The Street Lawyer

Rating:
Summary: Finding Out What The First Things Are
Review: The great strength of The Street Lawyer is seeing Michael Brock evolve as a person at the same time a believable, catchy plot to expose corruption at his white-shoe Washington law firm unfolds. During a hostage-taking at the firm, Brock notes how the homeless man who is his captor has not always been homeless. When his captor's head is blown off inches away from Brock, the questions begin? Why him and not me? What did he want ? Can anyone slip through the cracks ? Brock's upbringing and single-mindedness no longer dish out the certain ties. The plot is clever. The hostage-taker was one of a host of people illegally evicted by Drake & Sweeney to make way for a construction project owned by client of Bock's firm. But the fire is lit when a homeless family Brock encounters while volunteering turns out to have been another group of the evictees and they die of exposure. Sprung loose from his moorings, seeing a wrong righted is the only purpose Brock can find for himself. Grisham's supporting cast is believable , too. Brock's wife Claire, who has to cut loose once her distant, self-absorbed husband is no longer able to pay her school bills. Mordecai Green, who walks the talk of being a voice for the homeless and is a human before he is a lawyer. Barry Nuzzo, a fellow associate at Drake and Sweeney, who is as good a friend as he can be and certainly willing to act for Michael when circumstances call for it. Brock is a believable protagonist. Like so many men, you have to listen closely and read between the lines to hear the intense loneliness the separation from Claire brings Michael; the habits of going for a long walk or drive to process the times when wrenching emotions and questions do not yield to simple solutions. And never being too single-minded so to miss the come-on of the pretty director of a homeless shelter. I never thought of combing the streets of DC for a homeless woman as a quick date; but then maybe it is just for want of trying.

Rating:
Summary: Well....I Read The Whole Thing
Review: John Grisham certainly has written more interesting books, this one is like a sleeping pill. Served very well as just that, to put me to sleep many nights. I like Grisham because he doesn't use esoteric words or language, but I'll be sure to read your reader comments before buying another of his books.

Rating:
Summary: excellent book!! kept me reading all the way through!!
Review: I thought was an excellent book, with a lot of suspense on it. I am not a big reader but I read this book in less than 2 days!! It kept me going all the way to the end. I highly recomend it for people who likes suspense!!

Rating:
Summary: If there's one John Grisham book to read: pick another book
Review: This book was not as good as some of John Grisham's other books. I was hoping for something more. It had it's good moments but they were very few and far between. Read the Pelican Brief or the Firm instead.

Rating:
Summary: good book, showing the dark side of the dubel-standard USA
Review: Grisham has again made a good book. This one not beeing so much about law it self, but also about the people in the streets, the homeless. The book gives you a good picture of the american sociaty, where people just think about them self, and not of other. It gives you an inside into how the communaty is not thinking about the poor, but only at the rich - the tipical, stupid, duble-standard US sociaty is under attac - and it is good.

Rating:
Summary: This really is Unpredictable, and I LOVE IT!!f
Review: Every time you think you know excactly what's gonna happen to this book, something else happens. To really enjoy this book, you have to like surprises.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad/Not great
Review: This was better than the Chamber but not nearly as good as the Pelican Brief and The Firm. I enjoyed it while sitting in the sun, but for a serious read, this is not the one to pick.

Rating:
Summary: Boring and plotless
Review: When I first started the Street Lawyer, I was extremely delighted to see that it resembled "The Rainmaker", one of my favorites of Grisham. The perspective was the same, it had good elements in the beginning, and it seemed like it was going to be a real page-turner. Instead, what I found was a boring mess with no plot. The conclusion seemed to be rushed, as it is resolved in the final 3 pages or so...this is truly the most boring book I have ever read...I almost had to force myself to finish it. It seemed to be a book telling you about the homeless, with the characters as an afterthought.

Rating:
Summary: Awful!
Review: I literally forced myself to stick with it and finish the book. Not even close in quality and content to his other books. Future books better improve or Mr Grisham will have a lot more time to devote to his baseball field and little league programs.

Rating:
Summary: The politics aren't the problem, the WRITING is the problem.
Review: Judging from the majority of the reviews already posted, Grisham seems to appeal mainly to a right-wing reactionary audience. (Which he has obviously offended by having a social conscience. Shame on you John! How dare you care about the poor?!?!) The problem with the Street Lawyer, as with all of Grisham's work, is--simply put-- the bad writing! It has always been a mystery to me why this man is so popular with the American public. But now, I suppose, I have the answer. The same people who think John Grisham has literary talent apparently are the same people who think Ronald Reagan understood economics. Grisham has offended his core audience by not touting the virtues of a young, white, and highly materialistic hero. This was the second Grisham novel I started but could not finish because it was so abysmally bad. If you want a legal thriller read A Civil Action. If you want good literature, read A.S. Byatt. The only thing good about The Street Lawyer IS the political point of view!!!!!!!