Rating: 
Summary: This book sucks!
Review: If I had walked into a publishing house with this manuscript I would have been kicked out but because John Grisham's name is on it, it (unfortunately) got published. This book was duller than a rusty butter knife. NAte makes his first uninteresting foray to the jungles of Brazil that takes him about 300 pages. His second journey remarkably takes less than 3 pages. There was no suspense, no drama, no romance. A few anacondas and alligators thrown in here and there was apparently supposed to keep readers on their toes. Hardly. The ending was so pointless that I actually felt mad that I had wasted a few hours reading this. So the heirs only got 50 million instead of a billion. Boo hoo hoo. Am I supposed to feel justice was served? Their is no justice in this book, only injustice at the waste of time and the fact that it cost too much. Thnk goodness I borrowed it from a friend who, if she was a friend, would have saved me from reading this utterly horrible book.
Rating: 
Summary: Grsiham gets even better
Review: The Testament The Testament is John Grisham's best work yet reflecting real growth as an artist. Normally Grisham gives one a strong opening, and a sustained story line, while occasionally disappointing at the end. This time the end is as effective as the beginning. The Testament is somewhat of a departure. The geographical change is modest, only a matter of miles, but the milieu, Washington DC and rural Brazil is significantly different. Corporate lawyers collaborate with Missionaries instead of good old boys and southern gentlemen jousting with the mob. The result is a believable story of redemption that still maintains the dramatic tension one has come to expect from Grisham. Grisham has accurately caught the rhythms and charms of rural Brazil. For some the journey through that land may be on the slow side, for others, with direct experience, it has the ring of reality. The Missionary is a welcomed new hero, and if she is a bit romanatized, it is within believable limits. In the telling of her story, one gains an appreciation for an uncommon form of commitment and heroism. A major part of Grisham success has been his ability to tap into two fantasies common to American males. One, getting a huge windfall amount of money, and two, dropping out and starting over with that money. The Testament is a variation on his standard themes but Grisham opts for another milieu and in doing so, he successfully opens up the book to previously unexplored themes. For example, instead of cynicism overwhelming the law, idealism spawns hope. Open engagement replaces Grisham's traditional reliance on the witness protection program. But the reader should not worry about the newfound idealism; one is carried along with the thrill of the chase and the tensions of a well-paced legal drama. It is just that this one ends with redemption not isolation. The Testament may still be a notch or two below classically great literature but it manages to instruct while being thoroughly entertaining. For most of us, that is more than enough.
Rating:
Summary: The downward spiral continues
Review: John Grisham no longer writes novels--he's cranking out screenplays now--and boy are they preachy.If you thought The Street Lawyer was bad, wait until you get your hands on this one. It ought to come with its own soapbox. Very disappointing. Where do I go to get back the four hours I wasted on this?
Rating: 
Summary: One of my favorite Grisham books
Review: For those of you that like action from page 1, this book will satisfy. It has all of the elements of a great page turner....enjoy!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Pass on this one....
Review: My feelings for Grisham weren't the same after his books were turned into movies. What truly got me was how the quality of his writing went from writing for readers and great suspensful novels to writing with the image of Susan Sarandon playing his leading lady. I became disenchanted and stopped buying his books. Well, in July I picked up "The Testament" as reading material for my 11 hour flight to Hawaii. I probably should have opened a hatch and chucked the book somewhere over the Pacific. What a waste of time. I kept with the book only to be completly disappointed with his unimaginative, unfulfilling ending. The jungles of the rainforest may look provocative on the big screen, but in print, this book is dull, dull, dull.
Rating:
Summary: It's About Time
Review: I can't tell you how it feels to see an established author deal with the subject of Christianity. In a world where everything revolves around money and status, this books gives a perspective not often seen. I have found it is a great tool in witnessing to people about the love of Jesus Christ.
Rating:
Summary: Another Grisham novel hard to put down.
Review: I have read several of John Grisham books and this "The Testament," is one of the best? I found it very exciting particularly the trip to the jungles of Brazil. I followed the dealings and misdealing of all the lawyers involved, cheered with and for Nate as he struggled with his own past and his new found relationship with God. I was hoping for a different relationship with Rachel. However the ending was good. I have highly recommended this book to all, Grisham fans and those who might be first time readers.
Rating: 
Summary: Loved the bit about the igloo
Review: We got this one on tape from the library. I've enjoyed some of the other novels, but with this one I found myself only mildly interested in what was going to happen. Clever moments were few. We got a big kick out of the lady who was supposedly born in an igloo in Newfoundland. What a hoot!
Rating:
Summary: Put it on your booklist! It's Grisham's best yet!
Review: The Testament is a must read for all who enjoy great suspense and mystery. I have read all of Mr. Grisham's work and consider it to be his best and most compelling novel to date. I thought it would be difficult to be better than A Time To Kill, The Firm, and The Partner - but it is! His suspense filled character and plot development is set in a literary cadence that makes it impossible to put down. Everything that I have read since The Testament has been in wait for his next one.
Rating:
Summary: This book is very disappointing
Review: This book is very disappointing, and not merely because a multibillionaire apparently in good health, not having a brain tumor, kills himself. That was only one problem for me, and not the most serious, in a story populated by too many one-dimensional descendants, all bad, which could lead one to question whether their problem is not genetic. Worse, and a real sin for a novel, the plot drags as slowly as the boat Nate takes thru the Brazilian swamp. I am having trouble getting through the book.
|
