The Pelican Brief
by John GrishamSign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
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avg 3.61
Read in January, 1993
I worked at a law firm where part of the movie was filmed. When Julia Roberts's character goes into a law firm to ask for a particular lawyer only to find out that he no longer works there and she leaves, that is my old firm. It is an ornate marble lobby with a small stream of water in the middle of the lobby. She goes through a glass door and can either go up an escalator or up some stairs to the reception desk, which overlooks the lobby. The walls are all glass and she can see across the f...more
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Washington wakes up to the gruesome news that two members of the Supreme Court have been murdered overnight. The shocking part was in their diversity. The old, should have retired years ago, Democrat Justice Rosenberg and the younger Republican Justice Jensen. The fact that they were almost always on opposite sides of any issue left law enforcement with no clear political motive. The only clues left behind seemed to be ones of the killer’s choosing. A nylon cord used to garrote Jensen as he ...more
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
people who can read books very, very quickly
i had read a less well-known grisham book, and was pretty disappointed, so i decided to read this one, which is supposedly one of his best. terrible ending, tedious story for the most part. if you can read quickly you might not think you're wasting your time on this book.
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One of Grisham's best, if not THE best. A suspense classic.
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I have big issues with the GoodReads review system, first of all. I went through a Grisham phase in middle school, when he only had like 4 books published, and I--for whatever reason--loved this one. I read it like five times. BUT -- the fact that I plowed through it and enjoyed my time with it does not equal "it was amazing." The writing of the book itself is probably worth two stars. But I also really liked it, so how much does that bump it up? I mean, I really should worry le...more
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Read in July, 2008
This must be where John Grisham started to lose whatever allure he'd built with me. His first two novels were captivating legal thrillers, but this one more resembles a block of wood with letters carved on it, for all the razzle-dazzle of his prose. Darby Shaw is a 24-year-old law student who takes it upon herself to investigate the assasinations of a couple of Supreme Court justices, inadvertently realizes the truth, and runs for her life when her memo on her theory winds up in the wrong hands....more
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Read in March, 2008
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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On this year's Lebaran I visited the house of an aunt, and her son (my cousin, naturally) had a few books on a shelf in a room that used to be his--before he moved out, got married and had three babies. I've been wanting to borrow those books so I finally did. Mind you, the books were first editions that are old and yellowing, with fonts that are not so easy on the eyes, but I want to read them anyway.
Since my cousin (and his sister, and his wife also) went to law school, I guess it was natu...more
Since my cousin (and his sister, and his wife also) went to law school, I guess it was natu...more
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Read in October, 2007
John Grisham is one of my favorite authors when I get in the mood for a quick, stimulating yet fun read. His story rarely drags and the characters and their dialogue remain fairly believable. It seems to me as though he wrote this book knowing that not only would it be made into a movie, but that Julia Roberts would be the lead character. It may be because I saw the movie first, but every description of Darby Shaw in his book made it seem as if Grisham was staring at a picture of Roberts whil...more
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Grisham has a way of writing a real page-turner. This was one of those books that I just couldn't put down. The suspense was intense, and the story was good.
When I finished the last page, and I finally did put it down, I couldn't help thinking I had just wasted my time. I mean, I was thoroughly entertained for every minute of the book, but when I was done, I was left with nothing but the memories of my entertainment.
Good book, excellent author, but lacking in anything real. I've read...more
When I finished the last page, and I finally did put it down, I couldn't help thinking I had just wasted my time. I mean, I was thoroughly entertained for every minute of the book, but when I was done, I was left with nothing but the memories of my entertainment.
Good book, excellent author, but lacking in anything real. I've read...more
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Read in July, 2007
I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would. But I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of Washington- and Georgetown-related information that was necessary to the plot. Of course I loved reading about the heros chasing Gtown students through the halls or reading in the Library, or driving up E street downtown.
I guess I didn't like it as much because I didn't relate to any of the characters. They were pretty hastily-formed, I think. So I didn't much care what happened to the...more
I guess I didn't like it as much because I didn't relate to any of the characters. They were pretty hastily-formed, I think. So I didn't much care what happened to the...more
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Read in August, 2007
I was not impressed with the other Grisham book I read (The Last Juror), but this one was fun. The twists were decently believable without being too predictable, and none of the characters were unrealistically gifted (a common flaw in thrillers). Though I've never seen the movie, I could picture Julia Roberts as Darby Shaw. My one issue was that I never felt much actual suspense; I was not attached enough to the characters to care much if they made it out okay. That said, this was a nice bit of ...more
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Read in January, 1998
Law student Darcy Shaw writes a brief that is meant to be mere speculation on two seemingly unrelated Washington murdes. She shows it to her law professor, and he ends up dead. Darcy realizes she her brief was much closer to the truth than she ever could have imagined, and must go on the run from some pretty powerful people who want her dead. She finds some support from a journalist who wants to help her expose the truth, but otherwise finds there is no one she can trust, and no where she is ...more
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Another lawyer in the south, but one of his better books. If you saw the terrible movie, please read the book--it's redemption for the movie.
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Read in July, 2006
recommended to Julie by:
Dad
My dad gave me this book after reading it himself. I hadn't seen the film (still haven't) so I really didn't know what to expect other than the usual John Grisham qualities: action, intrigue, and, well... lawyers. It was a fun read and kept my interest. I may have to check out some other Grisham books as well (I'll just borrow from the large collection I've procured for my brother at yard sales). I have to say though, it's a good thing Grisham explained where all of Darby's funds are coming from...more
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Read in January, 1993
recommends it for:
mystery readers; plane riders
No Grisham book lives up to the fun I had reading The Firm. But still, it's a quick, fun read.
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I remember trying to read and re-read this book right before it came out on movie, right as John Grisham became all the rage. I enjoyed it but was lost in legal mumbo-jumbo. I have good memories and remember liking this book a lot, even though I'm not a typical legal drama kind of gal.
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Read in October, 2008
A thrilling start with a plot u can pass off.
A whole cadre of assassins barge in on a person, simply for formulating a theory which bears no evidence. The author banks on this pith to dismantle a perfectly executed crime.
Worth a shot!
A whole cadre of assassins barge in on a person, simply for formulating a theory which bears no evidence. The author banks on this pith to dismantle a perfectly executed crime.
Worth a shot!
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Read in January, 1995
A book I read in High School for fun because my English classes didn't direct me towards any good literature (we didn't read any!). It was a fun, John Grisham classic. Though I don't think any of his books would interest me now.
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Fast paced read; reminds me of Red October.
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