The Street Lawyer

Rating:
Summary: Liberal Trash
Review: I am (or should say I was) a huge Grisham Fan. To date, I have read all of his books and had enjoyed most. I purchased "The Street Lawyer" the week it was released with anticipation of an interesting yarn. I think I made it to page 100 or so...I could not stomach it any further. This book was the whiniest, liberal, elitest, republican bashing trash I had ever come across. PLEASE, if we want to hear someone's liberal social commentary, we can watch CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, or read the New York Times. I read books to get away from this crap, not receive more of it.

Just to be fair, I should mention I gave "The Street Lawyer" a second chance. While traveling, I rented an audio book copy...again, I couldn't stomach it past the first side of the first tape.

Rating:
Summary: The Street Lawyer offers compelling drama with a human touch
Review: Grisham's Michael Brock, the main character of The Street Lawyer, is one with more depth than many of his other protagonists. In addition, although the plot is well developed and intricately detailed, it doesn't distract the reader from the central theme of the novel--the powerlessness of the homeless. As Brock uncovers his firm's ties to an illegal eviction of several homeless people, he begins to discover his own conscience and desire for justice. Of course, the conflict is resolved a little too easily and idealistically, but Grisham still takes us on a magnificent ride through the complexities of the human dilemma, leaving us believing that there is at least one honest lawyer out there--somewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Gives a real sense of the streets and what it is really like to be homeless.

Rating:
Summary: Good for one's conscience!
Review: I've read the other reviews and was pretty surprised. I consider myself a fairly discerning reader and grabbed this reluctantly out of desparation for a quick airplane read. But I really enjoyed it! I thought the social commentary (if a bit overdone) was refreshing and thought provoking. Couldn't put it down - didn't abandon it on the airplane as I usually do with paperbacks I've finished. I also recommmended it to my husband and sister (a street lawyer.)

Rating:
Summary: Second worst book I have ever read
Review: The beginning was great, but after that, I was terrible. There were no relationships to care about. Despite the terrible homeless problem, the transformation of Brock was unbelievable, as was the apathy towards his marriage.

Rating:
Summary: ANOTHER GRISHAM'S BOOK
Review: I THINK HE IS GETTING OUT OF TOPICS OR PLOTS. THE STORY IS ALMOST SAME AS OTHERS.

Rating:
Summary: BORING, BORING, BORING!!!
Review: I found this book to be very elementary in its writing. My third grader could have turned out a better book than this. I have read every book by this author, but no more. The last three have been a big disappointment. Time to move on to bigger, and better. He's lost his ability to hold my interest.

Rating:
Summary: A thrilling adventure through the streets of D.C.
Review: John Grisham's novel, The Street Lawyer, relies on the reader's need for a thrilling adventure. Grisham succeeds in his effort to do so. Grisham takes a story about a young attorney and shows the D.C.'s homeless side as well as the rich and snooty. While writing this book, he more than likely tried to help the poor and needy by showing how one man can make such a difference. Grisham probably felt as though he needed to help the poor in some way, and this book helped express his feelings towards them. They are portrayed as lifeless humans with barely anything going for them. He helps show how them live through descriptive paragraphs of the cold, starving children. Grisham's latest novel holds the ability to change a person's belief of the homeless and to become a more charitable person. This novel will definitely hold lasting value throughout the field of literary criticism for it's prolonged paragraphs and descriptive words, the reader can almost feel as if they are in a soup kitchen cooking vegetable soup.

In The Street Lawyer, Grisham probably looked upon a changed lawyer's life, who wanted only to help the needy. There's no doubt that Grisham spent hours completing research for this project using adequate sources and data. It's as if he became a homeless person for a few nights to actually feel what they feel. Grisham opens many doors through The Street Lawyer, he asks if there are any other kind human beings out there who don't care about the money, but only to help fellow humans. His answer will come shortly, on the reply to his latest novel.

The Street Lawyer contains many well-written sections, these sections include basically the entire novel. Elegance reveals itself sporadically throughout the book. "Taking my cue from the pistol, I assumed a standing position next to the conference table, a few feet from Mister, who had developed the irritating habit of playing absentmindedly..." This passage brought emotions that were unbelievably dramatic to the reader, it's amazing how one author can make a person feel the way he can. Grisham is able to toggle the ideas of serious, money-grubbing lawyers with those of a Brock and Morcaedi, two men with morals. He shows how the men argue over the lives of thousands of people, whether they should live or die. Grisham convincingly depicts the need for help from society, that the homeless and needy people are decent, everyday human beings. Any intelligent reader could enjoy this book to the fullest. One could say that The Street Lawyer is meant for people of all ages.

As I read The Street Lawyer, all I could only think about the homeless, and what I could do to help them. Grisham helps the reader realize that society has turned their back of the needy and needs to help them get back on their feet, not kick them out of their homes and jobs. Because of his view of the homeless, I can no longer see one without thinking of the baby who froze in the novel, or of the veteran who was evicted than shot. The greatest strength Grisham held could very easily be his ability to make the reader feel as if they are being held hostage by a man with a string of dynamite tied around his waist. When all is said and done, there isn't a human being on this planet who could possibly deny the fact that Grisham leaves a sensational impression of fear and compassion on the reader.

Rating:
Summary: Worst ever seen...
Review: I can't understand why Mr.Grisham sells too many books around the world! To write on lawyers matters seems interesting at first glance but, write ALWAYS on lawyers matters, I think, gets bored little by little. I admit that I liked "The Firm" and "The Client". However, "The Street Lawyer" is so comum and 'attractiveless'... If I were you, I would buy a Jules Verne's novel. It would be more interesting...

Rating:
Summary: An excellent social novel
Review: Throwing away his chance at millions of dollars and a partnership, Michael Brock gives up everything he has in order to help those who can not help themselves. John Grisham has written another excellent novel with some intriguing insights into the lives of the homeless. Michael Brock gives up his career with a prestigious firm when a homeless man holds him hostage along with some fellow associates. As the story progresses, Michael discovers a terrible secret at Drake and Sweeny. Stealing a file from his ex-firm, Michael risks everything in order to help his new clients, the homeless. In his novel, Grisham addresses a variety of themes including poverty, greed, ambition, and defeat. When Michael leaves the firm, he falls from the ladder of ambition to the pit of despair. The problems of the homeless seem enormous and unsolvable to him, but in time he learns how to best administer to the needs of the homeless and becomes convinced that he can make a significant difference in the lives of the poor. Michael becomes completely committed to the cause of the homeless when a woman and her children die because they were living in a car. Michael was greedy and was on his way to being the youngest person ever to earn a partnership with Drake and Sweeny. Grisham demonstrates, in Michael, the ability of a person to develop a social conscience and contribute to a better society. As Grisham usually does, he thoroughly researched his subject and offers a book that is technically correct as well as easy to understand. The novel is based around the actual experiences of street lawyers. Although the novel is fictional, the basis for the story is realistic. There are in actuality many street lawyers who have dedicated their lives to serving those less fortunate than they are themselves. Grisham's style is somewhat didactic at times, but he keeps the book flowing well for the most part. He argues his own case for the homeless well and is effective in his use of pathos. Pathos serves as the main instrument of argumentation, but he uses the scandal with RiverOaks as an appeal to ethos. Mr. Grisham does not allow Michael to be infallible, but he uses the human characteristics of the main character to procure the belief of the reader in Michael. The novel is written such that it is easy to read for the most part. There are some technical points in the book that may be hard to understand, but Grisham is a master at turning complex legal situations into understandable ones. For the most part, The Street Lawyer is an excellent novel; however, Grisham's liberal bias and his political motivations cloud an otherwise excellent novel. Remark such as those he makes toward the Republican Party are uncalled for and subtract from the purpose of the novel. Rather than blaming a political party, his intent would have been better served by convincing people of the atrocities committed against the homeless and urging his audience to dedicate themselves to helping those less fortunate than they are. In some ways, he accomplishes this purpose. By the end of the novel, the reader is left with a sense of obligation; however, by accusing portions of his audience of being responsible for the acts portrayed in the novel, he insults them and makes it harder to convince them of their ethical obligations. Despite this, great credit is due to Mr. Grisham because, despite an obstacle he put in his way, he ultimately leaves a true sense of sincerity with the reader and convinces the reader that it is their ethical obligation to defend those who can not defend themselves.