Rating: 
Summary: A Charmer
Review: Grisham strays a long way from the courthouse in this coming of age novel that takes place in early '50s rural Arkansas. Our eyes and ears are 7-year old Luke, a very nice little boy who would more believable as a 12-year old, but that's a quibble.Poverty, hard work and struggle are the bones of this book with strong characterizations overlaid and Grisham's fine story telling as the glue that holds it all together. I have met some of these people, and so have you. Particularly strong is Hank, the fearsome tempered strong boy/man who has developed bullying and cunning to an art form. Hank is a perfect example of the person who acts out our worst nightmares because no one dares tell him he can't. Luke has a very real moral dilemma, seldom seen in modern writing, that makes the reader pause and ponder, "What advice would you give to this boy?"-and it was impossible to come to a fair and honorable solution. The story is paced and crafted beautifully, a testament to Mr. Grisham's steady improvement in his writing. The "painted house" parable is a little slick, but works well. An enjoyable change of direction from this author.
Rating: 
Summary: It's been awhile since I was seven....
Review: It's been awhile since I was seven....but, do seven year olds think so concretely and succinctly? If Luke was 10 or 11 years old, I would have found the story more credible, but seven? Come on. You mean to tell me that the same kid who witnessed the atrocious crimes that he did, still believed in Santa Claus (e.g.; Santa was going to bring him a Cardinals jacket for Christmas)? Not believable. This is autobiographical work? Very interesting!
Rating: 
Summary: A gorgeous change of pace!
Review: Bookstores often lump novels into "fiction and literature." Grisham here has moved from fiction to literature, and with a bang. I was moved and delighted. The evocation of a time and a place, a way of life and a way of worship, is spectacular, and the story is consistently told thtough the young narrator's eyes...nothing happens that 7-year-old Luke didn't see directly, or hear about first hand. It left me wrapped in sunny warmth, and yet it has an empathetic sadness, and as much violence as any blood-thirsty reader could ask for.
Rating:
Summary: Tom Sawyer?
Review: Reminded me of Mark Twain. The unabridged audio took me to Charleston and back, twice - sorry to have it end.
Rating:
Summary: John Grisham's talent knows no bounds!
Review: Seven year old Luke Chandler lives in the cotton fields of rural Arkansas with his parents and grandparents, in a house that's never been painted. The lack of paint is significant because it indicates a lack of money and a lower status; however, the members of this family are staunch Baptists (they have a sin-for-everything) and really good folks. Since the Chandlers rent the land on which they live, they are known as sharecroppers. This story is told completely from little Luke's point of view, and he already knows that he never wants to grow up to be a farmer. His passion is baseball, and he plans to become a major player with his favorite team, The Cardinals. When this story begins, it's cotton picking time in September of 1952, and the father is hiring, at random by the side of the road, a family of "hill people" and a group of migrant Mexican workers to help the family harvest the cotton. This is the customary thing to do during this season, because it takes many hands and long hours to pick 80 acres of cotton before the rains come. Luke has looked forward to the new people being on their farm, because he has been lonely since his young uncle went off to the war in Korea. As soon as the "hill people" set up their camp in the family's front yard, Luke senses trouble. The "hill people" have a beautiful teenage daughter, who catches the eye of the one tough guy in the Mexican camp. They also have a younger son who has a deformed arm and lacks great mental capacity. Add to this mix an older son who is truly evil with a propensity for fighting, and you have a volatile situation. Luke has an urge for adventure that ultimately scars him forever by the secretes he finds himself keeping. He witnesses brutal fights and becomes totally enamored by the beautiful teenage girl. During most of this book, little Luke has secrets that affect everyone's lives. ***** I simply can't say enough great things about this book! I hope that Mr. Grisham will continue to write legal thrillers, but I also hope he will write a sequel to A Painted House. Having been a Grisham fan for many years, I began impatiently waiting for A Painted House when I first heard that it was coming out. After reading this book, I'm absolutely certain that John Grisham's talent knows no bounds. *****
Rating:
Summary: In the top 10 books I've ever read!
Review: Although I am a reading fanatic (averaging at least 3 or 4 a month), I rarely find one that I'd recommend, let alone take the time to review. However, this one gets my vote as a must - I couldn't wait until I got a free moment to sit and read it. Buy it, read it, and then share it with a friend.
Rating:
Summary: Different then I thought.
Review: This book is a very good book, but its not what I thought. I wanted a book like the rest of his books. Exciting and maily about trails and law and stuff like that. This is nothing like that. SO if thats what you are looking for do not buy this book. But if you just want a good book go for it.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable but very little action.
Review: This Novel beside being a tale of the events that happen during a summer in the countryside, is the story of how a seven year old boy see the life with his thoughts, his dreams and his worries. Unfortunatly not a lot of action and somentimes the long description of the life in the cotton fields is boring. I would have liked a more deep picture of some characters that appear in the book. (for example why not a little background of the way of life of the Mexicans?). This novel is totally different from the previous Grisham's book, it is enjoyable, but don't expect any suspense.
Rating: 
Summary: I can't believe I read it all the way through
Review: I usually don't rate books so negatively, especially ones by John Grisham, who I love as a writer. And I'm very open to new types of writing, especially from established authors. But Grisham should definitely stick to what he knows. This story starts out slowly and drags on until the end. It took me 2 weeks to finish and I keep hoping it'd get better. The story of Luke on a cotton farm is interesting, as he develops a crush on Tally and is witness to all sorts of crimes and secrets, a lot of pressure on a little boy. But the story wraps up with Luke leaving behind his grandparents and the cotton for a new life with his parents and a new baby on the way. The story wraps up without bringing closure on many of the characters - what ever happens to Tally and the Cowboy, to Libby and the baby? Does Ricky ever come home from the war and does he marry Libby? Do Luke's grandparents survive the flood and the debt they are in? What happens to the Letchers? Does Hank's body ever surface? Too many loose strings ... Definitely frustrating at the end, especially since I'd invested many hours and kept pushing to finish this book. I should've stopped long before ...
Rating:
Summary: Just ok, not Grisham's best...
Review: Disclosure: I'm a big fan of John Grisham - A Time to Kill, The Firm and The Testament being my favorites. And I adore "slice of life" books; so it was with great expectation that I looked forward to reading this new one of Grisham's. His dialogue is believable and engaging, as usual. His characters are well drawn, as usual. He writes about important stuff: family ties, honor, integrity, truthfulness, wisdom, youth, and hard work. But, notwithstanding all these great elements, to me this book lacked "ummph." The story line was slow paced and uncompelling - I kept wondering when the plot was going to kick in. This just wasn't one of Grisham's best works, in my humble opinion...
| 
