The Appeal (Mass Market Paperback) by John Grisham - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

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Just started this one	2	37	6 days ago, 11:25AM

BabyHippoFace rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

01/28/08

bookshelves: grown-up-stuff, infuriating---

Read in February, 2008

recommends it for: people who are on the edge and just need one teensy push to go completely over?

This book has made me angrier than any I've read in years.

Okay, first off --what is with the absolutely horrid neon orange color of the jacket back? Who picked this? Must have been colorblind. Each time I reached for this book my eyes felt violated.

*SPOILER ALERT* If you haven't read it yet, stop reading now...

Second, well, let's just say it: the ending was even more offensive than the neon orange jacket back. The book was well-written, compelling (and yes, possibly completely undese...more

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Melissa rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

04/14/08

bookshelves: legal-crime

Read in April, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I just finished and it left me so mad!

This author used to just write a good story. He would have action and definite good guys and bad guys . . . lately though he has a good enough following that he has decided that he is going to write whatever the heck he wants because he knows that people will buy and read his books anyway. I suppose I am an example of that!

This book is about a lawsuit against a big company that has dumped toxic waste into the town's water supply and has caused cance...more I just finished and it left me so mad!

This author used to just write a good story. He would have action and definite good guys and bad guys . . . lately though he has a good enough following that he has decided that he is going to write whatever the heck he wants because he knows that people will buy and read his books anyway. I suppose I am an example of that!

This book is about a lawsuit against a big company that has dumped toxic waste into the town's water supply and has caused cancer and death among the residents of the town. Well, I expected therefore that the lawyers and the plaintiff were going to be the main characters and "good guys" of the story. Not what I got! He doesn't stick with these characters really, he jumps each chapter to talk about another set of people and there really isn't a main character.

He moves from the main story and ends up on a soapbox about the state supreme court and getting someone elected onto that court and how the liberals are all bought/elected /controlled by trial lawyers who want big verdicts. Conversely, the conservatives are all bought/elected /controlled by big business, religious, and right to bear arms groups.

What started out to be a nice little story about a women who lost her husband and child to cancer and won a $41 Million verdict became a diatribe about legal processes and politics in the judicial system. The book ended with the case being reversed at the state level, the Company getting off scot-free and then to make the point even more clear, the ending is the owner of the company (the one who knowingly dumped toxic waste) earning several billion dollars in market share because he made his company look bad so that the stock plummeted, then bought up millions of shares of his company, all the while knowing that he bought a supreme court justice so that the verdict would be reversed and the stock would skyrocket! Further insult - the final chapter is the multi-billionaire on his brand new mega-yacht (which sleeps 200) having a party!!

I just wanted a nice little story! What in the heck?! I should have just stuck to episodes of Law and Order on TNT - at least I know what to expect and in the majority of cases, the ending turns out right!...less

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Johnny rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

03/19/08

bookshelves: thriller

Read in March, 2008

The Appeal wouldn't make a successful film. At times, it appears to accede to the Hollywood formula, but then, it retreats to Grisham's forte'--realism. Oh, I know Grisham's work isn't as gritty as the descriptions of the world of meat-packing in Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, the vivid characterizations of a couple fighting in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and the Damned, or the depiction of blatant sexism in Sinclair Lewis' The Job (or even in Ann Vickers,...more The Appeal wouldn't make a successful film. At times, it appears to accede to the Hollywood formula, but then, it retreats to Grisham's forte'--realism. Oh, I know Grisham's work isn't as gritty as the descriptions of the world of meat-packing in Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, the vivid characterizations of a couple fighting in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and the Damned, or the depiction of blatant sexism in Sinclair Lewis' The Job (or even in Ann Vickers, his thinly veiled roman a clef based on his relationship with Socialist activist Dorothy Thompson). I simply find that, whenever he stays away from his tendency toward sentimentalism, Grisham can conjure up images of the South of not so long ago with a vividness reminiscent of Faulkner and blend those images with stark, insightful looks at the humanity we see everywhere.

I could feel the heat and humidity as I read these pages (though perhaps it was because I was exercising as I read) and practically itched all over from his frightening depiction of the pollution in the region. I think Grisham's most realistic characters have been Troy Phelan, the billionaire who commits suicide in The Testament, and the young, conservative Christian lawyer tapped to run for Supreme Court Judge in Mississippi in this novel. With both characters--though they are in distinctively different novels--we get the sense that they are acting with the integrity of their convictions, even though we may not agree with their convictions or how they arrived at them.

And, even though I don't consider The Appeal to be one of Grisham's more sentimentalist efforts, I would be dishonest to imply that there weren't times when tears came to my eyes as I considered the plight of many of the characters and certain "no win" situations.

If you are any kind of political junkie (the "Karl Rove" character running the campaign for the judge's race is uncannily true-to-life), this is a "must read." It says as much about political campaigns as it does about jurisprudence. If you've ever invested years of your life and portions of your possessions (or all of them) in what others tell you is throwing your life away on a hopeless cause, this is a "must read."

Frankly, I think this may be the best book I've ever read by this author. It may well be his masterpiece, even though I don't think it will be his most successful by any means. ...less

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Alicia rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

02/02/08

Read in February, 2008

recommends it for: liberal politicians with a distinct agenda

As I began reading this book, I was very worried that it sounded too familiar. It reminded me of "Law & Order" episodes that are "ripped from the headlines." Whenever I hear that, I think, come on, can't you guys think of anything new? Saying that, the storyline of Grisham's latest began in that similar sort of way. I was pretty convinced that it was going to be boring.

I was very pleasantly surprised that only after a few chapters, I started to find it pretty interest...more

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Jason rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

04/25/08

bookshelves: read-and-didn-t-like

Read in March, 2008

John Grisham's books have been getting steadily worse, ever since the Painted House (another lame book). What happened to the excellent author that produced such books as The Client, The Pelican Brief, The Street Lawyer, and Runaway Jury? I think he's out to lunch. I keep reading his new books, hoping he'll come back, but so far, no luck.
This is his worst in a long line of bad books. Stay away from this one, as well as his other latest, The Innocent Man. They are boring, long, and a chore...more

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Emily rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

07/15/08

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Emily by: my mom
recommends it for: no one, or maybe people who are idiots

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

This book was MADDENING. I really enjoyed John Grisham's first books, but this one I can imagine him writing for two reasons. 1) to see who he could get to buy it and 2) to make everybody mad. It's the story of a chemical company that dumped toxic waste in the ground, which contaminated the drinking water and caused massive amounts of cancer and killed lots and lots of people. The book begins with a verdict of guilty for the chemical company, and an award of $41 million to a woman who lost both ...more This book was MADDENING. I really enjoyed John Grisham's first books, but this one I can imagine him writing for two reasons. 1) to see who he could get to buy it and 2) to make everybody mad. It's the story of a chemical company that dumped toxic waste in the ground, which contaminated the drinking water and caused massive amounts of cancer and killed lots and lots of people. The book begins with a verdict of guilty for the chemical company, and an award of $41 million to a woman who lost both her husband and son to cancer. The lawyers who took her case are broke, bankrupt, and the verdict is a huge deal for them. Then it takes a turn for the worse. The story is told from no one's vantage point, just an all-knowing somebody, and so there is no emotional connection to anybody. You don't know if you're supposed to root for the chemical company owner or the lawyers. The book goes on for 200 pages explaining a campaign to replace a judge so that when the case gets appealed to the MS supreme court, the verdict will get overturned and the chemical co. won't have to pay. Seriously, 200 pages of "then we got $5000 from these guys, and she got $2500 from those guys"...and "he gave a speech here, while she gave a speech there". It was AWFUL. Then, since it's a work of fiction, I expected a happy ending. Nope. The new judge gets instated, he overturns the verdict, and the book is over. I was furious. I threw the book against the wall and almost threw it in the trash. I have no idea what Grisham expected us to learn from this, and so my only idea is that he was trying to make people really mad. It worked. The poor lawyers who gave up everything for that case get NOTHING. Their lives are completely over. Seriously, what was the point? If you're writing fiction, why make it end like that? If it was a true story, then maybe we could learn from it: don't elect judges, let them be appointed by people who know better, change election laws, etc. But it's not real. He specifically says that at the end, it was simply a work of fiction. If he was here right now I might punch him in the face. A complete waste of time....less

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Marcy rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

05/17/08

Read in May, 2008

recommended to Marcy by: myself
recommends it for: all my friends

Another amazing book by Grisham! At this time of elections, we are facing a few judicial seats to be elected instead of appointed by a non-partisan board. This, as Grisham has so aptly pointed out, is not what the judges should be doing . . . running a campaign for a judicial seat! These people, for the most part, are judges with a full time job on the bench and should NOT have to try to go out and stump the campaign trail while trying to decide very important cases in front of them at this v...more

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Rick rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

04/12/08

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in April, 2008

recommends it for: trial lawyers seeking confirmation of their world-view

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I'm a Grisham fan - I've read pretty much all his books. If his liberal leanings weren't apparent before, they certainly are now ("not that there's anything wrong with that"). I guess you could call this Grisham's response to all the recent rantings by the right about liberal judges changing the laws to suit their leftist politics and agendas. Make no mistake - this book was written to make a political statement.

According to Grisham, conservative judges are bought and paid for by e...more I'm a Grisham fan - I've read pretty much all his books. If his liberal leanings weren't apparent before, they certainly are now ("not that there's anything wrong with that"). I guess you could call this Grisham's response to all the recent rantings by the right about liberal judges changing the laws to suit their leftist politics and agendas. Make no mistake - this book was written to make a political statement.

According to Grisham, conservative judges are bought and paid for by evil "big business", never saw a trial verdict for the underrepresented and oppressed victim that they didn't want to overturn, and always rule in favor of evil "big business" even where the liability is clear-cut.

Here's the capsul summary of the book (some spoilers, though not as to ending): Evil "big business" dumps toxic carcinogens in a small town for decades. Drinking water is contaminated. Hundreds get cancer, dozens die. Corageous self-sacrificing trial lawyers take on big business, win $41m verdict at trial for woman whose husband and child were killed by "big business". Big business' stock takes a dive, with hundreds of other plaintiffs waiting in the wings. Unwilling to take responsibility for its evils and pay the verdict, big business appeals. With current make-up of state's supreme court generally voting 5-4 in favor of plaintiffs with righteous claims (the 4 being big-business-loving evil conservatives who hate victims), big business devises plan to replace a moderate state supreme court justice up for re-election with a conservative. Big business recruits unknown, inexperienced and naive conservative lawyer to run for election to state supreme court against the reasonable, compassion-filled moderate justice. Big business runs campaign that is the dirtiest in the history of the world, yet at the same time typical of judge-buying conservatives. In campaign big business distorts the facts, painting moderate justice as gay-loving, Christian-hating, gun-hating, business-hating looney liberal. Conservative candidate is mere puppet of big-business money machine. Big business puppet wins close election (close only because "big business'" nefarious tactics were exposed at the end, but the truth wasn't enough to counter-act the gazillions of $ spent by bit business in the end). In every case where a person was injured by an evil business or corporation, and awarded damages by a jury, conservative justices reverse and send the plaintiff back with nothing.

In the "Author's Note" at the end of the book, Grisham makes clear that the book is entirely fictional, so far as the facts go, but the descriptions of the issues, tactics, factions and results are accurate. In other words, this is a true story told with fictional characters. While I'm sure Grisham raises some legitimate issues, if he's going to attack all conservative justices and judicial elections this way, I'd like to see him have the balls to do it without relying on the guise and cover of fiction. Not to mention the fact that Grisham totally ignores the other side of the coin. I don't know - if Grisham keeps politicizing his books to such a degree, this may be the last one I read. In novels the good guys generall win, but Grisham tries to make his political statement all the more poignant by haivng the bad guys win at the end, laughing all the way to the bank. ...less

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Laura rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

01/01/09

Read in December, 2008

I'm a Grisham fan and enjoyed the book, but don't think it was one of his best. The plot twist at the end came kind of late to impact the story correctly and parts in the middle were a little slow. I fear that the book's premise that judgeships are too political and people are too easily bought is likely all too accurate, and the story causes some thought in that area. One has to wonder, however, how appointments would necessarily resolve that problem -- especially in light of the problems Il...more

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Regina rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

12/30/08

bookshelves: mysteries---thrillers

Read in December, 2008

Like most John Grisham novels, this book is a fast, entertaining read. As always, I was intrigued by the legal facts: in this case, that supreme court justices are elected rather than appointed in many states. At the conclusion, I immediately went to the Internet to find out what is done in my home state. Also, I found myself constantly telling my husband the plot line while reading the book and he and I kept laughing at our speculations on who will get the roles in the blockbuster movie that...more

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Daniel rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

12/11/08

Read in April, 2008

I read this in April after Justice Nehring (Utah Supreme Court) told me he was listening to it on CD during his commute each day. Three quarters of my way through it, he told me it was not worth finishing. He was right.

Talk about much ado about nothing. The novel starts strong, provides an interesting conflict, and than (spoiler alert) completely drops the ball. Not that the bad guy has to lose and the good guy has to win every time, but the characters are skewed and distorted so much to...more

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Anne rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

12/07/08

Read in December, 2008

Most books are character driven with the author creating a character or characters that draw the reader in-people in which you you become involved with on some level whether identifying with, care for, or rooting for. Or even disliking. This is not the case for the book. Instead the central focus in the plot. There are numerous characters in the story, some who play a larger role than others, but none is developed in much depth.

The books opens with the culmination of a 5 year trial again...more

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Vincarter rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

05/17/08

This is a suspenseful tale of an attempt by a wealthy polluter to overturn a jury's finding of his fault by arranging for election of a pliable new Supreme Court justice. You almost feel that the unconscionable characters behind the plot are over the top and overly drawn. Then you recall that there actually have been folks, some caught and held responsible and some not, who match and surpass them in what they were found to have done. Good plot and an ending more realistic than expected!

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Kelley rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

05/30/08

Read in May, 2008

Yet another good Grisham novel, though fiction, clearly based on headline news. Moreover, locally, with the Massey/Supreme Court Justice headlines here in WV. Makes you really ponder when you see those campaign signs after reading this book and getting a glimpse of how things may truly be in the world of politics. How supreme court seats can truly be 'bought' and verdicts be dictated by the purchasers. I'll never look at another campaign ad the same after reading this book.

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Janie rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

12/06/08

Read in November, 2008

Krane Chemical’s improper disposal of toxic waste leached into a Mississippi town’s water supply, causing a “cancer cluster” of horrific proportions. In a lawsuit filed by Jeannette Baker, whose husband and son had died from cancer, a jury returns a guilty verdict with a $41 million award.
Carl Trudeau, billionaire CEO of Krane, has no intention of paying a dime. He immediately begins an appeal process, and at the same time, manipulates the election of a Mississippi supreme court justic...more

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Cindy rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

07/21/08

Read in July, 2008

I listened to this on audio...it's a good read for an election year with the plot details about a state supreme court judge campaign/election. Unfortunately, it confirms all my negative impressions of the political process and the influence of big corporations and money. I miss the danger and adventure of THE FIRM.

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Beth rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

01/01/09

Read in December, 2008

I have a guilty pleasure....I love to read easy fiction when I travel, for me it is like watching a bad romantic comedy on lifetime. I know I shouldn't put Grisham in the same category as a lifetime romcom, but the way one sails through his books, it feels a like indulgence.

The Appeal is a typical southern Mississippi legal story and what I found so unique about this novel were the personal political antecdotes that Grisham inserts into the plot. Most of his past novels were more suspensefu...more

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Rob rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

12/30/08

Read in December, 2008

I used to love John Grisham. I have some old hard covers to prove it!

But after awhile the plots started to feel like reheated leftovers. Each book felt like the one before it. I haven't read one in years.

Until now. And for about 75% of the book, reading The Appeal felt like being back with an old friend. All the usual and familiar was right where I wanted it: the scheming and malignant corporations, the righteous and underdog lawyers, Mississippi...

So I loved it until I hated it. Th...more

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DJ rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

12/29/08

Read in December, 2008

I have always been a fan of John Grisham, but this book was a little disappointing. I usually can't put any of his books down, whether it's a court room thriller like the Summons, or one of his more introspective books like Bleachers. But for some reason I just couldn't get to excited about reading this book. It could have been the depressing nature of Cancer County or the stark realization of big business's strangle hold on politics. I think what bothered me most about the book is how Grish...more

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Andrew rated it:

(review of isbn 0385515049)

12/29/08

Read in December, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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The Appeal

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