Rating: 
Summary: Choices as a Writer, Choices as a Reader
Review: In "The Testament" John Grisham writes, "Nate took a large spoonful of stew...then began the story...(he) went from chapter to chapter."
That is how Grisham tells a story and why I, as a writer, chose to read it. I wanted to study exactly how he tells his story, chapter by chapter. One of my writing teachers from UCLA, Michael Levine, once said, "Grisham is a master at setting up scenes." I am a master at taking good advice so I decided to check out his technique.
We all struggle with first chapters. Grisham's is masterful. He uses first person which was a bit of a surprise for a novel in which courtrooms and legal finagling are cornerstones. But what a way to get up close and personal, to draw a reader in. In this chapter Grisham sets up an ideal legal situation, a ploy that sets the tone for the entire book. He also does something very daring. He kills off the person from whose viewpoint the story is being told. Yes, the first person narrator dies at the end of the first chapter leaving the reader wondering what the heck happened and how he is supposed to get from first chapter to last with his aging, recalcitrant first person storyteller dead and gone. Grisham is willing to do all of this in order to get the reader in a stranglehold and never let him go but he risks creating exactly the opposite effect.
In the second chapter Grisham jumps to the more usual third person and never returns. This all works because, though Troy Phelan, the original narrator, has committed suicide, the entire book will still revolves around the machinations that he has set in motion and we still get the third person we have come to expect with this kind of story for the rest of the book. Grisham took a risk when there was a benefit to doing so. I also liked that Grisham used symbols that were unobtrusive. Nate, the alcoholic protagonist who has seen way too much water flow under the bridge is out on the adventure of his lifetime and observes, behind his boat, "a view of the wake and the muddy brown water bubbling behind him." Don't even suggest that this is accidental. It is intended for sure, but it seeps into the reader's subconscious instead of smacking him between the eyes.
Grisham's work is not intended to be terrifically literary. He is short on symbol, metaphor, and philosophy. Some would argue that this is all to the good and it is certainly one of the reasons his scenes move along quickly.
Unlike some of my favorite authors (like John Updike) Grisham's vocabulary is very familiar. It would be unlikely for a reader to find one word (I did; it was "scintilla") that he or she isn't absolutely sure about it. I personally think there is nothing wrong with stretching the reader a bit and I don't think it necessarily slows down any but the most exacting of readers. Grisham, I think, chooses not to do this in the interest of perfect scene structure and a fast-moving story.
I also find Grisham's work short on detail. It is not because he can't do it. In one place he notes that, "blood filled in the mortar cracks and ran in perfect right angles down a gentle slope." Can't get more vivid than that. I think he chooses not to use his gift for seeing detail in order to keep his chapters and scenes moving along. One is sacrificed for the other. Which you choose, as a writer, depends on what you are trying to do. It's pretty much the same when making a choice as a reader. What do you want more? A fast moving story or something to chew on for years to come? Choices. Choices. It's all about choices. Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"
Rating:
Summary: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Review:
The Good: Good character development with regard to "Nate", the protagonist, who deals with his own demons while simultaneously having to trudge through the wilds of South America. The story moves quickly and keeps you reading and Grisham does a great job of describing the Pantanal region of South America and working it into the story. The Bad: There are too many poorly developed minor characters (exwives, kids, lawyers, etc.) to care about or keep track of and it tends to make things a little confusing. The Ugly: The book centers around an epic legal battle in the making that ultimately ends in a quick, uninteresting and unsatisfying whimper. I can think of 10 endings to this particular plot line that would have been better. Overall: This is the first Grisham book I've read and it's worth reading for the story, but don't expect a big climactic finish or you'll be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant Adventure!!!
Review: What great opening chapters. Troy Phelan is a billionaire who owns companies worldwide. He has everything. Yet his money is the root of his misery. He is tired of living and plans to kill himself. He sits in a room on the top floor of the fourteen storey building which he owns. He has gathered his family on a floor below. It is time to divide the money. A dying old man should not hate, but he cannot help it. They dream of unlimited cash, but their lives will be forever altered by the secret of The Testament . . . The plot is driven by legal undertones, but it is the adventure that captivated me: the search deep within the jungles of Brazil, the Pantanal. I've enjoyed most of Grisham's legal thrillers, but this book is unlike any of his others. The Testament eclipses all of them.
Rating: 
Summary: Tell me more...Tell me more...
Review: This is the first John Grisham book I have read. I am sure there are diehard fans out there who say I should start with The Firm or something. The point is that this is as descripitive as Dick And Jane. I feel nothing for any of these characters, and what could be entertaining scenes skip by in three sentences. He doesn't bring you into the story. He just lets you look at it like a fish in a fishbowl. And just as entertaining.The first Chapter pulls you in to the possibilities of the outcome, but after that it's just a simple mindless read. He is definitely a writer second and a lawyer first.
Rating:
Summary: The Testament
Review: This book is an excellent display of Grisham's talent. He has a mind that surpasses all others. The plot is amazing, and captivates you from the beginning and then takes wicked turns that will apall you. If there is one book that you have to read it is this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Heart of Darkness, Grisham-style
Review: At one point while reading "The Testament" I had to wonder, has John Grisham ever met a wholly ethical lawyer? Ever? Every lawyer in this book is ethically challenged to the extent that I would hope (in the 'real' world) they would be subject to varying levels of fines or suspension from the practice of law, if not complete disbarment. The pack of lawyers in the will contest who team up to suborn the perjured testimony of the decedent's assistant are particularly offensive - especially since they suffer no consequences, in fact they all strike it rich. What a lovely message to send. That being said, I actually enjoyed "The Testament" more than I thought I would and more than the last Grisham book I read (The Street Lawyer). It's not a great book, but it's somewhat interesting. An incredibly rich man kills himself and tricks his good-for-nothing brood into thinking they've been well provided for, when in fact he has left the bulk of his estate to an illegitimate daughter whose existence was previously unknown to the family and his attorneys. The daughter is a Christian missionary working deep in the Brazilian jungle so the rich guy's lawyer sends his least expendable associate (a burnout under indictment for tax fraud who is yanked out of rehab) to track her down. The burnout, Nate O'Riley, goes to Brazil and sets out on a "Heart of Darkness"-like voyage to find the daughter who doesn't really want to be found and in the process finds himself. I liked that aspect of the book - it was different from other Grisham books I've read. It was optimistic and it wasn't cynical. There was one very brief stretch at the start of Chapter 22 that bugged me. One of O'Riley's river guides spews a rote speech on the evils of big corporations ruining the Pantanal region of Brazil. I have no major problem with the pro-environment argument here, it just didn't seem believable to me that the character, Jevy, would have said it in that way. I think Mr. Grisham could have gotten his point across in a more subtle and credible manner if he had worked a little harder to make it sound like the way the character sounded throughout the rest of the book, instead of making it seem like he cut-and-pasted an argument he found in some environmentalist literature. Despite my criticism, I liked "The Testament" enough that I haven't given up on John Grisham completely, which I was about to do after "The Street Lawyer". Hope springs eternal.
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasant Surprise
Review: I'm a John Grisham fan, but even I was getting tired of the "young lawyer running for his life while doing the Right Thing" plots of some of his previous books. This book proves that one can have suspense without violence or mayhem, and also proves that Grisham can write it well. The book is very entertaining and a "page turner," somewhat unexpected when one reads the back cover summary. The main character's personal discoveries don't overwhelm the reader or the plot. There is less law here than usual, but the law is the propelling force in the story. The legal profession also gets a little better treatment here -- it's not black or white, corrupt or altruistic, but necessary and subject to fair interpretation. The portraits of the heirs are, at times, hilarious. I wish Grisham had done more with some of the subplots -- there's a lot of potential material there -- but the book tells its story well, and there's even a point to be made that a story can be told without revealing all to the reader.
Rating:
Summary: Great from start to finish
Review: The Testament is a bit different from the rest of John Grisham's books. The normal courtroom drama is present, but along with it comes a exhilirating race to find a young woman deep within the rainforest. This woman is Rachel Lane, the long-lost daughter of millionaire Troy Phelan. After Troy commits suicide by taking a leap out of a window, his lawyers examine his will, in which he leaves the vast majority of his fortune to Rachel. Enter Nate O'Riley, a down and out lawyer on the run from the IRS. Nate is sent to Brazil to locate Rachel to inform her of her inheritance. When he finally reaches her, she touches his life like nobody else has before. Meanwhile, back in the United States, the rest of Troy's children are throwing a fit over their father's actions. With The Testament, Grisham has written yet another winner that will surely rocket to the top of the charts. Worth every penny!
Rating:
Summary: A Trip to Brazil, 9 Heirs, Their Lawyers and 11 Billion $
Review: Have you ever imagined owning eleven billion dollars? It would probable be pretty nice. That's not the case for Troy Phelan. Troy Phelan "the tenth richest man in America" owns eleven billion dollars. Troy Phelan is a cruel, hard old man who is on the verge of death. As he puts it, "Down to the last day, even the last hour now. I'm an old man, lonely and unloved, sick and hurting and tired of living". Troy Phelan's six, rude and greedy, children and his 3 ex-wives, have to suck money from their father over the years. They are now gathered one last time with their father for the final signing of the will. Each greedy heir has always thought that they will inherit some of their father's estate, but their father had other plans. The hero of this story is a guy by the name of Nate O'Riley. Nate is a troubled young lawyer with a bad past. He has been battling his drug and alcohol addiction, hiding from the IRS and running from his marriage. Nate, just fresh out of rehab, has been asked by his boss and also friend Josh Stanford, to do one last case. Josh, who was Troy Phelans lawyer, and is now handling the Phelan estate, has asked Nate to find the legal inheritor of the will. Nate is sent to the Pantanal to battle the heat, water, savages and to find the richest woman in the world. John Grisham is well known author of all types of books. His books have lots of action, adventure and reality about life. I personally think that "The Testament" is one of the best or the best book John Grisham has ever wrote. In rating this book, I would give it 4 stars. If you're looking for an all around good book it has to be "The Testament".
Rating:
Summary: An all-around good book
Review: A Review by Jimmy
Have you ever imagined owning eleven billion dollars? It would probable be pretty nice. That's not the case for Troy Phelan. Troy Phelan "the tenth richest man in America" owns eleven billion dollars. Troy Phelan is a cruel hard old man who is on the verge of death. As he puts it, "Down to the last day, even the last hour now. I'm an old man, lonely and unloved, sick and hurting and tired of living". Troy Phelans 6, rude and greedy children, and his 3 ex-wives who have tried so hard to (...) money from their father over the years are now gathered one last time with their father for the final will signing. Each greedy hair has always thought that they will inherit some of their father's estate but their father had other plans. The hero of this story is a guy by the name of Nate O'Riley. Nate is a troubled young lawyer with a bad past. He has been battling his drug and alcohol addiction, hiding from the IRS and running from his marriage. Nate, just fresh out of rehab, has been asked by his boss and also friend Josh Stanford, to do one last case. Josh, who was Troy Phelans lawyer, and is now handling the Phelan estate, has asked Nate to find the legal inheritor of the will. Nate is being sent to the Pantanal to battle the heat, water, savages and to find the richest woman in the world. John Grisham a well known author of all types of books. His books have lots of action, adventure and reality about life. I personally think that "The Testament" was one of the best or the best book John Grisham has ever wrote. Rating this book in would give it 4 stars. If you're looking for an all around good book it has to be "The Testament".
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