The Last Juror

Rating:
Summary: A fun, fast read...
Review: Not familiar with Grisham's work other than the fact that he seems suspiciously prolific, I wasn't expecting anything particularly special. Therefore, I was very plesantly surprised by how well written, compelling and seemingly personal this very entertaining story turned out to be.

Great for that long plane ride or to take along on vacation, this smartly written story which says quite a bit about the author's sensitive impressions of the world around him, will keep you interested every chapter of the way.

Rating:
Summary: Grisham Fell Down
Review: Not your typical Grisham novel. It lacked quite a bit of the detail you normally expect from him. He spent quite a bit of time weaving characters and events into the story that never really added anything. It just seems to meander. I'll buy his next book and hope he wakes up in time before he becomes another James Patterson.

Rating:
Summary: The Last Juror
Review: A fantastic read! Grisham deviates from the "greedy lawyer" genre he helped to popularize (tho the book contains several characters who are attorneys), and he does what he does best- storytelling of the people in the deep South. Woven into the main plot- a murder and trial- is a fully fleshed corps of characters, some likeable and others not, and as the book proceeds, I found myself truly interested in most of them and the outcome of the plot. This is by far his best written novel.

Rating:
Summary: This is the worst book he has ever written
Review: This is the by far the worst book I have ever purchased. I would love to have my money back. What was John Grisham thinking about, when he wrote this? Obviously, he wasn't thinking. I have read everyone of his books, and if the rest of them are going to be like this, I will have to pass. I am an avid reader of John's; I am the one that can't wait until his next book comes out. I will have to wait next time, because I won't ever read another one like this!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Interesting characters make for a good read.
Review: John Grisham's "The Last Juror" is a great book and one of my Grisham favorites.

In "The Last Juror", we learn about living in a small southern town during the 1970's. As we get to know the various characters in the story, many components of individual life, family life, community life, and small town life are revealed. It is through the owner of the local, weekly newspaper, and the newspaper itself that we learn of the town's many lives.

The work ethic surrounding the local newspaper appears to be lax, but in spite of individual shortcomings, the job gets done. The editor, reporters, photographer, and others all do their part to get the paper out on time. One particularly interesting aspect of the paper is the importance and detail placed on the obituaries, a carry-over from the previous owner.

Murder happens in small towns, too, and this Mississippi newspaper covers the trial with ardent abandon. Among the jury members is one black, the first to ever serve here on a trial jury. You will enjoy knowing this juror, who, outside the trial, shares family, religion, friendship, input on segregation and integration, and much more. In fact, before the jury selection took place, readers of the newspaper were presented with a detailed, two-part biographical look at this person.

As serious as this story is, Grisham still manages to include humor throughout the book. Political events occur and are ones that make you wonder about "the system". The community, businesses, and individuals are faced with change that affects all these lives.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic! An intense page turner!
Review: The Last Juror is one of the most intense of John Grisham's works. It keeps you riveted every step of the way. I couldn't tear my eyes from the pages for more than a second! This book is expertly written and meticulous in its genius. John Grisham shows off his definitive writing style with every turn of the page. He keeps you wondering and wows you with a final twist that is sure to please.

Rating:
Summary: Easy Reading
Review: I found this to be another of John Grisham's interesting easy to read books.

With the help of a rich relative, Willie Traynor buys the paper where he is employed in Clanton, Mississippi. From there he observes and participates in the story surrounding a rape-murder and its aftermath. This is another story of good versus bad. The Padgitt family living on a small island near Clanton represent the bad. Their activities over the years included stealing, counterfeiting, moonshining and gunrunning. They have pretty much "owned" the county sheriff for a number of years and have been left free to pursue their own activities. Danny Padgitt is charged with rape-murder as the victim has accused him by name just before her death. He is tried and convicted in Clanton. He leaves the courtroom with a threat to the convicting jury. The good is represented by the Ruffin family. This is a colored family living "across the tracks" so to speak, in a part of Clanton called Lowtown. The mother, Callie, was a member of the Danny Padgitt jury. The Ruffins had seven children and six of them had earned a PhD. Willie Traynor spends considerable time with Callie and her family and often enjoys her sumptuous southern cooking.

After a few years in the state prison Danny Padgitt is released and jurors begin to meet untimely deaths.

Through Willie Traynor the author weighs in with opinions on a number of social/moral issues. These include segregation in Mississippi, prohibition, and the impact of powerful discount stores on businesses of small towns.

Rating:
Summary: Good story
Review: It was a good story and creative presentation, but the character portrayal and depth missed the mark a bit imo.

If you loved A Painted House...you'll be disappointed if you look for more of it here. Willie Traynor is a good (albeit fairly smug) storyteller, and is a long ways from the genius portrayal of Luke Chandler.

Its still worth the read tho, my sister really loved it and said she couldn't put it down.

Rating:
Summary: Grisham does ok with this one
Review: Grisham is a pretty good novelist, and I've read some other stuff, but I was a little disappointed with this one. It seems to drag on a bit and the ending is a bit predictable.
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Rating:
Summary: A culmination
Review: Set in a small Mississippi town in the 70s, this latest Grisham novel is a culmination of everything that has come before. We often complain when our favorite authors get in a rut, producing the same story over and over, then we complain when they change styles.

But the most interesting aspect of THE LAST JUROR is the fact that Grisham has managed to combine the best of his legal thrillers with the down-home feel of other books like SKIPPING CHRISTMAS or A PAINTED HOUSE.

THE PELICAN BRIEF, this book is not, but then that wasn't what Grisham intended. Instead, it is a more literary attempt to meld his styles and it works wonderfully.

Also recommended: McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD and POMPEII