The Testament

Rating:
Summary: Another Great Grisham Novel
Review: Another Great Grisham Novel

The Testament was one of the best books I've ever read. Although it was a little slow at some points, it proved to be interesting enough to capture my attention the entire time. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good novel, but especially to Grisham fans. The book begins with Troy Phelan, an eccentric multi-billionaire, announcing to his seven children and four ex-wives that he is going to sign a will. Because he can't stand any of his children or ex-wives, he deceives them, making them think that they will be mentioned in his will. In reality he signs a will giving the money to one heir: an illegitimate child that no one knew about who is living in Brazil. The book continues as Nate O'Reily, one of Phelan's lawyers tries to find this child and get her to sign the will. The best thing about this book is how real the characters become. You really come to hate Mr. Pehlan's children, grandchildren, and ex-wives because of their terrible personalities. You find yourself cheering Nate O'Reily on in his bouts with alcoholism and becoming worried when he is in danger. This is definitely a must-read.

Rating:
Summary: Good story, bad ending
Review: I've been reading Grisham for a while now, I have most of his books at home but I can't agree with some other reviews on this pages that this is his best book ever.

I did like the story, good build-up and he keeps you guessing (as usual) what's going to happen. But I do find the actual end a bit disappointing, I missed the kind of 'twist' most of his other books seem to end with...

Rating:
Summary: Waiting for the movie!
Review: This book kept me on the edge! I wondered through the whole book how it was going to end, intrigued the whole way. I also appreciate how Grisham could portray a Christian character that seemed human. Maybe this will shed a little light on what Christianity was meant to be, as opposed to what the church has made it look like. I really hope they make a movie out of this one!

Rating:
Summary: Great Bathroom Reading
Review: This work will not make you think, but it is a decent source of mindless entertainment. The story is predictable enough and seems to read like a movie.

Rating:
Summary: A Grisham Masterpiece
Review: This has to be one of Grisham's finest. In short, it's about a billionaire who sticks it to his kids one last time before his death. A lawyer grabs his fragile sobriety and heads into the depths of Brazil to find the sole heir. It's an interesting story with a few unexpected twists, but not too much of the legal tedium displayed in some of his earlier works. The depth to which the characters are developed is uncanny...you almost feel the heat of their emotions. It is as much a story on the trappings and failings (and somewhat rare triumphs) of our American culture as it is a story about the distrubution of a billionaires' estate. A great read, I hated for it to end.

Rating:
Summary: Testament
Review: John Grisham has done it again. Written a book that keeps the reader turning the pages. I refer of course to the Testament.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and Unforgettable
Review: What Grisham has managed to do with "The Testament", is masterfully combine an interesting legal plot within the streets of DC., and an emotionally involving one within the river ways in the Pantanal. In the same book, Lawyers and Clients engage in an intriguing courtroom battle, and a booze addict discovers what better life he can live under Christ through the teachings of a missionary deep within the Pantanal region in Brazil. I especially recommend this book to those religious at heart. The story is moving, however keeps the pages turning as the devious legal plot unfolds.

Rating:
Summary: So far, the best John Grisham novel
Review: This is certainly the best John Grisham novel so far. A self-made billionaire commits suicide. When his last will is discovered, it is mind-boggling to the supposed-to-be heirs. He leaves his vast fortune to one of his children, Rachel. But she's enstranged to her father, and has given her life to God as a missionary in the jungles of Brazil. Now, the lawyers have to find her, which is not an easy task. In the meanwhile, the supposed-to-be heirs are circling like vultures, trying to overturn the 'insane' will. The story is suspenseful, heart-warming, adventurous, and beautifully written. It's also a picture of human nature, and the story carries a rare genuine redemptive byline. Really a good book!

Rating:
Summary: Take the money and run!
Review: I could almost see hear Grisham's editor pleading for more pages...so drawn out and BORING were the endless descriptions of unimportant details. I must agree with an earlier review that the book starts out with promise, however the character of Nate seems hollow, generic, and I could never really buy any of the characters in this book. I happened to take it down to the Caribbean with me, and after plodding through all but the last five pages, we had a hurricane, and I had to leave the house. I looked at the book and decided not to take it--at that point I simply didn't care enough to find out how it ended! Sad.

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring Read
Review: Grisham puts to words a story to remind us the depth of this world. This book was incredible.