A Civil Action

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Summary: I was there - it really happened.
Review: Over ten years ago, I worked with Jan Schlictmann and his colleagues as a legal assistant on this case. I had the great fortune of spending time with the author, Jonathan Harr, as he followed us through what would be a roller coaster ride of victories and defeats, hopes and disappointments. What can I tell you about this book? It happened, just as it is written. Although Jonathan's book reads as fast and as comfortably as fiction, its contents are encyclopedic. But most importantly, as you read this book, never forget that the heartache of the families who lost their children and loved ones is very real - and that they are the true heroes of this story; they are the fighters for justice; they are the ones who lost people they loved. Jan and the whole team of professionals who worked on this case, all of us, were people helping out other people who were suffering. Congratulate the author, thank the attorneys who worked and lost so much, but most of all, when you put this book down, I respectfully suggest that you hug your kids and loved ones and not take anything for granted.

Rating:
Summary: Buy this book
Review: No matter how many Grisham thrillers you read and how entertained by them you are, you still have a voice in your head that tells you they are fiction. And for me, that restricts my immersion in the story and the characters. Now comes A Civil Action, a non-fiction story about underground pollution, that will knock your socks off. The story is as much about truth, justice and law as it is about the environment. His characters come to life in your mind's eye because you know they truly live and breath. And the story is written with drama and suspense so that you skip the evening's rehash of the O.J. Simpson trial on Geraldo to read it

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Summary: A legal drama to widen the eyes of the even the most cynical
Review: Put down your cookie-cutter Grisham novels and pick up one of the best written books of the year. Far from a dry factual report, the characters and events of "A Civil Action" are both gripping and engaging. Everyone, from the "bad guys" to the "good guys" has a soul and sides are not drawn between right and wrong but along the much more vague legal lines. An absolute must for anyone with an interest in the American Legal System. Thought provocing and question raising, "A Civil Action" will cause you to wonder 'where's the room for justice in the courts?'

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Summary: A tragedy on all levels
Review: If this book were fiction, you could put it down at the end, shake your head, and say, "What a great story, but the judge could never get away with that in real life!" Instead, you shudder at several miscarriages of justice: the pollution of the Woburn waters that went on year after all; the coverups; the old-boy network that perverted the judicial proecess; the crazed but decent attorney who put it all on the line -- first for his ego, but ultimately for his clients. I loved it. It has everything: good prose, a good plot, math and science puzzles, great dialogue. Fiction writers like Lescroart couldn't have done better.

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Summary: A true life John Grisham story, excellent!
Review: Althought a little slow in the beginning, I soon couldn't put it down and would highly receommend this non-fiction work to those that enjoy John Grisham novels. My only disappointment was that the ending left me wondering more about the hero and how his life has progressed since. Highly recommended reading

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Summary: An opus!
Review: This non-fictional opus relates the story of an eight year legal struggle of a cluster of childhood leukemia victims in a small Massachusetts town and their lawyer against two large industrial companies and, to some extent, the legal system. Harr's first-hand knowledge gives the book and characters a depth rarely seen in non-fiction. His writing draws the reader into the heart of the story; the reader feels he is not merely an observer, but a participant. It is this level of emotional involvement which provides for a fast-paced, consuming read. The book entrances the reader in an epic scale story, both tragic and fascinating

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Summary: Reads like a Grisham novel!
Review: Good stuff

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Summary: One of the finest reads I've has this year!
Review: I received a complimentary copy of the book on a recent airline flight. Judging by the topic, I thought it would turn out to be a boring, drawn out, legal story. I started looking it over and was surprised by the way I was thoroughly engrossed in it by the end of the flight. I highly recommend this book!

Rating:
Summary: An engrossing true story that reads like a novel.
Review: I recommended A Civil Action to my sister-in-law who loved it, my father-in-law who could'nt put it down and now my 95 year old father, who we gave a copy for his recent birthday just finished it in about three days. Maybe I loved the book because I new John Travolta is to play Jan in the Robert Redford movie. No, this is an important book that you are so happy you found and never want it to end. A few days after I finished the book, I felt like I knew Jan and wanted to call him to tell him how I believe he fought a good fight and to never stop fighting

Rating:
Summary: Great Book-A true story about justice.
Review: Couldn't put this down. You will not read a news story about the law in the same way ever again. Instead, you will yearn for the real story - as Jonathan Harr can tell it. Nonfiction at its best. With every chapter, my assumptions about the "bad guys" changed, which is exactly the point. When a public battle is motivated by such high emotional and financial stakes, it is dastardly complex. Not only a great read, but a work that will continue to influence how you assess the pursuit and defense of justice.