Rating: 
Summary: ... like watching a painted house dry
Review: In a word boring. Want another word: pointless. This is the most boring book I have ever read cover to cover. Normally I'd give up earlier on a turkey like this, but hey it was a long flight and Grisham's are always entertaining... or so I thought.Let me save you the trouble. Story line in brief:
. young boy grows up in rural cotton country
. help arrives in the summer
. two murders happen
. suspense builds, until key characters disappear for good
. rains wash away crops
. family leaves rural cotton country Yes that's it. If you'd like to learn how boring cotton farming is- buy the book. If you like books with plot, entertainment value, character development and some occassional suspense, pass this one by.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice change of pace from John Grisham
Review: When I first saw this book, I thought, "Gee. Another typical Grisham book. Characters you are not sure whether or not you'll like, wrapped up in a brisk, high-flying legal system-based storyline." When I read the jacket and saw that it was completely different from past novels, my curiousity was triggered. A Painted House tells the tale of an extended family scratching to make a living by growing, harvesting, and selling cotton in Korean War-era rural Arkansas. The story is told through the eyes of Luke, the youngest member of the family who, at age 7, aspires to play baseball for his beloved St. Louis Cardinals. Luke's life is probably typical for any 7-year old living in a farming family in 1950's Arkansas. He works hard around the home and farm, respects his elders, and fantasizes about playing big league baseball. Luke's predictable existence is changed forever one harvesting season when Luke's grandfather (Pappy) hires on two very different groups of migrant workers, each with their own problematic individual, to help with the cotton harvest. The Spruill family migrate from the hills of Arkansas and bring with them a son, Hank, who has an antagonistic, violent edge to him. The other group is a group of Mexicans, who bring along "Cowboy," a sneering man with a sharp curveball and a switchblade to match. The elements of the storyline consist of a murder seen by Luke, a growing relationship between Cowboy and Tally (a member of the Spruill clan), Luke's mother's desire to get off the farm, an illegitimate baby, Luke's uncle in the Korean War, the festering relationship between Hank Spruill and Cowboy, and constant speculation about the weather. As the weather grows darker and more threatening, the entire plot seems to come to a head. This was a fast-reading, entertaining book that has near-literary qualities. I was reminded of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," and John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." I'm not suggesting that Grisham's prowess is in the same league as Lee, let alone John Steinbeck (one of the GREATEST American authors), but this book was richer and less formulatic than his previous legal system-based efforts. For fans of Grisham looking for his usual fare, you may be disappointed unless you can forgive him for straying from his successful in sales, yet pretty thin on substance formula. This book was a wonderful read, and worth picking up.
Rating:
Summary: What a treat!!!
Review: I have read most of Grisham's legal thrillers, and I believe that the latest ones lacked the punch of the earlier novels, like The Firm and A Time to Kill. Enter A Painted House. What a treat!! I enjoyed everything from the finely drawn characters to the observations made by the precocious Luke, who was entirely believable to me. This is a "slice of life" story that recalls a very different world. To some, it must seem as foreign as life on another planet, but JG reminds us that it was very real.
Rating:
Summary: ...and one to remember...
Review: I don't know whether "A Painted House" is a good book. I believe, it is his "Misery".
No, he doesn't come close to Truman Capote, who really didn't care, if it sold... I do believe that Stephen King is a major writer.
I do beliebe that Martha Grime always had to say more than just whodunnits - inspector Jury had to solve. If it wasn't 'a Grisham', it would probably never have been published. Which would be a loose. I imagine his publisher urging him to do another legal thriller, his environment telling him: Do another one. Not giving him the time to write what he was about to write. His Chistmas book dwindeled.
Noone wants him to be a father and a caring, average human being.
Rating: 
Summary: Uneven but engaging
Review: I wondered when Grisham would try a story requiring greater subtlety than his legal thrillers. This is it. It's a delight to see him stretch, and the book delivers handsomely despite its unevenness in narrative pespective and credibility. Often too wise and too knowing for his seven years of age, Luke Chandler is privvy to secrets that burden him, and in the process grows out of innocence in one cotton-picking season. Mexicans and Hill People arrive in September of 1952 to help harvest the cotton, which has the makings of a bumper crop. In each camp there is one tough customer, each committing a murder that Luke witnesses. The tension surrounding each murder keeps the story moving, in counterpoint to the languid life of cotton farming in sizzling heat. The novel unfolds gracefully and lovingly. It is clear that Grisham feels a nostalgic pride for these characters, who together transport him back to his youth. Though the work falls short of its literary target, many authors have missed by a greater distance. What we see is an author working faithfully at his craft, developing the skills that, in time, will lead to a worthy work of art.
Rating:
Summary: Innocence Lost
Review: The book started slow and easy but I really ended up enjoying this slice of American life, circa 1952 on the cotton farms of Arkansas. Hard to imagine the harshness of this life and the blood sweat and tears that is poured into farming America's Heartlands. A very good read for urbanites. The story of a tough life for a seven year old who sees too much and needs to keep too many secrets. I would enjoy a sequel to this novel. Up "North" as seen through the eyes of Luke. In an age where everything is fast & explosive, its nice to take in a "little story". This is one worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Comfortable With No Surprises
Review: A nice coming-of-age story even if nothing really happens. The Chandler's joys and sorrows draw you in for a quick, comfortable read. I'm always impressed with Grisham's writing style. He is, perhaps, the most readable author out there. Sometimes your brain just needs that...a book that just washes over you with no tough words or situations to figure out. If you enjoy this type of story, let me also recommend "Boy's Life" by Robert R. McCammon, "The Barrens" by Joe R. Lansdale, "The Body" by Stephen King, "The Travelling Vampire Show" by Richard Laymon, and the grandmother of all coming-of-age stories, "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. (Shame on you if you haven't read that last one)
Rating:
Summary: Time better spent painting your house
Review: I listened to this as a book on tape. After each chapter, each tape, I would think "this has got to get better, this is Grisham." I have no doubt that if I had been reading this book I would have given it up after the second or third chapter -- and I ALWAYS finish a book I've started.
Rating: 
Summary: Very good read
Review: I do not read fiction very often but I enjoyed this book. I think one reason it is an easy read is the imagery and conflict between characters Grisham develops throughout the book. It's less like reading and more like watching a movie. There are those who feel the 7 year old was mature beyond his years. I would disagree. Living under those conditions at that time would certainly cause a person to mature at a faster rate than a typical child living in relative security and comfort today. I recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: A Faded Painted House
Review: I was dissappointed in A Painted House. I felt that mister Grisham was writing down to his subject matter. The Chandler's daily routine was boring and repeticious. I also feel that mister Grisham left to many lose ends when he got down to resolving everything.
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