Rating: 
Summary: Very Disappointed
Review: I preorder the Brethren, couldn't wait to get my copy. I have read several of John Grisham's books. This book is the the most boring book I have ever read. I hope Grisham is not trying to sell on his name only. For now on I will think twice before I order another Grisham Book.
Rating:
Summary: The Brethren
Review: There is basically no one to like in this book. The Brethren are three funny, but ultimately unlikeable characters, who belong in jail. Teddy and Aaron are willful and gullible respectively, and ultimately both are unlikeable. You'll feel sorry for the victims and at this price (even less discounts) you'll feel like a victim yourself. However, Grisham's serialized "The Painted House" in the magazine Oxford American this month is very good reading...
Rating: 
Summary: Not too Grisham-esque? Yes. Not too bad either, though.
Review: I am a huge fan of Grisham's, and have read everything he's written (even the short stories) but I must admit that this is not his best. I enjoyed the Testament (as bad as many people thought it was) much more. The biggest problem I had with this book is that the character development was poor. There are too many unknowns...especially with the character of Aaron Lake. He reminded me too much of Al Gore....cardboard and rigid. You don't find out enough about the guy that will make you care what happens to him, or make you sympathetic about him being possibly involved in a career ending scandal. The judges are interesting characters and their ramblings are what redeems the novel for me...the story is original and there are still the traditional plot twists and turns. I enjoyed Trevor as well...he was a bit more the type of character that you expect from Grisham. It is based on those two factors that I give this the rating I did. Those were characters that he could have gone a bit further with as well, but their antics and plotting makes for very interesting reading. The ending seems rushed. I expected much more fanfare, but the book just seems to fizzle out to the point where I actually found myself looking to make sure that some pages didn't get accidentally ripped out or were missing. The insertion of the character of other minor characters (such as Buster) look promising, but they are all roads that lead to nowhere. Very confusing. There was a lot less of the legal theme in this novel, which is normally a part of his books which I enjoy. Unless you're a Grisham die hard, wait for the paperback. It may not be as good as his earlier works, but it's still worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: Very Mediocre
Review: I once heard Larry McMurty talk to a group I was in about WHEN Authors start going down hill-----and I thought about John Grisham in that context while reading THE BRETHEN---and I have read every thing he has written.I put it down twice before I could get into it, and even though the stories within stories were engaging, they were unrealistic. The ending leaves the reader completely empty, like sayin "So what happens next." Will likely NOT be made into a movie!
Rating:
Summary: The Brethern
Review: This is clearly John Grisham's weakest effort to date. The characters are not fully developed and those with the most to exploit, Aaron Lake, the presidential candidate, and Teddy Maynard, the reclusive CIA Director, drop off the face of the earth in the end. There is little suspense and none of the storytelling or intriguing characters that "Testamant" or "Runaway Jury" can claim. I am disappointed with this volume and will be careful when picking up the next Grisham installment. I can't imagine that this meets with the standards that avid Grisham readers have come to expect.
Rating: 
Summary: The Brethren
Review: A great disappointment in my opinion. As an avid reader of John Grisham I found it lacking in suspense and drama. The characters were dull and boring. It is very unusual for me to fall asleep while reading Mr. Grishams books, but I often did just that. Maybe a little time off wouldn't be a bad idea, as suggested in another review. On his next book, I won't be so eager to order as early.
Rating:
Summary: The Brethren
Review: This was the biggest disapointment in a novel Ihave read in a long time. It is certainly not worth the purchase price.
Rating:
Summary: Not a page turner
Review: I love John Grisham--especially Testament and The Partner. I was disappointed that I purchased this one in hardback. I had read the first chapter on the net and thought it was a little slow, but I figured it would speed up and be as good as the previous books. I went ahead and purchased the hardback and it continued to be slow. I had a hard time getting into the plot and was bored through parts of it. I really did not like how it ended. Would I recommend it to my friends--only if they borrow my copy.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best work
Review: Well, where do I start? I really enjoyed Grisham's previous works but this one just never takes off. Many, many, loose ends. Seems like the book was beginning to build and it ended in two pages! Very disappointed with this latest offering. Hope he get recharged and comes back strong. If your going to miss reading one of his books this is the ONE!
Rating:
Summary: Grisham let me down
Review: I have hardcover editions of every one of John Grisham's novels. He, Michael Connolly and Stephen Hunter are my three favorite novelists. However, with The Brethren, Mr. Grisham has really let me down. The book isn't about anything. Yes, there's a plot about three boring judges and their homophobic scam, and yes, there's a secondary plot about an obsessed government bureaucrat and a presidential candidate, but the story goes absolutely nowhere. The novel is badly in need of a strong protagonist. There's no true main character in the book, no person around whom the action centers. Mr. Grisham needs to remember that he's writing FICTION, so the sky's the limit. He is capable of creating interesting characters and solid plotlines, but The Brethren is boring and it seems to be a lonely book, sort of like being in jail. Call me greatly disappointed. Mr. Grisham needs to stop cranking them out and needs to really sit and think out his next story. When the next book arrives, I will think long and hard about buying it, and I will not buy it until I've read a lot of reviews of it, something I've never had to do in the past when it comes to Mr. Grisham's work.
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