Every time I ask someone about their favorite authors, three names automatically pop up
1. Stephanie Meyer
2. J.K Rowling
3. John Grisham
Last week I finally decided to tackle a John Grisham. I have always been a little skeptical about Grisham because I always hear varying comments about him. Some people say he is fantastic, some say he is boring, some go as far as saying he is the best author in a thousand years.
I'm not going to go as far as the best author in a thousand years, but the book definitely wasn't bad.
The story began in court. Krane Chemical is being sued by a woman who lost her family to cancer claiming that the company polluted the drinking water of the whole town. The average cancer rate for the town is 17% higher than the national average.
In a surprising verdict by the jury, the woman is awarded 41 million dollars. And the company is required to clean the water.
Meanwhile, the CEO of the plant is losing a billion dollars in only a few hours due to the verdict. The company stock is dropping, lawyers fresh out of law school are running to the town to see how many more people want to sue the company, and everything seems to be plummeting for Krane.
But their is a small hope. The lawyers for Krane are appealing to the State Supreme Court, and they might even be able to influence the judges by eliminating one, and getting another elected before the trial that would favor the Chemical plant.
The book I found to be entertaining, but not suspenseful in any way. Boring would be the correct word.
But it does show the reader how politics can go deeper and more corrupt than any person can imagine. If your into the lawyer business, this book is for you. Otherwise, you might want to go somewhere else for your reading.
The book I am reading now however, is definetly something. It's called Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
In a few days, I should have it finished and I will post as soon as possible. But until then, read on, tell your friends about me, leave comments, and vote on the poll on the upper right side of my blog.
John Grisham, I have found, is not what was it "the best author in a thousand years". I have tried a few of his books and all of them had that dry dullness that made me want to close my eyes and fall asleep. The APPEAL was not one of the very few that I have read but it sounds somewhat interesting because the plot sounds similar to the story of erin brockovich.
ReplyDelete"The Appeal" is a legal thriller, but unlike most in the genre that plow through the dramatics of an intense trial, this one begins with the jury's verdict and lets the fireworks ensue afterward. Several subplots and numerous characters introduced along the way keep things interesting, and in typical John Grisham fashion, several meaty issues of the day arise. These issues include blatant disregard for the environment by a huge corporation; the role of big money in politics and political fundraising; and large settlement fees in tort cases.
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