Rating: 
Summary: Much Better than the Movie
Review: Of course, the book is almost always better than the movie(except for maybe the Godfather...) The most fascinating aspect of this novel is its realistic depiction of the legal system. It shows how ideals become subverted within the courtroom, where legal machinations tend to take precedence over altruistic intentions. It requires a novel of this size to make that realization felt; you need to suffer through Schlictmann's journey with him, to the ultimately quixotic ending. The movie was too fast, slick, and short, never fully exploring the ambiguities present in the novel. The film feels as if it always wants to break into a Grishamesque chase scene but never quite builds up the steam. The novel, on the other hand, allows the space to explore the interior worlds of all the players. Is Schlictmann an idealist or an ambulance chaser? Like the real world, the answer is none too clear and defies black-and-white answers.
Rating: 
Summary: L.A. Lawyer blesses book as realistic
Review: Inside account of lawsuit by eight middle-class families from industrial suburb against corporations owning nearby plants that allegedly contaminated ground water, leading to leukemia and other illnesses. The nonfiction style is spare and prosaic, but the situations are interesting enough to draw comparisons to legal fiction, and the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction quality lends the work poignancy and a realistic level of moral ambiguity.This reviewer has practiced law in the area of civil litigation for 18 years, and can vouch for the realism of the book's depiction of lawyers and the legal system. SPOILER ALERT: Schlictman was screwed by some bad judging (notably the bifurcation, and the failure to reopen the case against Beatrice), but his failure to inform his clients of the Beatrice pretrial offer was unpardonable -- the worst solecism of anything described in the story. Schlictman seemed to have a certain contempt for his own clients, e.g. their exclusion during trial, and the structure of the Grace settlement. He also got nine million in total settlement, which is about what the case was probably worth, and has himself at least partly to blame for the cost of the litigation. Not that I would want anyone looking over my shoulder and criticizing the mistakes I make. But like the book says, it's easier to tear down than it is to build.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: This good was not only entertaining, but also educational. I learned a lot about the type of lifestyles that lawyers have, and the problems they face in their profession. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in law.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest books I've ever read.
Review: A Civil Action is one of the greatest non-fiction books I've ever read. It's intriguing and makes you want more. A great read and a must-buy.
Rating: 
Summary: Overlong and dull courtroom drama . . .
Review: After hearing the novel was to be filmed by Steve 'Schindler's List' Zaillan starring John Travolta, Robert Duvall and Kathy Bates, I went straight out and bought it. I was surprised to find that this 'epic' novel was too epic and seemed overlong by the middle. What this book isn't is a legal epic, what it is - it's little more than your average John Grishman novel. Cheesy and cliched.
Rating:
Summary: This was a great book!
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book. I could not put it down. I was never a person who was interested in the legal system until I read this book. You will become angry at times while reading it. The ending was a little disappointing. I will now rent the movie even though I keep hearing that the book is always better.
Rating: 
Summary: Thought provoking but at times too slow
Review: I was actually assigned to read this book for a class. It was a lttle tough to get into, but I found the best part to be the detail...it definitely gives the reader a chance to experience the frustration and injustice that arises among lawyers and in courts. If you can get through this book, it will leave you with some intriguing thoughts/questions.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting but very dry
Review: I was really into this book in the first few chapters. It had the potential to be a real page turner. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way. I thought the story developed very slowly and the writing was extremely dry. A real disappointment - my expections were much higher.
Rating: 
Summary: huh?
Review: when it says "epic courtroom drama" on the cover and is about a lawyer almost losing everything for a case, you sort of expect a battle between good and evil, but this is very disappointing, this is a battle between evil and evil. lawyers and judges. this is an interesting story about a lot of greed and a few bad judgements. epic? no, not at all.
Rating:
Summary: A great novel, a must read for any legal thriller fan
Review: This was an amazing book, it portrayed many of the injustices of society, but sticking to the thrilling world of the legal thriller. It is better than many of the fiction legal books I have read, but the clincher on this one is it is non-fiction. If you have a prenotion that non-fiction legal books would be dull and boring, abandon that belief and try this book, you won't be disapointed.
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