Rating: 
Summary: A Sad Disappointment
Review: After The Street Lawyer, I decided not to invest in further John Grisham novels. When I saw the reviews for Painted House, I changed my mind. I wish I hadn't !! There was almost no plot, very little character 'building' and, as a consequence, I found the story flat and lifeless. Sorry, Mister Grisham, but this really wasn't for me.
Rating: 
Summary: This is the oddest book...
Review: I cannot understand why I enjoyed A Painted House. As others have said, there are no resolutions to many of the conflicts in this book. I was disappointed at the end when we didn't find out about the brother, the baby, or the family they took in. I also kept waiting to find out what significance the painting of the house had but never did. I feel we should all be shipped a sequel at no cost to the readers. All that being said, I still enjoyed reading it thoroughly. It was sort of like taking a little vacation I guess. It had a Dandelion Wine (Ray Bradbury) and To Kill A Mockingbird feel to it. I can't explain why I liked it. I will probably read it again sometime in the near future when I need to relax a little.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: It is understandable that Grisham has chosen to deviate from his usual story line. Unfortunately, it didn't work. I usually read a Grisham novel in 24 hours. This one took a week! Even though the book had many of the same elements of his previous novels, it lacked the excitement and I missed the ambition usually shown by the characters. I still love this author and I'll buy his next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Unlike what John Grisham usually writes, but he writes well!
Review: In his newest book, John Grisham tells the story of a little boy who lives on a farm and encounters multiple dilemmas such as a girl who's ten years older, a murderous and bullyish muscleman, a coldblooded murdering mexican, a pregnant woman that his uncle left, and a mystery as to what will happen to the farm. this is a great book based mainly on character development and the thoughts of the young child. Although there isn't a major plot like other books, John Grisham writes what he knows, well.
Rating:
Summary: 3 1/2 stars - an enjoyable departure
Review: With A Painted House, Grisham departs from his traditional lawyer-based genre. Having always enjoyed Grisham's novels, especially his early works, I was not sure what to expect from this effort. I found it to be a pleasant and enjoyable novel. A Painted House describes life on a cotton farm in (extremely) rural Arkansas during the 1950s. As the story unfolds, harvest time is getting underway. The trials and tribulations of life on the cotton farm almost 50 years ago are presented with stark clarity through the eyes of a 7 year old, Luke Chandler. Luke's hopes and aspirations are brought fourth and played against the hardship and uncertainty facing the Chandler family year after year as cotton farmers. Grisham provides a colorful, wide-ranging set of characters that add depth and intrigue throughout the story. Although not a page turner with a gripping climax destined to keep one late into the night reading, all-in-all A Painted House is definitely worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing new novel for Grisham- New in every way...
Review: Well, at the beginning of the novel, i thought, is there a lawyer in the novel, lile every previous one??? Then i came to realize that this is a new kind of novels by Grisham. The novel shows the life of farmers in the fifties, thier worries, thier crops, and most important of all, thier socail life. It is an amazing journy, by a 7 year old boy, who describes his life from a kid's point view, it is really amazing, mixed with humor and feardom. I would like to congratulate Grisham for this outstanding novel, and I am certainly looking for his coming ones. Way to go Grisham!!!
Rating:
Summary: This is not "The Firm"
Review: Not a lawyer in sight, thank God. More to the point, 'A Painted House' is a nice little story that, if written by anyone but John Grisham, would be just that: a nice little story. The problem with Grisham is that he must live up to his monumental reputation and give us a story with enough plot twists and turns to make you spend the night turning pages. Not this time. Take your time reading this book - it's worth it. Enjoy it for what it's not.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully Evocative Story by a Great Storyteller
Review: If you read John Grisham because you love his normal genre -- the lawyer thriller -- you'll be disappointed in this book. Don't read it. But if you love a great story told by a great storyteller, you'll thoroughly enjoy "A Painted House." Grisham has the knack of all great storytellers -- he can put your feet into the shoes of another person and do it so convincingly that you're suprised to find you're still you. I loved this book. It allowed me to peer into another era through the eyes of someone I'll never be -- the seven year old son of a farmer in rural Arkansas. My favorite Grisham book is "The Testament," but this becomes #2. And, yes, I've read them all -- every single lawyer thriller he's written.
Rating:
Summary: Much better than The Bretheren
Review: After reading The Bretheren I vowed to gve up on Grisham. I am glad I did not: I loved this book and hope that he will write another about the family after going "up North". Book is touching,and reminisent of my Southern childhood.
Rating:
Summary: Grisham surpasses my expectations yet again
Review: I'm a big fan of John Grisham and wasn't sure i'd like this book since it's a deviation from the normal story he tells. Yet in the first chapter alone, I am struck once more by his ability to tell a story. This is a wonderful tale of life growing up in rural Arkansas told through the eyes of a 7 year old boy. Most notably I was struck by Grisham's tongue in cheek sense of humor. I highly recommend this book and would love to see a sequal to the story. If you liked Angela's Ashes...you'll love A Painted House!
| 
