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Summary: Another great book from Grisham
Review: I can'e get enough of this guy's writing. This one is told through the eyes of a seven-year old boy on his life on the farm. It is a quick read, and will keep you entertained till the end. At first I was turned off by the story in itself. A story about a boy on a farm?! So what?! But I read Grisham's other books, and I wasn't disappointed in them. So, I gave this a chance. This is a different kind of a read that you will enjoy.
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Summary: A painted House - Grisham at his best
Review: Steering away from the law genre of his previous novels and going back to his roots, Grisham has written what i consider to be his best book yet.
Set in 1950's rural Arkansas, our protagonist and hero, 7 year old Luke, becomes enveloped in a world he knows nothing about. When the 'Hill people' and the Mexicans come to work on Luke's farm, picking cotton, Luke's idealistic world changes into one where violence and brutality seem quite normal. But somehow Grisham pushes this to the background, and instead stuns the reader with an evocation of a land and life he knew as a child. Perhaps he is, in a way, recounting some event of his own childhood, for we come to know little Luke and his family, the beautiful girl he is in love with and the violent men who stain his life, as if they were real. You turn page after page, desperate to know what will happen next, not wanting to leave Luke's world for a second. And whem you do finish the book, it's almost as if you've lost something very dear to you, for you have become a part of little Luke's life - you share his laughter, you share his pain, you understand his confusion. For those of you who thought that a change from break-neck speed law novels would provide less interesting reading, you will be sorely disappointed. Another cracking read from a cracking writer.
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Summary: A Painted House - Grisham on top form
Review: Steering away from the law theme of his previous novels, Grisham was perhaps taking a risk with his new book. Or perhaps not, for it is, in my opinion, his best yet. The characters come alive off the page, and the reader gets to know them as if they were real. Not a single word is wasted, and each page provides us with something new. At times you laugh, at times you are serious, but at all times you are turning the page with impatience, because you cannot wait to see what will come next. Transported back to the cotton picking of the 50's, you become a part of the life of little seven year old Lucas; you feel his pain, you share his laughter, you understand his confusion. You also share the secrets that he is burdened with. Above all, you want to be part of that life, his life.
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Summary: A New Side of Grisham
Review: I admit that I only read this novel because it was my book club's selection of the month. Like many readers a little tired of the "lawyers in Mississippi" theme, I was reluctant to tackle this book - but I was delightfully surprised and found this novel to be a charming read. Told through the eyes of 7-year old Luke, the reader learns about the lives of poor cotton farmers in Arkansas in the early 1950s, their families and the people who work seasonly for them, i.e. the Mexicans and the hill people. Grisham is, without doubt, an excellent writer. Up until this book, I would have merely called him an excellent storyteller. His characters are diverse, his descriptive passanges a pleasure to read and the storyline interesting enough to hold the reader. I thoroughly recommend this book.
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Summary: Grisham's writing has matured
Review: I'm not a Grisham expert; this is only the 3rd of his books that I've read. It is by far the best. The other two were certainly entertaining, but with "A Painted House" he has moved from commercial fiction to literary fiction. The writing is much better, from a technical standpoint, than it is in The Rainmaker, for instance. It captivated me from the git-go. I've taken a couple of weeks to read his other books; this one I finished in two days.
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Summary: smashing!
Review: I have read all of Mr. Grisham's books and condsider this one his finest. Told in the voice of a seven year old boy it becomes childlike in it's discovery and innocense. I read a great deal and often find gems where other do not. This is a gem. Mr. Grisham has found a different voice and has a gift for speaking to the innocense of children. I was so moved by the first few chapters that I spent an entire day finishing it and did not skim a word. I would advise this to youngsters from age 10 and up also.
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Summary: Sheltered in a small town
Review: A Painted House is a phenomenal creation by John Grisham. Taking place in Grisham's sheltered hometown of Black Oak, Arkansas, he can truly write from an experienced perspective. There is so much literature that is based on racial issues that are black vs. white. However, A Painted House takes a different turn with white vs. mexican. The story revolves around the life of a boy named Luke along with his family. He is the baseball loving son of an average working farm family. The farmhands are mexicans as opposed to african americans. It is evident which characters in the story are generous and approving of diverse relationships. For example, Luke's mother follows the golden rule of treating others as you want to be treated. Luke's innocence is lost as he realizes his surroundings do not approve of cultural diversity. The title of this book is self explanatory as one reads the pages and notices the town of Black Oak has painted out cultural diversity.
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Summary: Interested read but not memorable
Review: This is the first book of J.G I came to read. The book is interesting to read for it described about a time long past and people and events that evolved with that time. However, the characters and events there haven`t reached out to me, they just stay as fictional characters and events with unattractive climaxes.
The main character in this book is a seven years old boy and funny thing is, sometimes, I came to hate of such voice of his, which is unbelivably over-knowing and unrealstic things that he is supposed to do in this novel. I was hoping of him become attached to someone, for example,Trout,the handicap boy. I think he has many potential character developing.
In general, after all the events, nothing soul moving is reaching out to me to mark this book as a memorable one.
Next time, I will try his legal books and see whether in those too, he has same slow paced story telling style and annoyable lead characters.
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Summary: No lawyers or judges!
Review: There are only 3 of Grisham's books that I've not read, The Firm, The Client and The The Pelican Brief. I saw the movies first and I wanted to wait until I forget enough about the excellent movies before I start on the books. The Chamber was disappointing for me, as the characters are not easy to identify with, though still well written. I liked all the Grisham books I've read so far. A Painted House. This is such a different book! A complete departure from what I have come to expect from Grisham, and it's a welcomed change (there are only so many lawyer stories you can bear to read in a life time.) He writes about a part and time of America through the eyes of a 7 year old kid and manages to make this reader live through that summer as young Luke Chandler. Everything that occupied Luke's mind are made vividly real as I turn the pages to see what's next for Luke and the people around him. Some might say the book lacks a real ending, I thought so too, but if it were up to me, I wouldn't change it a bit (wouldn't know how to anyway.) Who knows? Perhaps a sequel is planned. With or without a sequal, I am very glad I read this book, I enjoyed it very much.
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Summary: Of simplier times
Review: I loved the whole of this book. It takes you back to simplier times when there was no hussle and bussle of the city or deadlines or traffic jams. The food that kept you fed was by your own hand. You worked hard for what you had, but you knew what you were about and took pride in your hard work. It was all about family life. John Grisham kept me reading. But, I did feel left hanging at the end. There were so many things that happened in the book which I had no answers for as to their own outcomes. The ending definately leaves room for a sequel.
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