Rating: 
Summary: Too predictable; unrealistic premise
Review: A second year law school student writes a brief on who is behind the assasination of two Supreme Court Justices; although she really has no direct evidence, only a motive, the powers that be try to kill her; of course that's even more ridiculous because that would only validate her theory; the fact that she is able to elude these ruthless professional killers throughout the book makes it even more unrealistic; the only positive thing I could say is that at least the book is better than the movie!
Rating: 
Summary: A lamer version of "The Firm"
Review: Let me say upfront that I don't think John Grisham is a good writer. That being said, I thought "A Time to Kill" was a very good book -- not quite at the level of "To Kill a Mockingbird," but still well-written. I wouldn't call "The Firm" a good book by any means, but it created an atmosphere of paranoia effectively."The Pelican Brief," however, began a downward slide for Grisham, the depths of which I stopped monitoring after "The Client." First, "The Pelican Brief" is just too much to swallow. In "The Firm," Mitch had the FBI helping him -- sort of -- so you can suspend some disbelief and think that he might survive his employment with the mob. But in "The Pelican Brief," Darby is a second year law student with no help at all. It just strains credulity to believe that she could survive. But that's hardly the worst flaw in the book. The worst sin committed herein is that Grisham CHEATS. In an effort to generate suspense, he withholds from the reader the information that would explain why everyone wants to kill Darby Shaw. Why? Because of the contents of the Pelican Brief, which she wrote. So while Darby knows why everyone is after her, the reader doesn't find out until two thirds of the way in, when Grisham finally deigns to share the brief with us. This is a mark of a lazy or untalented writer.
Rating: 
Summary: You'll get tired of this book before you finish it.
Review: Two Supreme Court justices are murdered and the police are getting nowhere. A law student, Darby Shaw, writes a brief, decides it can't be true, and discards it, but not before her lover Thomas Callahan sees it and shows it to his friend in the FBI. From there it gets to the CIA, the Washington Post, and even the White House. Everyone involved with the brief starts dying and Darby is running for her life. The first ten or eleven chapters of this book are kind of exciting but it begins introducing too many new characters, which makes it hard to understand. A few of the main characters are Gray Grantham, a reporter for the Washington Post, Fletcher Coal, the presidents' assistant, and F. Denton Voyles, the FBI Director. Also, some chapters will end in cliffhangers but it will be six or seven chapters later before they're concluded. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you like Grisham's other books.
Rating: 
Summary: Grisham's Best
Review: An excellent book. Much better than the Street Lawyer and The Rainmaker. I have read all of Grisham's books, and found all to be highly enjoyable. This, however, is the class act. Not only does it have high-level suspense, but it throws a few surprises in the direction of the reader. I especially enjoy the detailed character descriptions involved. This is, without a doubt, Grisham's best work to date.
Rating:
Summary: GRISHAM! GRISHAM! GRISHAM!
Review: Don't read literature. Read Grisham instead. Cars get blown up. People run from the FBI. Lawyers are involved. It all turns your brain to a happy, warm bowl of mush.
Rating:
Summary: A phantasmagorical book that compels you to finish!
Review: This is one of Grisham's finest works and superior by far to 99% of his competition. The book is suspenseful, well-written, had great character development, and is a must-read!
Rating:
Summary: I loved it
Review: _The Pelican Brief_ is an excellent, well written book. Grisham creates a masterful, enthralling yet realistic plot. It plays on several of my interests: government, the environment, and law. If you look closely, you can even find a good theme.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This is my Favorite book of all time. It is suspensful, and Grisham is a very talented writer
Rating: 
Summary: Good light reading
Review: I actually enjoyed "The Pelican Brief" more than I did "The Firm." I realize I'm probably among the minority here; I just found "Pelican" to be a more gripping story and the endings of chapters to leave me wanting to read on. Perhaps this is because I avoided the movie version, which was a disappointment with "The Firm." I'm not sure -- but I would recommend "Pelican" for those who already like Grisham.
Rating:
Summary: Call me crazy, but I liked this one more than "The Firm."
Review: I enjoyed this book. While I don't put it on the same level as Steinbeck, Tolstoy, or Shakespeare, it lived up to my expectations: It was an enjoyable read all around. I enjoyed "The Pelican Brief" more than "The Firm," despite the fact that the latter is probably the more popular of the two. Perhaps that is because I chose to avoid the movie version of "Pelican," while I was thoroughly disappointed with the movie version of "The Firm." I don't know. While I would recommend either book, however, I would probably recommend "Pelican" slightly more emphatically.
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