But I'm calmer now.

All the same, here's a novel with interesting characters. It starts off with a court room climax and winds its way through a plot one hopes is outlandish but rings frighteningly true. And while elements feel slightly recycled from PELICAN BRIEF, the stakes are anchored with unsettling verisimilitude, not to say heartbreak.

A huge verdict is awarded a woman who has lost her husband and child to cancer brought on by the local water which has been poisoned by corrupt corporate behaviour. In fact, there have been numerous cancer-related deaths, between 12-15 times the national average, in this particular county. But that doesn't mean that the Big Corporation wants to take any responsibility for its actions. And, unfortunately, they have a plan to overturn the verdict upon appeal.

So Grisham examines the two paths taken to the appeal. One from the plaintiff's married lawyers, who have risked everything to try the case; and the other from the men who don't want to part with any of their profits, and who face possible ruin otherwise. Cue: The Pawn.

Again, Grisham's prose is nothing to write home about, but it feels just a bit more fleshed out than the short-hand he used to fill the banal pages of THE CLIENT. So it moves along at a rapid pace but still makes one care about the race to the outcome of the appeal, with characters to root for, to feel sorry for for being naive, to hiss at, and moments to hold one's breath over.

And, unlike the obvious, predictable 'surprise' ending of THE CLIENT, the reader won't know for certain just how this tale will pan out.

Not entertaining.

I do not read to be educated, I read to be entertained. If I wanted to learn about the downsides of judge elections, I'd go find a law review or something.

Very disappointing

What started out as a good read slowly progressed to boring and then to an ..."are you kidding me...?" ending. I skimmed through some of the book because there were many tedious details that were really unnecessary. I like Grisham, but this was my least favorite novel by far. I'm just happy I purchased this as a bargain book so I didn't waste too much money on it.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

money, law and politics go hand in hand

This books gives a fictional account of how money, law and politics go hand in hand. It was an excellent read. Keep it up, John Grisham

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Pleasant Surprise

I was pleasantly surprised to find this book. I am a Grisham fan, but feel that he has become a bit overrated. I enjoyed "The Last Juror" and "The Chamber" while others (like "The Partner") I found to be over-praised. This book, however, I think has not been given its due recognition. Few writers have the audacity to take on the issue of judicial elections tampering, though it happens in every state in almost every election cycle. I found myself at once liking but hating Fisk and at other times wanting nothing more than to bomb Crane Chemical myself. It was irritating, raw, and emotional. I read somewhere that he wrote it as a cautionary tale, and that it is. This year is a judicial election year in my state. I hope that the voters here can see through the bull-hock presentation of the likes issued by those funding Fisk in this novel. Thank you, Grisham. You have restored my faith in your writing.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Sadly, This Book Didn't Bode Well With Me

There is rarely a John Grisham book I dislike, seeing as I have read them since I was in middle (my dad is a BIG fan.) However, this book's theme seemed old and tired like watching Erin Brokovich, but without something sorta pretty to look at. Read these other books instead, they are very intriguing!