Rating: 
Summary: Back In the Saddle
Review: It seems bizarre that I might be the first person to review King Of Torts. The book is written in the third person, by the way. After the disappointing, The Summons, Mr. Grisham is riding tall again with this fast-paced, woven cloth of a tale that follows the mercurial rise of a burned out Public Defender, Clay Carter, as he becomes the King Of Torts. Clay is injected with sudden wealth by a deal with a mysterious, rattle-snake-booted man, Max Pace. Dat Max, he be de debil. Max puppets Clay in a lightning settlement for the families of murder victims, whose assailants were deranged by a cryptic, anti-drug-abuse drug made by an invisible parmaceutical company. Clay's soul is further bartered for a tip from Max about Dyloft, an anti-inflammatory that causes bladder tumors. Max provides the damaging insider research and Clay is rocketed into the solarity of mass tort litigation, a galaxy of massive egos, Gulf Stream private jets and lots of good meals. He becomes adept at six figure mental calculations. The unraveling begats exquisite discomfort as Clay becomes The King Of Shorts. Sub-plots of lost love, a father turned Hemingway, an achingly beautiful Georgian (that's the Georgia where vodka is preferred) model and the power of friends are masterfully integrated into this tellers tale. Grisham exposes an important truth: mass litigation, when fueled by soul-less greed, can bring mass pain and ruin lives. I took a break from my re-write to read this. No regrets.
Rating: 
Summary: Looking for the classic Grisham?
Review: If you like the classic Grisham thrillers - fast moving D.C. lawyers, mysterious wheeler-dealers, evil corporations, big buck settlements, plus a touch of romance and private jet trips to semi-exotic settings, this is the book for you. But unlike with "The Summons" a practiced reader can see the plot's conclusion coming from a distance. Grisham bogs down a bit while clipping his character's wings, preventing an all out bolt to the conclusion, and a violent event on the streets of D.C. leaves readers contemplating how conspiracy can be disguised as random violence, the theme with which the novel begins. Still, the violence touching central characters is less than in "Painted House;" although, Clay Carter's (the hero/anti hero lawyer)adversaries in their greed and self serving machinations are just as deadly as the knife wielding, head bashing characters of "Painted House." The author creates a sympathetic lawyer, not surprising as Carter's colleagues embody the traits of popular lawyer jokes, but as I closed the book I had the feeling that not all of this club of high rolling tort lawyers could be such rogues, or if they are some of the corporate actions portrayed just might merit such behavior. All in all, a book worth the time, but heavy on poetic justice; Carter deserved to keep a bit more of the swag.
Rating:
Summary: Another Grisham Legal Rollercoaster
Review: Grisham is back in the game with 'The Kings of Torts', the story of Clay Carter, a young litigator who works for the Office of the Public Defender, and how eventually cannot resist the temptation of making a killing in torts. Like 'The Firm' and the 'Rainmaker', Grisham is back with his David vs Goliath storytelling and it does not disappoint. Like all Grisham's legal thrillers, the research in class actions and torts is an eye opener for those who are not involved in the legal system. The story is fast-paced and takes us from Washington to New York, Mexico and the Bahamas. Grisham's prose is sharp, detailed and addictive. If you'd like other Grisham's legal thrillers, you'll love this book.
Rating: 
Summary: About as subtle as a cream pie
Review: As with his last several novels, this book reveals a John Grisham struggling to reinvent himself rather than simply retreading the legal thrillers that made him famous. My hat is off to him for the attempt. But literary novels require subtlety, and this one packs all the subtlety of a pie in the face, aimed at an easy target: the enormous legal fees attainable by the upper echelon of lucky litigators. It's the story of Clay Carver, a burned-out public defender who finds a not-completely-ethical means of striking it rich. Very rich. Clay shoves his qualms aside and suddenly finds himself ogling private jets and other upper-crust trappings he supposedly despises. Suspense derives from the question of whether Clay's fortunes will continue to rise or whether the entire thing will crash-and if so, how badly.
The seduction of a young lawyer by riches is a common theme in Grisham's novels, and still a good one. Unfortunately, the author's fondness for the clockwork machinations of the law and lawyers, which serves him well in his thrillers, induces him to distance himself too much from his characters. Here, that's a fatal mistake. Clay could be interesting, but Grisham never allowed me to care about him, especially because the book is full of "cringe" moments in which Clay does something so terribly wrong-headed I had to close the book and think about something else before reading another chapter. And yet, somehow, Grisham kept me coming back. I can't quite figure out how, but that's why the book gets two stars rather than one. (I'd give it 2 1/2 if that were an option.) Also, as I watched Grisham decry the lure of lucre, I couldn't help but think about how much he himself has made on books and movies. Could Clay be a stand-in for an author who really wants to make better use of his massive bully pulpit? THAT would be in interesting story. Especially if Grisham ever learns subtlety. Because the man really does have something to say.
Rating: 
Summary: LIES!
Review: Grisham goes on for who knows how many pages telling us that this dude is the king of torts, but anyone who's familiar with the academic literature on tort law knows this is a lie. What's even more annoying is that Grisham lacks the courage to argue straighforwardly that this guy is the king of torts; rather, he puts his weak argument in novel form, thereby using a gimmick of medium to obfuscate his fallacious message. That said, I think Grisham should win the National Book Award this year, on the condition that he accept his award naked, save for a Santa hat.
Rating:
Summary: Grisham has returned true to form
Review: I loved it, uable to put it down until the end. Grisham has returned to the ins and outs of the legal system and its effects on people
Rating:
Summary: Same old same old
Review: I am a long time fan of Grisham. I have read all of his law-based books. I have noticed a downward slide in his recent work. The earlier works have good plot twists and sometimes a surprise ending. Lately, the books have tended to end a little ambigiously or downright dull. This book is no exception. Good idea, neat plot line, but the character development is lacking. Some characters are developed and then set aside. When I finished this book last night, having stayed up late to do so, I was left with a strong sense of disappointment. Grisham fans beware. Not sure if I'd recommend this to anyone. Sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Grisham's most recent works
Review: In this book, the hero starts out as your typical Grisham protagonist - young hard working lawyer, toiling away in the Office of the Public Defender in DC. In a twist, however, our hero, Clay Carter, grabs at the brass ring and jumps into the sleazy world of mass tort litigation. His ethics are questionable, his motive is greed, and his rationality vanishes. He spends money like mad, selling out his clients in the process. You don't like the guy for most of the book, a point that is driven home by Grisham time and time again. I won't give away the ending here, but I'm glad Grisham didn't turn things around all rosy and happy - that would not have been realistic. The book is a quick and easy read. I enjoyed it more than I have more of Grisham's recent efforts. It's not as good as his early works (Time to a Kill and The Firm) so I can't give it five stars. Four will have to do.
Rating:
Summary: He's back!!!!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fast moving and really made you think about how lawyers can operate. Reminded me of Jeffrey Deaver's The Blue Nowhere. Definitely a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Another Girsham Thriller
Review: I just finished "The King of Torts" and enjoyed it alot. In true Girsham form it has an exciting plot and an unsuspecting ending. Having read all of his books, the thing that has me hooked on Girsham is that his writing flows well and the plots have just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing up until the end. Highly recommended!
|
