Personal Injuries

Rating:
Summary: First-rate. Masterful--his best.
Review: Wonderful reading; not a superficial and preposterous thriller like so many on the bestseller lists; vastly superior on many levels. I have to believe those readers who wrote in that it was unreadable or boring are either very young or borderline literate. The character of Robbie is multi-facted and continually surprising; he's no cardboard stereotype. Even the corrupted judges--some of them--are sympathetic to a degree, no mean feat. I did enjoy Presumed Innocence very much, but this is better. I can't adequately describe Turow's artistry, and I should be jealous of him because I'm a lawyer who is also writing fiction (not yet published). I read extensively, in and out of the genre, and I have to agree with another reader that this is not a traditional thriller. It is simply a masterpiece novel that might even be labeled "literary." So it that makes it a hard read for some, those readers should stick to James Patterson (Kiss the Girls, etc.), whose reader raves are astonishing to me, though I admired Along Came a Spider. If you can't handle in-depth examination of the complex human psyche, go elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a disappointment for fans of Turow.
Review: "Personal Injuries" fails on many counts. The characters are not compelling. The plot drags interminably. Turow makes the unfortunate choice of writing the novel in the first person (a lawyer narrates) and then switching to the third person throughout much of the book. This device is awkward and it weakens the narrative greatly. Another problem is that the book has no clear focus. It veers between the pathetic plight of a woman dying of ALS, her loser husband who must participate in a sting to nab corrupt judges, and a female FBI agent who is exploring her identity. The book lacks warmth, humor, suspense and frankly, it is not worth the reader's time.

Rating:
Summary: Why bother.....
Review: I had to force myself to continue reading this book. I'm glad I didn't purchase this one. Boring, boring, boring. No drama, no suspense, not even interesting characters. Hope Turow has a day job.

Rating:
Summary: Highly textured, literate and "true"
Review: This is a book that will definitely turn off folks who rely on the "Jurassic Park" legal world of John Grisham and his imitators. Instead, what Turow does is combine obvious first hand knowledge with a strong writing style and an overlay of great inside stories incorporated in a strong narrative context. Complaints that the book is boring probably eminate from the fact that it moves carefully and probes beneath the surface of its characters. It is much more literary than much of what passes for legal fiction these days.

Rating:
Summary: Turow is back on course
Review: i'm more of a fan of great war novels like 'the triumph & the glory' or medical thrillers by robin cook , but now and then i buy a Grisham or turow novel--'personal injuries' impressed me, i wasn't very satisfied with his last 2 books but this one is definitely worth a read, i highly recommend it to anyone who loves good fiction

Rating:
Summary: Depressing, Slow-moving Turow Effort
Review: Entertainment Weekly called "Personal Injuries" Turow's best book. They're wrong. Turow's first ("Presumed Innocent") is by far his best, a fascinating legal thriller combined with a flawlessly plotted murder mystery. Commendably, Turow tries to deal with complicated and conflicted personalities. But "Personal Injuries" suffers from four major flaws: (1) The two main characters, a con-man lawyer with some good aspects and a squeaky-clean FBI agent with hidden problems, aren't likable or sympathetic enough for us to care about them. (2) The characters keep slowing down the story with reflections about their past, and Turow keeps slowing down the story by describing every character in detail the first time we meet them. (3) A character with Alzheimer's disease who we also don't care about because she's only in the story to give the FBI leverage over the con-man lawyer--he can't afford to go to jail and leave her alone. We never get to know her; all we get is the depressing details about her illness. (4) A downbeat ending that leaves the reader feeling sorry he ever got involved with this bunch of people. If you're looking for a well-written character study that shows the good and bad in people yet leaves you with an upbeat feeling, opt for Stephen King's "Hearts In Atlantis." If you're looking for a fast-paced legal thriller, look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Under cover with Ronnie and Evon
Review: From the other reviews, it looks like a lot of people either loved this book or hated it. I liked it well enough, but felt it could have been better. For a mystery-thriller, it's too character-driven and too deliberate in its pacing. Unlike most of Turrow's earlier works, no central mystery demands a solution in this story. Turrow contrives a revelation in the final pages, but fails to turn the plot on this point, so the "solution" short-changes the drama of the classic mystry form. Likewise, action sequences feature a convincing heroine, but after all the build-up about her athletic ability, her guts and determination, the action scenarios don't really have the menace to make her contribution decisive. I get the feeling that Turrow didn't want to make it too exciting because then it wouldn't be realistic. So is this a literary work? Well, no one does the drama of everyday law better than Turrow. He has a remarkable ear for dialog and nuances of character communicated by word choice and syntax. Alone among legal authors, he give law its real due. Like Faulkner, he's created his own county to play out his dramas of life. But if he wants to do real literature, he has to stretch more, create some relationships that are grounded outside the law and reach for the BIG themes of American life, and above all give us some more details from the remarkable Kindle County.

Rating:
Summary: I wanted the book to be good, but it was only slow, boring.
Review: I really have enjoyed Turow's books, but this one is so slow and boring. I finished the read, though it took a great effort.

Rating:
Summary: Very difficult to read; can't get into this book.
Review: I've read 50 pages and still can't get with the book. The character Robbie Feaver and the narrator have no appeal. I believe the book will sell based on Turow's past efforts. I am happy to say that I did not pay for the book but used my local library.

Rating:
Summary: Solid, intricate, readable
Review: Once again Turow takes us into the seamy legal warrens of Kindle County, this time to narrate a corruption investigation of personal injury lawyers and judges.

Some of the characters fleshed out seem less than real to me, but I nevertheless found this a compelling read. Turow is a good writer whose personal experience with this type of investigation adds to the richness of the plotting.

Not his best, but close.