Rating: 
Summary: So Grisham can write a REAL novel!
Review: A Painted House marks a real departure from Grisham's legal thrillers. They are hardly formulaic, but they are certainly all in the same genre. Not A Painted House. It shows that Grisham has the ability not only to entertain with a fast-paced suspense thriller, but can also craft a real novel.Where his legal thrillers excel in plot, A Painted House excels in characterization. Grisham employs the first person point of view to have us view the events of 1952 through the eyes of seven year old Luke Chandler. Luke lives with his parents and grandparents in rural Arkansas on a family farm that depends on the cotton crop for its livelihood. To assist them in harvesting the cotton, his parents employ a truckload of Mexican migrants and a family of hill-people. For all of these members of the lower class, eking out an existence is hard work and beset by trials. The novel is a canvas on which Grisham superbly paints the scenery of post-war America through the eyes of a child, presenting events and characters from his naïve perspective. Luke Chandler's world is a small world, and the biggest parts of it are the cotton picking, the Saturday trip to town, the Sunday worship, and his dreams to play for the Cardinals that his family steadfastly follows on their radio, and the special treats: the carnival. Apparently inspired by his own childhood, Grisham successfully captures the flavour of rustic Arkansas, portraying events through Luke's eyes, from the excitement of the church picnic baseball to the whispered church gossip and the morning cup of coffee, as well as a complex social structure with memorable characters: his family, the Mexicans, the hill people, the neighbours, and even Luke's absent uncle Ricky who is in Korea in the Crimean War. In a simple but heart-warming way, Luke is confronted with issues too big and complicated for a young boy to understand: moral dilemmas surrounding a murder, an illegitimate child in the family, child-birth and financial devastation wrought by crop failure and floods. His innocence and confusion is delightful. One exception would be Luke Chandler's infatuation with a seventeen year old. Seven year olds are curious, but not that curious, and Luke's eagerness to see a seventeen year old girl naked is more typical of a teenager and perhaps Grisham's readers than a young boy of seven. The accompanying description of nudity and Luke's frank confession of lusts was in my view unnecessary and unnatural (p99-100). Grisham's portrayal of religion was also surprising. Not only were there several instances of blasphemy (eg p158,163), but the country Baptist preacher was portrayed as a fire and brimstone Bible thumper whose preaching against moralism was rather ineffective and irrelevant - surprising from Grisham who himself is a Christian. But perhaps Grisham is just portraying his Christian religion as it might be understood through the eyes of a child: oppressive in one instance, perplexing in another. In his childlike faith, Luke believes that "If the rains washed away our crops, then there was a reason for it...As Baptists we believed God was in control of everything." But he doesn't understand how this theology applies to baseball: "I was certain there was a reason the Cardinals lost the pennant, but I couldn't understand why God was behind it. Why would God allow two teams from New York to play in the World Series? It completely baffled me." (p251) The plot, in the end, is not significant, aside from the brief excitement of a baseball game, the tension between various characters, and some aspects of mystery and intrigue which are never entirely satisfactorily resolved in an ending with too many loose ends. What makes this novel are the characters themselves, and the very real world that Grisham places them in. The atmosphere is entirely authentic and convincing. The reader has the sense that this is a real world, and that this is really what life was like for many families in the Arkansas cotton fields in the early 1950s. But does that make it an outstanding literary work? It's entertaining, but is it enduring? I don't think so. It's a great read with superb characterization and realism. But while Luke's journey from childhood innocence to experience is realistic, it isn't profound or substantial. Even the metaphor of the painted house is never entirely clear, although perhaps it can be construed as a parallel to Luke's life: In the end, Luke is still a child, but as the novel closes on a chapter of his life, he is like the painted house he leaves behind - his life has been enriched by the paint of another year, and he has matured and grown. Important themes are touched on, but never really developed as they would in a true literary work. But as long as you're not expecting a legal thriller or a literary gem, A Painted House is a slower read, but still an enjoyable one.
Rating:
Summary: A slow read but I loved it
Review: It took me longer to read this book than I would have expected. There were so many great details (not boring), I felt like I was on the farm in Arkansas. I have only read one other Grishom and it was a fast read. Exciting but I would put this in a different category. Quality literature, not just a great story. I do think Luke was more like a 10 year old. I felt a bit empty when the book was over since I wanted more. What happens next? A good book leaves you wondering.
Rating: 
Summary: ... like watching a painted house dry
Review: In a word boring. Want another word: pointless. This is the most boring book I have ever read cover to cover. Normally I'd give up earlier on a turkey like this, but hey it was a long flight and Grisham's are always entertaining... or so I thought. Let me save you the trouble. Story line in brief:
. young boy grows up in rural cotton country
. help arrives in the summer
. two murders happen
. suspense builds, until key characters disappear for good
. rains wash away crops
. family leaves rural cotton country Yes that's it. If you'd like to learn how boring cotton farming is- buy the book. If you like books with plot, entertainment value, character development and some occassional suspense, pass this one by.
Rating:
Summary: Nice change of pace from John Grisham
Review: When I first saw this book, I thought, "Gee. Another typical Grisham book. Characters you are not sure whether or not you'll like, wrapped up in a brisk, high-flying legal system-based storyline." When I read the jacket and saw that it was completely different from past novels, my curiousity was triggered. A Painted House tells the tale of an extended family scratching to make a living by growing, harvesting, and selling cotton in Korean War-era rural Arkansas. The story is told through the eyes of Luke, the youngest member of the family who, at age 7, aspires to play baseball for his beloved St. Louis Cardinals. Luke's life is probably typical for any 7-year old living in a farming family in 1950's Arkansas. He works hard around the home and farm, respects his elders, and fantasizes about playing big league baseball. Luke's predictable existence is changed forever one harvesting season when Luke's grandfather (Pappy) hires on two very different groups of migrant workers, each with their own problematic individual, to help with the cotton harvest. The Spruill family migrate from the hills of Arkansas and bring with them a son, Hank, who has an antagonistic, violent edge to him. The other group is a group of Mexicans, who bring along "Cowboy," a sneering man with a sharp curveball and a switchblade to match. The elements of the storyline consist of a murder seen by Luke, a growing relationship between Cowboy and Tally (a member of the Spruill clan), Luke's mother's desire to get off the farm, an illegitimate baby, Luke's uncle in the Korean War, the festering relationship between Hank Spruill and Cowboy, and constant speculation about the weather. As the weather grows darker and more threatening, the entire plot seems to come to a head. This was a fast-reading, entertaining book that has near-literary qualities. I was reminded of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," and John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." I'm not suggesting that Grisham's prowess is in the same league as Lee, let alone John Steinbeck (one of the GREATEST American authors), but this book was richer and less formulatic than his previous legal system-based efforts. For fans of Grisham looking for his usual fare, you may be disappointed unless you can forgive him for straying from his successful in sales, yet pretty thin on substance formula. This book was a wonderful read, and worth picking up.
Rating:
Summary: What a treat!!!
Review: I have read most of Grisham's legal thrillers, and I believe that the latest ones lacked the punch of the earlier novels, like The Firm and A Time to Kill. Enter A Painted House. What a treat!! I enjoyed everything from the finely drawn characters to the observations made by the precocious Luke, who was entirely believable to me. This is a "slice of life" story that recalls a very different world. To some, it must seem as foreign as life on another planet, but JG reminds us that it was very real.
Rating:
Summary: ...and one to remember...
Review: I don't know whether "A Painted House" is a good book. I believe, it is his "Misery".
No, he doesn't come close to Truman Capote, who really didn't care, if it sold... I do believe that Stephen King is a major writer.
I do beliebe that Martha Grime always had to say more than just whodunnits - inspector Jury had to solve. If it wasn't 'a Grisham', it would probably never have been published. Which would be a loose. I imagine his publisher urging him to do another legal thriller, his environment telling him: Do another one. Not giving him the time to write what he was about to write. His Chistmas book dwindeled.
Noone wants him to be a father and a caring, average human being.
Rating: 
Summary: Uneven but engaging
Review: I wondered when Grisham would try a story requiring greater subtlety than his legal thrillers. This is it. It's a delight to see him stretch, and the book delivers handsomely despite its unevenness in narrative pespective and credibility. Often too wise and too knowing for his seven years of age, Luke Chandler is privvy to secrets that burden him, and in the process grows out of innocence in one cotton-picking season. Mexicans and Hill People arrive in September of 1952 to help harvest the cotton, which has the makings of a bumper crop. In each camp there is one tough customer, each committing a murder that Luke witnesses. The tension surrounding each murder keeps the story moving, in counterpoint to the languid life of cotton farming in sizzling heat. The novel unfolds gracefully and lovingly. It is clear that Grisham feels a nostalgic pride for these characters, who together transport him back to his youth. Though the work falls short of its literary target, many authors have missed by a greater distance. What we see is an author working faithfully at his craft, developing the skills that, in time, will lead to a worthy work of art.
Rating:
Summary: Innocence Lost
Review: The book started slow and easy but I really ended up enjoying this slice of American life, circa 1952 on the cotton farms of Arkansas. Hard to imagine the harshness of this life and the blood sweat and tears that is poured into farming America's Heartlands. A very good read for urbanites. The story of a tough life for a seven year old who sees too much and needs to keep too many secrets. I would enjoy a sequel to this novel. Up "North" as seen through the eyes of Luke. In an age where everything is fast & explosive, its nice to take in a "little story". This is one worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Comfortable With No Surprises
Review: A nice coming-of-age story even if nothing really happens. The Chandler's joys and sorrows draw you in for a quick, comfortable read. I'm always impressed with Grisham's writing style. He is, perhaps, the most readable author out there. Sometimes your brain just needs that...a book that just washes over you with no tough words or situations to figure out. If you enjoy this type of story, let me also recommend "Boy's Life" by Robert R. McCammon, "The Barrens" by Joe R. Lansdale, "The Body" by Stephen King, "The Travelling Vampire Show" by Richard Laymon, and the grandmother of all coming-of-age stories, "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. (Shame on you if you haven't read that last one)
Rating:
Summary: Time better spent painting your house
Review: I listened to this as a book on tape. After each chapter, each tape, I would think "this has got to get better, this is Grisham." I have no doubt that if I had been reading this book I would have given it up after the second or third chapter -- and I ALWAYS finish a book I've started.
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