Rating: 
Summary: EXCELLENT
Review: THIS IS A BOOK WRITTEN FROM THE HEART TO BE READ FROM THE HEART!!
Rating: 
Summary: A Painted House
Review: Totally surprised by this book. All I could do to read it, and it normally takes 1-2 days to read a John Grisham book. Didn't like it at all and wouldn't recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Engrossing!
Review: Well done, Mr. Grisham! I really liked this book! It's been a while since I read a book that didn't require constant thought, contemplation or worry...I just read for the sheer-pop-fluff pleasure of it! I've read most of John Grisham's books and after this latest effort, I feel the same as I did after reading his first book, A Time to Kill, not wanting it to end yet feeling very rewarded when it did!
Rating: 
Summary: No courtroom thriller here...
Review: You won't find any suspender-wearing lawyers in the latest novel by Grisham. Instead, Grisham tells a story from the perspective of Luke Chandler, a 7-year-old boy who lives on a small farm in Arkansas during the early 1950's. The series of events that he chronicles occur during the late summer when the cotton crop is ready to be picked.The story starts out when Luke's father hires a group of "hill people" (the Spruills) and some wandering Mexicans to help pick the crop. The Spruills are a typical labor-based, poor family. One of the Spruills that Luke comes in contact with is Tally: an attractive seventeen-year-old girl who Luke admires. In addition, there is Hank, a burly and mean tempered man who is at odds with Luke and the Mexicans. Luke is a colorful character - he dreams of playing baseball and appears precocious for his age. His inquisitiveness and being at the wrong place at the wrong time make him a witness to several sobering events, including the birthing of an illegitimate daughter, seeing a brutal street fight, and even murder. Grisham makes a pretty good stab at writing literature. While some may find that the book is dull, and at times it is (the tension throughout was fairly minimal), Luke is a likeable character and his adventures are worth reading about. While the book is filled with stereotypes, I found myself enjoying the narrative style and the writing. However, I found that Luke was a little too curious about sex at his age - perhaps at age 10 or 11 I would've bought it, but at 7? If you are looking for a courtroom thriller, I'd pass on this book. If, on the other hand, you enjoy solid writing you'll find this book worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: A Painted House
Review: This is one of the most insipid books that I have ever read. If John Grisham had not been the author,it is doubtful that anyone would read it.
Rating:
Summary: Summer of '52 - - Tales from the farm.
Review: John Grisham's writing style allows one to read at a fast pace while visualizing the scenery and the story through his carefully chosen descriptive words. Through the eyes of Luke Chandler, a 7 year old boy living and working on a small 80 acre cotton farm in rural Arkansas in the early 1950's, the reader lives a summer and fall with Luke. Although 7 years old, Luke has a great sense of wonderment, has amazing powers of observation, and knows that as an adult, he will play baseball for the Cardinals. But even as a 7 year old, he has to work long hours in the field picking cotton. The Chandlers hire a Mexican migrant family and an Ozark mountain family to help them pick their cotton crop. These families take up residence on the farm. The interaction of these "intruders" provides Luke new experiences, all of which he has to keep secret. From experiencing a glimpse of a young girl's body to witnessing two murders, Luke struggles with himself to do the right thing: tell someone or keep the secrets. He struggles each day with things young children should not have to think about. Previous Grisham novels involving something legal always kept me on the edge, trying to decide where the story was going. This time, however, the pace is a little slower and the stories of events that happen during this particular summer cannot be predicted. I often thought while reading that a 7 year old boy would not think in the manner that Luke did. A Painted House is a collection of short stories woven into a novel with numerous threads everpresent in the book to keep the mosaic together. One is that Luke's uncle Ricky, who has been his role model, is in the Army in Korea. Another is the Chandler family unit and day to day life on the farm with his parents and grandparents. Yet another is Luke's obsession with the St. Louis Cardinals. There really is no one climactic event that solidifies the story. There is a sequel that needs to be written because there are some loose threads hanging at the end. This departure from the typical Grisham novel is refreshing. However, I expected that every Grisham novel would be centered around something legal. I was not expecting an earthy coming of age story.
Rating:
Summary: Simplicity at its best
Review: Truly a breath a fresh air for Grishim. Takes you back to a place where most have never been before through the eyes of a 7 year old. An easy read for all to enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: His Best
Review: This is without a doubt his best story to date.
Rating:
Summary: What a disappointment
Review: A very disappointing effort from an otherwise outstanding author. Very slow-moving novel without a strong or clear plot. The author has not risen to his usual excellence in this work. Worth reading only if you have a keen interest in cotton picking in the early '50s and a rather unremarkable story of day-to-day living in rural Arkansas. The book most likely will be a profitable for the author and the publisher because of the author's reputation, not the quality of the book itself.
Rating:
Summary: Grisham reaches a new high
Review: A Painted House was a dramatic change from the endless legal wrangles more traditionally associated with this author. This novel breaks the mould, but with skill and sensitivity. The social history lesson was welcome and eye opening to a Brit unfamiliar with rural America! The characterization throughout the story is aggressive yet delicate and each character comes alive throughout the pages, and contributes to the total roundness of the story. I love the way that events, being seen through the eyes of a seven year old boy, have a limitation of explicitness, and comprehension and the reader gains knowledge from implication. An additional bonus of first person narrative is the wit and humour not only from Grisham, but from the innocence of Luke. This lightness balances with the shocking events, and the weight of secrecy that Luke suffers from. A thoroughly enjoyable read. More of this style please - but unlike some readers suggestions, if you're reading John - NO SEQUEL NECESSARY - Don't over guild the Lily!
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