The Street Lawyer

Rating:
Summary: Sleepless in DC
Review: This book is definitely different from other Grisham books. It has some interesting aspects to it. It is definitely "didactic," in that there is much conceptualization and little action. Some would call it "preachy," as some have done here on this website.

It is preachy, but it's still far more interesting than most tracts we read about homeless people published by academics or by the government.

I think Grisham has performed a real service for the reading public by using his story-telling talent to help us understand the topics of homelessness, big law firms and big-money lawyers, and about the peculiar nature of our nation's capital, demographically and economically.

Grisham tells a story, but he doesn't leave out the details, some abstruse details that we would never bother to read in a pamphlet on homelessness or on tort law. Torts for dead children amounting on the average to $50,000 throughout the country? This is both amazing and true.

This book is actually easy reading, even though the action is slow. I recommend it. Diximus.






Rating:
Summary: Don't Believe the Hype
Review: This is undoubtedly the worst Grisham book I have ever read, and I've read them all. It may be the worst book of any kind that I've ever read. I'd rate it lower, but then I'd feel worse about the $16 I spent on it at Sam's Warehouse. It's neither gripping nor thrilling. There was no intrigue and there were more loose ends and unanswered questions than all eight of his previous books combined. This is not a "legal thriller" but a literary soapbox. The Street Lawyer doesn't introduce the reader to the plight of the homeless, it drags you into it and then continues to beat you over the head with statistics and rhetoric. I have no problem with the subject matter of the book, or Grishams reasons for writing it. I'm sure that it is a subject that should be explored and funded more vigorously. BUT, don't dress up a book as a new "legal thriller" and then gloss over every aspect of the law. Court scenes are all but ignored until the last 50 pages, and they are concluded in a most unrealistic manner. Maybe the protaginst of the book is really an alter ego of Grisham when he says, more than a couple of times, that he has little experience with the crimal court process. If Grisham feels he needs to write socially redeeming books, why not be honest about it and write a Clancyesque "OpCenter" type of book and market it in paper back. Don't waste my money, or more importantly, my time. The story was lame, the characters were as colorful as cardboard and the ending left you with too many questions. What happened to his wife? What happend to his old Firm? What happend to his new job? Why mention characters such as his wifes brother and paramour, and not follow them up? Etc, etc... The character development was the worst I've ever seen in one of his books, and I can only imagine two possibilites. 1) Grisham didn't write it. OR more likely 2)He knows that anything he writes will fly off the shelfs, no matter what it is about. Overall, very dissapointing if you're a a lawyer or any way related to the legal arena. Unless you're a in social services, a public interest lawyer, or are radically idealistic, you will be better off waiting a couple of months for the paperback, or better yet, call me and I'll mail it to you.

Rating:
Summary: Takin' it to the streets!
Review: Welcome to a world that we don't normally give much thought to. That world is homelessness.

Grisham takes Michael Brock, and tells the story in the first person, and pulls off a great work! Michael Brock could care less about the homeless, until he has a violent confrontation with one, and survives. It changes his perspective somewhat. He is a big shot lawyer at Drake & Sweeney. But after his incident with the homeless man, he finds dirt within his firm. He goes to homeless shelters, finds himself caring. I found myself caring for characters in this book.

Some people have accused Grisham of being preachy. If this book actually caused a few people to feel something, oh well. People may suck their thumbs about bits and pieces here and there, and that's when they need to put the book down, and suck your other thumb as well! Good grief! I'd kind of like to know what people were expecting, more or less. But I do find the reactions here and there to this book either praise worthy, or ridiculous. It goes to show that some people either have a heart, or have what may be known as retard-itis! Sometimes you have to wear a different set of shoes to know where they've been before you can judge. AHEM! Hey, if something convicted Grisham to put a little morality in his story, then more power to him!

There have been so many books of Grisham's put on the big screen. I'd hope that this can be an addition in the future! It is something we need these days in today's society. A message of hope! Very well done.