The Broker
by John Grisham
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 5656)
Read in September, 2008
I slowed down big time on pleasure novels as soon as schol started, but I finished this one up a few days ago. Not Grisham's best, to be perfectly honest, but still interesting enough. He makes his characters always likeable, even if for most of the novel their described actions seem despicable and greedy, which is the case for this novel's Joel Backman. We feel as if we're inside our own head, thinking thoughts we'd likely think in such situations. It actually seems juvenille to me when I put i...more
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
Grisham fans
I’ve said it many times and it still holds true: I’m a sucker for Grisham’s thrillers. Yes, people call them lightweight, and sometimes they can be, but I enjoy the easy pace of the books. I enjoy the intrigue that doesn’t overwhelm me with tech-speak. And I appreciate that I can read without fear of offense. To that end, The Broker fully delivers.
The story centers around a former D.C. power broker who is unexpectedly pardoned by the outgoing president then whisked away in the...more
The story centers around a former D.C. power broker who is unexpectedly pardoned by the outgoing president then whisked away in the...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Andrew by:
Godrecommends it for: Commuters
Recently I've had a couple of conversations about the type of books you read and where you read them. This very special book falls into this awesome category called "books that I am ashamed to read on the subway, but am dying to read on my New Jersey Transit train ride". And if JG knew what was good for him he would publish this review.
I actually read this on and off at the same time that I was reading Michael Crichton's "Something or Other". So, I tend to get the ma...more
I actually read this on and off at the same time that I was reading Michael Crichton's "Something or Other". So, I tend to get the ma...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommended to Jessica by:
Jamesrecommends it for: Fans of law, crime, suspense and Italy!
Joel Backman was once a hot-shot, ball-breaker, DC lawyer/lobbyist. But that was before those three brilliant college kids came to him with a technological tool that was worth millions. Scratch that, it was worth billions. Joel got greedy, and played the game. He ended up with a slew of people wanting him dead. The easiest way to stay alive, was to plead guilty to treason and other crimes, and spend 20 years in jail. Six years into his sentence, at the eleventh hour of the President’s administ...more
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Read in June, 2005
The novel started out nice, but mid-way got a little predictable. The characters seemed quite boring at times. Some of the important characters seemed unreliastic, which included President Morgan, Teddy Maynard and Critz. Even Backman/Marco seemed almost superhuman at times, in the way he adapted to his new environment and situation. I had a problem with the ending as well. The last few chapters promised a lot and delivered very little. Particularly unbelievable was Marco's use of Giovanni's pas...more
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Read in July, 2008
A "predictable suspense" novel (oxymoron?) -- and yet it's the kind of book I enjoy as a pre-bedtime read.
In a sense this breaks the Grisham mold in that the main character, Marco, (I liked him better as Marco than when he resumes the Joel identity) is only peripherally involved in the law, as a disbarred lawyer.
The book as whole mostly operates outside the legal world, too -- I'd place it moreso in the worlds of 1. global politics (technology theft and terrorism) and 2. U.S....more
In a sense this breaks the Grisham mold in that the main character, Marco, (I liked him better as Marco than when he resumes the Joel identity) is only peripherally involved in the law, as a disbarred lawyer.
The book as whole mostly operates outside the legal world, too -- I'd place it moreso in the worlds of 1. global politics (technology theft and terrorism) and 2. U.S....more
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Read in January, 2008
buku ini kuat bgt konspirasinya
jd bayangin hidup di USA tu ga bebas, apa aja yg kita lakukan pasti pasti ada yg tau
spt film enemy of the state, disitu di ceritain kl satelit tu bisa "liat" semua aktifitas kita
the broker hampir mirip gitu cuman yg jadi korban tuh seorang pengacara yang mencoba gambling untuk dapetin duit banyak dari hasil penemuan yang bisa merugikan pemerintah.
akibatnya dia dipenjara sampai akhirnya dikasi kesempatan bebas tapi dgn identitas baru dan dibuang ke...more
jd bayangin hidup di USA tu ga bebas, apa aja yg kita lakukan pasti pasti ada yg tau
spt film enemy of the state, disitu di ceritain kl satelit tu bisa "liat" semua aktifitas kita
the broker hampir mirip gitu cuman yg jadi korban tuh seorang pengacara yang mencoba gambling untuk dapetin duit banyak dari hasil penemuan yang bisa merugikan pemerintah.
akibatnya dia dipenjara sampai akhirnya dikasi kesempatan bebas tapi dgn identitas baru dan dibuang ke...more
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Read in March, 2008
I'd say for sure that it is definitely not a great novel. A good one, maybe. But that's only because it presents a hefty, nasty world of politics. Maybe Grisham wanted it to be quite shoestring 'cause he was quite bored with the hypes and the best-seller title(I've no idea about that since it's my 1st John Grisham's). The 1st and the last third of the novel are quite good. The middle part in which Backman's roaming in Italy is the part that really bores me. The story may be better if Backman's t...more
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Read in June, 2008
light fare - direct writing, moves the story along - more to do with strong circumstances than strong characters. You never get to know these people, but only the events that move them. Still, they're neat events and situations. Grisham is an able craftsman.
Someone once asked Bernstein, "Why don't you write a pop tune and make a lot of money. You certainly have the skill to do that." Bernstein's reply is the chapter of one of his books, maybe "The Joy of Music", or similar....more
Someone once asked Bernstein, "Why don't you write a pop tune and make a lot of money. You certainly have the skill to do that." Bernstein's reply is the chapter of one of his books, maybe "The Joy of Music", or similar....more
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recommends it for:
whoever loves all things Italian
Mr. Grisham just returned from a very fascinating, fulfilling, unforgettable trip to Italy, and what better way to spread some love than writing about it? And he ventured to hi-tech spying too! Critics must have had a field day bashing this so-so spy/thriller by Mr. Grisham. Plus, it's a very predictable line of story.
But for an Italophile like me, and a fan of Signore Grisham, this book is like a dream come true. I almost can taste the antipasti and the vino rosso, I can almost feel my fee...more
But for an Italophile like me, and a fan of Signore Grisham, this book is like a dream come true. I almost can taste the antipasti and the vino rosso, I can almost feel my fee...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommended to Grant by:
Dominic
4 stars = awesome read. Thanks Dom for the suggestion. I like books were the author does a lot of research and you get to know about real life goings on while getting into a fun story. The book is one of those good guy on the run constantly bugged but triking the opposition at the same time, then solving the problem, while at the same time falling in love with a woman who has a lot of complications.
The funny thing about this book is I enjoyed reading it and it kept me going, but I can hardly...more
The funny thing about this book is I enjoyed reading it and it kept me going, but I can hardly...more
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Read in December, 2006
This book made me want to learn Italian and go to Italy. This is an exciting book and Grisham, as always, uses his skills to envelope the reader in his fictious world. The majority of the book takes place in Italy where the main character, Joel, is being emersed in Italian culture for his "safety". But as with all Grisham's Books it is not as simple as that. Joel suspects that his safety is not the priority. And therin lies the conflict. To flee or not to flee or rather when to flee...more
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I've actually listened to this book several times and continue to enjoy it immensely. Backman's rebirth in Italy as Marco, under the tight control and intense scrutiny of the CIA, is -- as he suspects -- a set-up for his demise. Grisham creates a fascinating character. We watch him evolve as he struggles to make sense of his situation and devise a plan to save his life. And, it all takes place as he explores Treviso, Bologna, and wonderful Italian restaurants. It's a great backdrop.
I guess ...more
I guess ...more
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Read in May, 2006
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Read in August, 2007
I picked this book up from a "Book Swap" shelf at work. I'd seen a few movies based on Grisham's books before, but had not previously read any of his works. I find my opinion of this book somewhat mixed. I had anticipated it to be a high tension thriller, but it wasn't. I found the story line to be quite uneventful. The bulk of the story revolves around "The Broker's" experiences around his sudden arrival in Italy and his emersion into Italian culture. While I found his new e...more
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Ok, first of all this is a John Grisham book. It is the same as all of the other Grisham books.
THis one deserves a 4/5 because it puts you in the place of the main character so well. You actually feel like you are in Italy and hiding from all of the world's terrorist organizations.
The story was fairly original, but the reason I give it a 4/5 is the love story between the Italian tour guide and the main character. It is a very lovely "clean" LDS worthy book that I would defina...more
THis one deserves a 4/5 because it puts you in the place of the main character so well. You actually feel like you are in Italy and hiding from all of the world's terrorist organizations.
The story was fairly original, but the reason I give it a 4/5 is the love story between the Italian tour guide and the main character. It is a very lovely "clean" LDS worthy book that I would defina...more
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Read in November, 2007
I started reading this on my honeymoon and finished it at the beginning of November (about two months). I'm not a big reader, but finished the second half of the book on a Saturday afternoon.
The first half of the book has the main character, the broker, get out of jail on a mysterious presidential pardon. The broker becomes part of a witness protection program. The story ensues with him having to adapt to a new environment to survive. Really fascinating, but it could have been a little s...more
The first half of the book has the main character, the broker, get out of jail on a mysterious presidential pardon. The broker becomes part of a witness protection program. The story ensues with him having to adapt to a new environment to survive. Really fascinating, but it could have been a little s...more
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Read in January, 2006
Joel Backman was a corrupt lobbyist-type figure who got sent to jail. It was a maximum-security prison because he had been in the process of trying to broker a humongous deal on a powerful spy satellite, and many of the clients who were bidding on the technology want him dead. But now the CIA has decided to try to ferret out those potential buyers, so they release Backman in Italy with the intent of seeing who comes after him.
What can I say - typical John Grisham. Nothing too remarkable h...more
What can I say - typical John Grisham. Nothing too remarkable h...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
Grisham fans?
Ummm, yeah, I listened to this on a road trip to Atlanta, and yes, I did listen to the whole thing, but mostly just because it was there, and I kept waiting for it to get better. I don't remember the other Grishams I read being this awful. The narrator wasn't particularly good, but the prose was painful, the main character (and most others) unlikeable, and I can't even go there to talk about the depiction of the Italian woman in it. It's too ridiculous. Skip it and read The Client.
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Read in May, 2008
I "read" this book in audio format which I think made it much more enjoyable for me. I felt like I was learning Italian on my way to work. I would not have even come close to pronouncing some of the words the author translated had I read this in print. The plot started out good but then towards the end I started to lose interest. Could be because one of the last tapes was damaged and had to go check the print copy from the library to finish it. Still a pretty good read though.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.57 (4569 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.47 (4445 ratings) number of reviews: 367
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"The president had shifted to the 'we' mode now, something he invariably did when a potentially unpopular decision was at hand. For the easy ones, it was always 'I.' When he needed a crutch, and especially when he would need someone to blame, he opened up the decisionmaking process and included Critz."
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