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Summary: "The Testament" by John Grisham
Review: In "The Testament," a self made billionaire, Troy Phelan, kills himself and leaves his fortune to an unknown daughter, to the dismay of his many debt-ridden children and ex-spouses.John Grisham is a very imaginative writer. He can pull you into a scene and keep your attention until it's over. In "The Testament," a self made billionaire, Troy Phelan, kills himself and leaves his fortune to an unknown daughter, to the dismay of his many debt-ridden children and ex-spouses. Then his law firm sends a partner, Nate O'Riley, just out of rehab to search for her in Brazil. Grisham holds the reader's attention and they can almost experience the trip. The suspense novel unravels as he faces many perils along his trek, along with his colorful guides. He eventually finds the woman, and she is a very modest missionary working with Indians, who at first refuses to take or even discuss the fortune being offered to her. As the novel continues, she reevaluates her options, and I was very satisfied with how it ended. Troy Phelan, the lonely billionaire, wants his fortune to go to the daughter he never really got to know. He respects the work she is doing and the fact that she doesn't want or need his money. His former wives and his children and grandchildren have squandered whatever was given to them and see his death only to their own advantage. The novel tells of their strategies to get what they feel should be theirs while their lawyers also see it as their way to get rich. Grisham emphasizes this struggle between good and bad with the fortune going to the winner. John Grisham is an expert at writing books in which lawyers have the key roles. As an attorney himself, he knows of many flaws in this profession, and exploits them in each of his novels, including "The Testament." This is shown from a few characters in "The Testament," such as Nate O'Riley and Hark Gettys. Nate has been in and out of rehab numerous times, and continually crashes. He blames this on not being able to handle the pressures of his job, to which many other lawyers also succumb. Hark Gettys falls into the common practice of bribing witnesses and performing other illegal acts in his profession. Both characters show major flaws in their occupational field. Many of Grisham's books, such as "A Time to Kill," "The Firm," "The Pelican Brief," and "The Client" have become major motion picture hits and have a good against evil struggle with lawyers involved in them. -Paul Hofmann
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Summary: One of the most peaceful books I've read!
Review: Yes, I love Grisham's courtroom dramas or fast paced chase scenes, but The Testament is one of his best....because he mentally intrigues you without getting your heart rate up to 200. I found the read very relaxing, but not at all boring. I wanted so badly to hate Nate, but Grisham wouldn't let me give up on him. He didn't end it the way I wanted him to, but after The Partner, I don't expect anything less. I would have liked this one to go on & on because I found it helped me calm my hectic days. There was a reason for that peace.
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Summary: an unreal plot becomes deceptively alive from the start!
Review: As an early Grisham reader, I had started losing interest in his works but I decided to try once again.The Testament was a spellbinder from the very beginning. Even the title itself is filled with intrigue. The plot based on human greed is a common one although for most people not on such a grand scale. The contrast between the superwealthy and the superpoor is a wonderful study on life for most of us who fall in between these extremes. During the entire reading,I wanted the story to develop along the lines that the two main characters lived happily ever after, knowing full well that this was not a depression type feel- good effort. The book has a powerful, sad, beautiful ending with poetic justice. Although not a classic, I give it a very high rating for to a great extent, it captures the end of the century living style.
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Summary: Another book with predictable characters....big suprise
Review: The characters always wind up doing the same thing, and thats when any success comes into view, they avoid it. It's all to familiar if u have read his other books. Still it's pretty good,
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Summary: Quick-moving,empathetic, eye-opening and a good yarn
Review: I found John Grisham's The Street Lawyer very enjoyable and a story that was totally credible, with a message for the world about poverty and the gulf between the haves and the have-nots. Very satisfying.
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Summary: Straight out of the gate, and right into the stable.
Review: Like a racehorse, this novel began at a fast and furious pace. Grisham wove a tale of intrigue, fame and fortune, all the while tempting the reader to probe further into the lives of the self destructive, yet addicting characters. As you read further however, the characters grew predictable and were not nearly as shocking as you were originally led to believe. The exotic locale's that at first tantalized the imagination, began to fade as the book wore on. In the end, the story moved to a slow clip-clop pace. Wanting to believe that there would be an incredibly explosive ending, didn't make it happen. Into the stable it went, along with my interest.
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Summary: Grisham has done better
Review: I got this book hoping that Grisham would go back to the twists of plot that made Runaway Jury and the Partner excellent. Unfortunately, that was not the case, although the story was passable.
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Summary: Suspenseful, exotic, adventuresome....!!!!
Review: Was immediately enveloped into the plot from page one...Eagerly anticipated the encounter with the "mystery character" and was equally impressed with the encounter and the habitat she was surrounded by. Slightly deflated by the ending....Expectations of outcome slightly different...would've varied the ending. Otherwise, interesting and definitely something to think about.... :-) A die Hard Grisham fan!!!
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Summary: fabulous reading, read it &savor every page
Review: after Mr. Grisham's first novel, this is my favorite. I "fell" into the pages..I was the invisible companion to Nate (his main character)...it was dark sometimes, and sometimes scary, but I loved it and could feel John G's. ease in writing this book. Nothing disappointed me about it. I had none of those "oh why didn't he?...or why ..didn't she? feelings...it was mystery and travelogue (with no blathering on about unnecessary scenery) and depth of characters. All of whom I wish I could call and say "hi, how are you?".Perfect
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Summary: Could be a better novel
Review: I have read all of John Grisham's books. This one is certainly not among the first three, but off course much better than thr recent ones. The subject is interesting but the outcome is a little bit like a chewing gum, sticky and stretchy...
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