Rating: 
Summary: thumbs down
Review: The other reviews can give you the necessary information about the plot. As another commentary on the plot, however, I was greatly disappointed. My husband and I both read the book and both kept hoping that there would be some redeeming plot twist. I thought, "Surely it can't just be a tiresome repetition about the main character's increasing lust for power and money?" But alas, it was just that. And then suddenly it just seems to end with a quick, neat, wrap-up.
Rating:
Summary: No pain, but no gain
Review: As I approached the end of the book I wondered how on earth Grisham was going to tie together all those threads - and when I reached the end I wondered why he didn't. I found myself inspecting the spine, wondering whether a chapter or two could have fallen out. What I'd liked about other Grisham books was the detective work of putting together a case: here, the main character, Clay Carter, gets given his cases fully-formed. The jacket description that Clay "stumbles on a conspiracy too horrible to believe" suggests he pieced it together: he was in the dark when a cardboard crook fed it to him. Was this a story with a meaning or a "tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"? I disagree that it is really a moral tale: Carter never seems to show any real remorse for his victims, and it's hard for us to, because we never really got to know them. It isn't really an indictment of mass tort, because the lawyer who takes his product liability suit to court, Mooneyham, puts together a cast-iron case and loses it, thereby denying his client the $10m he could have had in a proffered out-of-court settlement. Is it about the corrupting influence of money? Not really: he is lead astray at the start, but there is no progressive decline in his morality through the book - far from being repelled by changes in him, his friends and lovers remain loyal to him throughout his journey from rags to rags. The main characters neither taste the fine wines nor soak up the sunshine, so it wasn't even about the joys of money. The 'evils of Big Pharmaceuticals' theme wasn't really explored either. Sadly, every character was two-dimensional too. All Grisham seems to want to say in this book is that Mass Tort lawyers are dim and dull, which may be true, but it is neither entertaining nor stimulating. I want my afternoon back!
Rating:
Summary: Lackluster Grisham Novel
Review: This was the first John Grisham novel I have read in quite a while, and I thoroughly enjoyed many of his earlier books. However, this book was pretty bland. I kept expecting something significant to happen-or at least a drastic twist in events, and that never came. The book exhausts the word "million", and revolves around getting insider information, and spending way too much money. Unfortunately, that is pretty much all that happens in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Peach of torts . . . sorry
Review: I absolutely loved this book--it's my all-time favorite Grisham. No, it's not THE FIRM and it's certainly not THE LAST JUROR (although close) or A PAINTED HOUSE. I think this is the best thing he's ever done. The reason most people don't "get it" I think, is because it's subtle and understated--not at all like "Firm." Anyway, the characters are well-drawn and while the plot takes a little to swallow, the entire thing is worth every cent you'll pay for it. Also recommended: The Bark of the Dogwood
Rating: 
Summary: torts without aim
Review: If one has to believe the King of Torts exists, that has to happen in the USA although surely there are more modest versions in another countries, as in USA reside the biggest enterprises and laboratories susceptible of demands. Innovations in industry, pharmacy etc are good but have a dark side if the results are not enough tested. But furthermore, as this novel shows there appears a parasite phenomenon: the pressure groups of lawyers specialized in demands with or without reason against these companies. At first to plead against a factory of defective product can seem good, but when one abuse of this method, all that ends in a useless, vicious practice because the affected people theoretically defended by advocates as the King of Torts suffer innumerable worries while at last they follow in falling sick or simply doesn't get so much money as thougth, because the big percentages of incomes go invariably to the hands of these attorneys who wins millions of dollars paradoxically without raise any quarrel. Furthermore, all this procedure elevates the price of medicines and other products for common people. This book teaches much about all this. Clay Carter, the protagonist, is at first is an official advocate of criminals without resources and earns a very low salary. He's in a crucial moment of his life because his bride, that he loves, belongs to a rich but insufferable family. She abandons him. Under this condition, an hazard in defending the case of Tequila, a young but non violent thief without future induced to kill by a defective drug get him in knowing to Patton French, a mature and well experienced King of Torts. Clay is a wise man and soon understands the mechanics behind all that, winning astonishing amounts of money, luxury cars and ever airplanes, but not all the enterprises demanded are guilty of bad practices, and some as the Hanna company, builders of houses, simply are victims of bad times or low sales. This novel has a dubitable moral end.
Rating:
Summary: Not Impressed
Review: As a fan of most of Grisham's books, I was dissappointed in King of Torts. The first half was alright, you think something shocking will happen, but it doesnt. Its basically the story of a mass tort lawyer who gets greedy. Big deal...
Rating: 
Summary: A cinderella lawyer story!
Review: I listened to this book on CD and although I didn't care for the reader of the book, I did enjoy the story. The King of Torts is about Clay Carters rise to the top of tort lawyering (through some shady dealings) and his fall back to reality. In a matter of a year Clay is able to make 120 million, but at the end of the year, he's back to where he started (counter sued) and much happier with the love of his life.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Great!!!
Review: Just finished reading this captivating and thrilling book. The author brilliantly exposes the mysterious world of mass tort lawyers and big drug manufacurers. Twisting plot with a lot of romance, lust, greed and real world finale.
Rating: 
Summary: Quite poor
Review: Poorly written. Lacks real tension. The denoument is as predicable as it could be. The thread is meandering, and plot development is written in a "by the way" style that is extremely annoying. I finished the book, but recommend skipping it.
Rating:
Summary: Writing the Easy Way Out
Review: Having taken a massive sabbatical from reading Grisham, "The Bleachers" doesn't amount too much for me, I enjoyed returning to Grisham's stellar performance in Torts. Rather than bore you on with rehashing what everyone else loved about the book, and yes it was absolutely as wonderful as they say, I'd like to just air my one disgruntle without giving anything away. Grisham develops such an intrict and complex plot lines. Sometimes it can get quite perplexing keeping up with all the irons in the fire. I practically forgot about Pace, I didn't know if this was Grisham's intnet. But then something happens that just practically closes the whole book!!! Grisham wraps up what feels like 5 or 6 storylines in a couple of paragraphs. I'm not sure he intended for this or he was just realizing the book was getting a little too long (only about 50 pgs remain after the "incident"). I feel that the Grisham didn't do the ending true justice. I was left feeling somewhat mixed rather than having true closure. But it is an excellent read, I'm glad I chose it to return to reading Grisham. Thanks.
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