The Street Lawyer

Rating:
Summary: REALLY wanted to like the book!
Review: As much as I wanted to I just couldn't. This is terrible. As MANY others have said, this is a soap box. Mr. Grisham does an okay job of making you aware of the homeless problem in D.C. but come on, did it need 350 pages. Add a helping of plot and a couple of sprinkles of good character and another hundred pages to get the mix just right and you might have had a story worth reading. I venture a guess that with one more like this one and we won't be hearing the name John Grisham anymore. That would be a shame considering how he started out with A Time To Kill and The Firm. Put a little more than a month into the next one Mr. Grisham. Most of us really enjoyed them when you did.

Rating:
Summary: Please don't waste your money!!
Review: I feel absolutely ripped off by having bought this book. I first noticed that the margins were wider and the type seemed larger and so there just isn't much there, either in volume or content. It was preachy, shallow and uninteresting. It must have been a walk in the park for Grisham to write this one and he should feel ashamed.

Rating:
Summary: Different from the rest, but not a total waste of time
Review: Granted, it gets a bit preachy, but I doubt anyone could read this book without feeling some compassion for the homeless. It's not a thriller, and it's not as law-oriented as some of his past, more exciting books, but it is a thorough look at the life of the homeless and one man's response to their plight. The book begins too abruptly (i.e. he converts to a "street lawyer" much too quickly), and ends with a bit of a fizzle. I would've liked to seen more plot twists, and several characters were left one-dimensional. However, I do believe the book is worth reading (though NOT worth paying full price for!) by anyone with half a heart who has an afternoon to kill.

Rating:
Summary: John Grisham's The Street Lawyer!
Review: If your looking for a good book pick up The Street Lawyer! A great lawyer thriller that is hard to put down. I found myself feeling as part of the story! I know it sounds wierd but it's that good.

Rating:
Summary: Anybody wanna buy a book?
Review: I remember when Grisham books were hard to put down. We have now hit the other end of the spectrum. This was hard to pick up. It seems like we are seeing books written for movies by Grisham. I'll probably buy the next book also in hopes that he can re-create the magic. Until then......anybody wanna buy a book?

Rating:
Summary: Grisham has done better...
Review: There were only two things I liked about this book: 1. Michael Brock is one whom we can all admire; he is someone who is frustrated with his job as a lawyer, someone who has decided that more money at his firm, Drake and Sweeney, was not as important as helping other people (but is this really believable?) 2. Grisham's okay-but-not-so-good descriptions of the homeless. Why doesn't Grisham use his potential talent and turn it into something enjoyable, instead of a slow, difficult-to-finish, bad read? It's not that Grisham is a bad writer, but the same theme in a different setting, with different characters has become almost like Danielle Steele...THE STREET LAWYER was definitely a waste of my money and time!

Rating:
Summary: Grisham, preaching ad nauseum, risks losing readership
Review: If Bill Clinton can increase his popularity with increasing sexual infidelity, then maybe John Grisham can increase his readership with increasingly partisan polemic vitriol. Where is evil? Only in the Republican party with corporate America in its pocket according to Grisham. Where is love? Young democrats, who although morally loose in most other ways, have great compassion for a mythical stereotype of the underpriviliged. These young lawyers assuage their guilt by defending the poor against the wicked establishment. Blah, blah, blah...ack, ack, ack! I must admit Mr. Grisham knows how to tell a good story, which is why he is successful. The liberal propaganda this time, however, pained me almost enough to make me quit the book. The reader of the audio version is quite good, though, and I was busy painting, so I endured it. This may be my last Grisham. Tom Clancy is an avowed conservative, but any liberal can enjoy his adventures without puking. You can make your point in much more subtle ways, Mr. Grisham. If you choose to be blatant, then try to tell the truth instead of doing caricatures.

Rating:
Summary: Grisham is getting back on track.
Review: I'd be lying if I didn't say I was hesitant to even pick this book up. I've been losing faith in John Grisham, since being disappointed by his last couple of books. When I read the synopsis of The Street Lawyer, I couldn't help thinking that this was going to be a slow-paced dissertation on homeless people and their problems. I was wrong! This book is about so much more. It's about standing up for what you believe in -- no matter what the costs. It will make you think about what is really important in life, other than money. The main character, Michael Brock, is faced with life altering decisions that most people would be hard pressed to even think about, let alone deal with. I thought Michael Brock's relationship with his wife was an especially nice touch to the story line. The characters are likeable and the narrative flows. There is even a little humor thrown in. I would recommend this book to any fan of this genre.

Rating:
Summary: I see a movie in the making, $$$
Review: Having read all of his books, I'd rate this one in the middle. I did read it non-stop over a weekend and the story line held my interest but Grisham's plotting has become too predictable. In the end, the young lawyer always wins, gets the girl and life goes on. How many variations on a theme must we read before Grisham comes up with something new and entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: Technology in law firms?
Review: I thought this was a pretty good read, however I wonder aren't there other avenues for copying the document than the copy machine that lawyers can never use because every copy is billed to someone, how about a fax machine(?) or a scanner (!), or the computer file itself? I think most lawyers would know that leaving with the file was his big problem. I've read all the Grisham books and I liked this one, too.