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Die Liste
Das hatte Willie Traynor sich gänzlich anders vorgestellt. Dank einer Finanzspritze seiner reichen Großmutter war der Bettelstudent über Nacht zum Besitzer der Ford County Times aufgestiegen, einem harmlosen Bezirksblättchen in Clanton, Mississippi. Dessen Nachrichtenwert erschöpfte sich in aller Regel in blumigen Nachrufen auf lokale Verblichene. Als die Times 1970 vor dem Ruin stand, sah sich Willie bereits als neuen Citizen Kane. Und tatsächlich -- kaum 14 Tage nach seinem Amtsantritt wird eine hübsche junge Witwe vor den Augen ihrer Kinder vergewaltigt und brutal ermordet. Die Auflage boomt, denn Danny Padgitt, jüngstes und schwärzestes Schaf einer Schurkenfamilie, die den gesamten County kontrolliert, steht unter Tatverdacht. Jetzt sollte der neue Chefredakteur Sitten und Gebräuche der Südstaaten erst richtig kennen lernen!
In epischer Breite und zuweilen etwas zähem Erzählfluss kehrt Grisham auf vertrautes Terrain zurück: den Gerichtssaal. Willie, dem journalistischen Greenhorn aus dem Norden erschließt sich ein Südstaatensumpf, in dem Rassismus und Selbstjustiz zum gelebten Alltag gehören. Die schwarze Bevölkerung haust "auf der anderen Seite der Bahnlinie", während die millionenschwere Padgitt-Familie seit Generationen von ihrer Inselfestung aus Schwarzbrennerei, Mord und Drogenschmuggel im großen Stil betreibt. Nichts leichter also, als den "Ausrutscher" ihres jüngsten Sprosses mittels Geld und Repressalien aus der Welt zu schaffen.
Eine der Schlüsselfiguren des Romans ist die kluge und bibelfeste Miss Callie, Willie Traynors mütterliche Freundin. Trotz heftigen Widerstands wird sie im Padgitt-Prozess als erste Schwarze in den Geschworenenstand berufen. Ist es ihren moralischen Skrupeln anzulasten, das Danny Padgitt schließlich der Todesstrafe entging? Nach lediglich neun Jahren luxuriösester Haftumstände, beginnt der Horror nach Ford County zurückzukehren. Jedem der damals im Gerichtssaal Anwesenden klingt Danny Padgitts Fluch in den Ohren, bittere Rache zu nehmen. Bald gibt es die ersten Toten. Und die Liste der Geschworenen von einst ist lang!
In epischer Breite und zuweilen etwas zähem Erzählfluss kehrt Grisham auf vertrautes Terrain zurück: den Gerichtssaal. Willie, dem journalistischen Greenhorn aus dem Norden erschließt sich ein Südstaatensumpf, in dem Rassismus und Selbstjustiz zum gelebten Alltag gehören. Die schwarze Bevölkerung haust "auf der anderen Seite der Bahnlinie", während die millionenschwere Padgitt-Familie seit Generationen von ihrer Inselfestung aus Schwarzbrennerei, Mord und Drogenschmuggel im großen Stil betreibt. Nichts leichter also, als den "Ausrutscher" ihres jüngsten Sprosses mittels Geld und Repressalien aus der Welt zu schaffen.
Eine der Schlüsselfiguren des Romans ist die kluge und bibelfeste Miss Callie, Willie Traynors mütterliche Freundin. Trotz heftigen Widerstands wird sie im Padgitt-Prozess als erste Schwarze in den Geschworenenstand berufen. Ist es ihren moralischen Skrupeln anzulasten, das Danny Padgitt schließlich der Todesstrafe entging? Nach lediglich neun Jahren luxuriösester Haftumstände, beginnt der Horror nach Ford County zurückzukehren. Jedem der damals im Gerichtssaal Anwesenden klingt Danny Padgitts Fluch in den Ohren, bittere Rache zu nehmen. Bald gibt es die ersten Toten. Und die Liste der Geschworenen von einst ist lang!
480 pages, Paperback
First published February 3, 2004
4010 people are currently reading
25186 people want to read
About the author
John Grisham
492 books90.2k followersJohn Grisham is the author of more than fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include Framed, Camino Ghosts and The Exchange: After the Firm.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,337 reviews
June 29, 2024
A savage rape of single-mother Rhoda Kassellaw, is perpetrated in sight and sound of her young children, before she is murdered by, rapist-murderer Danny Padgitt, a reckless and callous younger member of the Padgitt crime-family, the dominant and most powerful organised crime gang in the vicinity of the Rhoda's town of residence in Mississippi. This is the story of a young man from the North taking over the town's newspaper who got involved with the murder case, alongside African-American matriarch Miss Callie, and their slow and exhaustive search for justice for Rhoda and her children.
Seriously, John Grisham, where have you been all my reading life? The decades long pursuit of real justice against uncompromising forces is set against the loud backdrop of racial integration, the Viet Nam War, the emergence of drug cartels and mostly through the eyes of a northern state born publisher running a newspaper in the South. The northern lens makes it even more interesting because Grisham uses it to talk about a lot of the good things about the South from the community spirit and the food through to the their religious fervour and pride of their States. This is all on top of a superb story, that this time looks how organised crime so easily manipulates a criminal justice system where capitalism and greed is king. Yet another 8 out of 12 Four Star jam by Grisham for me.
2024 read
Seriously, John Grisham, where have you been all my reading life? The decades long pursuit of real justice against uncompromising forces is set against the loud backdrop of racial integration, the Viet Nam War, the emergence of drug cartels and mostly through the eyes of a northern state born publisher running a newspaper in the South. The northern lens makes it even more interesting because Grisham uses it to talk about a lot of the good things about the South from the community spirit and the food through to the their religious fervour and pride of their States. This is all on top of a superb story, that this time looks how organised crime so easily manipulates a criminal justice system where capitalism and greed is king. Yet another 8 out of 12 Four Star jam by Grisham for me.
2024 read
February 10, 2020
Great read!!
May 2, 2015
This was my second Grisham novel, but I was disappointed. The storyline was fine, I enjoyed the character of Willie, who saves the local newspaper in Mississippi in the 1970's, then begins to cover a sensational case of the brutal rape and murder of a young single mum. I ended up reading to finish, I just was not as invested as I would have hoped to have been. I enjoyed the family of Callie, and the dynamics between her and the young and inexperienced journalist/editor Willie. Their relationship blossomed and I enjoyed their banter about society of the times and Callie's weekly scrutinising of the errors in the paper. Mr Grisham writes well though, and as in my first book The Client, it's evident he knows his legal stuff, and you do feel in safe experienced 'legal' hands.
June 28, 2019
A great pleasure to read. A nice story with good atmosphere.
As always, Grisham’s writing is witty and down to Earth.
As always, Grisham’s writing is witty and down to Earth.
January 17, 2012
One of Grisham's best I'd say. The author capitalized on what he does best, that's the legal part, then added a lot of heart to it. It combines the thrill and drama of the scenes in the courtroom with the heart and soul and lives of its many colorful characters.
The story spans a decade, the 70's, a period of transformation and awakening, especially in the deep south. It talks about taking risks, commitment, growing up. It demonstrates the power of the written word. It relates how true friendship can break barriers. All of these, Mr. Grisham cooked up, and peppered it with the legal excitement that he's become a master of, and the result is just very tasteful.
The story spans a decade, the 70's, a period of transformation and awakening, especially in the deep south. It talks about taking risks, commitment, growing up. It demonstrates the power of the written word. It relates how true friendship can break barriers. All of these, Mr. Grisham cooked up, and peppered it with the legal excitement that he's become a master of, and the result is just very tasteful.
July 8, 2020
The first half of this book was about a rape/murder trial and conviction. Very well paced.
The smaller middle section lacked any intensity and concerned various topics - primarily the workings of a small town Mississippi weekly newspaper.
At this point I was on the fence with a 3 or 4 star rating and wondering where this was going.
The last 80 pages picked up the earlier pace and with a touching climax I settled on 4 stars.
Well written in the usual Grisham style.
The smaller middle section lacked any intensity and concerned various topics - primarily the workings of a small town Mississippi weekly newspaper.
At this point I was on the fence with a 3 or 4 star rating and wondering where this was going.
The last 80 pages picked up the earlier pace and with a touching climax I settled on 4 stars.
Well written in the usual Grisham style.
September 23, 2023
Much more than just a legal thriller - very fine writing!
Mississippi's Ford County local weekly newspaper hangs on the edge of bankruptcy and Willie Traynor, a rather shiftless ne'er do well college dropout, hears from a chum that a publication like the Ford County Times would be a veritable license to print money if it were properly run. With the help of a $50,000 loan from his doting grandmother, Willie assumes the ownership of the newspaper and begins the process of pulling the newspaper from its deep hole. Things are definitely looking up and readership is given an enormous boost with his lurid, sensational coverage of the trial of local bad boy, Danny Padgitt, for the brutal rape and murder of Rhoda Kasselaw, a reclusive young widow. With the assistance of a shocking in court threat of revenge against the members of the jury if he is convicted, Padgitt is sent to prison for life and Ford County resumes the role of a sleepy-eyed southern town living its languid 1970 life.
As I read the entire middle half of the book, I found it quite easy to forget that Grisham made his name as an author writing legal thrillers. Grisham treats us to an extended commentary on life in a typical southern community during the decade of the 70s. He deals with racial prejudice, hatred, fear and the legal issues of bussing and de-segregation in a calm, straight up and quite fearless almost documentary approach. His very human characters of Calia and Esau Ruffin, a black couple that live on the wrong side of the tracks, allow us to see and acknowledge the historical wrongs and injustices that were visited upon the black population in the Deep South without standing up on an annoying soap box and yelling about it. The stereotypical white old boy's network is represented by the notorious Padgitt family, Lucien Willbanks, their extraordinarily slimy lawyer and Mackey Don Coley, the sheriff who has made a career of ignoring the Padgitt family's wrongdoings. Nixon's politics, the struggles the US faced attempting to extricate itself from the Vietnam debacle, conscientious objectors and returning veterans all make an appearance. Clearly, this fine piece of writing was also a metaphor for the time that Padgitt was in prison. Padgitt and the brutal murder simply vanish from the collective psyche of Ford County. As we read this story, we are SUPPOSED to forget about him just as the community did until we are shocked to discover he has been released on parole after only nine years and the jurors who sent him to prison begin to die.
At the risk of sounding like a literary snob, I'd like to suggest that Grisham has moved up a very large notch. With THE LAST JUROR, he has proven his ability to write compelling human drama that doesn't rely upon simple chills and thrills to make the reader turn the pages. I believe this is the finest effort from an author who already has a pretty commendable body of work to his credit!
Paul Weiss
Mississippi's Ford County local weekly newspaper hangs on the edge of bankruptcy and Willie Traynor, a rather shiftless ne'er do well college dropout, hears from a chum that a publication like the Ford County Times would be a veritable license to print money if it were properly run. With the help of a $50,000 loan from his doting grandmother, Willie assumes the ownership of the newspaper and begins the process of pulling the newspaper from its deep hole. Things are definitely looking up and readership is given an enormous boost with his lurid, sensational coverage of the trial of local bad boy, Danny Padgitt, for the brutal rape and murder of Rhoda Kasselaw, a reclusive young widow. With the assistance of a shocking in court threat of revenge against the members of the jury if he is convicted, Padgitt is sent to prison for life and Ford County resumes the role of a sleepy-eyed southern town living its languid 1970 life.
As I read the entire middle half of the book, I found it quite easy to forget that Grisham made his name as an author writing legal thrillers. Grisham treats us to an extended commentary on life in a typical southern community during the decade of the 70s. He deals with racial prejudice, hatred, fear and the legal issues of bussing and de-segregation in a calm, straight up and quite fearless almost documentary approach. His very human characters of Calia and Esau Ruffin, a black couple that live on the wrong side of the tracks, allow us to see and acknowledge the historical wrongs and injustices that were visited upon the black population in the Deep South without standing up on an annoying soap box and yelling about it. The stereotypical white old boy's network is represented by the notorious Padgitt family, Lucien Willbanks, their extraordinarily slimy lawyer and Mackey Don Coley, the sheriff who has made a career of ignoring the Padgitt family's wrongdoings. Nixon's politics, the struggles the US faced attempting to extricate itself from the Vietnam debacle, conscientious objectors and returning veterans all make an appearance. Clearly, this fine piece of writing was also a metaphor for the time that Padgitt was in prison. Padgitt and the brutal murder simply vanish from the collective psyche of Ford County. As we read this story, we are SUPPOSED to forget about him just as the community did until we are shocked to discover he has been released on parole after only nine years and the jurors who sent him to prison begin to die.
At the risk of sounding like a literary snob, I'd like to suggest that Grisham has moved up a very large notch. With THE LAST JUROR, he has proven his ability to write compelling human drama that doesn't rely upon simple chills and thrills to make the reader turn the pages. I believe this is the finest effort from an author who already has a pretty commendable body of work to his credit!
Paul Weiss
March 6, 2025
Believe it or not, this is the first time I read a book from John Grisham and I wonder why I didn't do it before, he being such a famous writer. I must confess that it is not in my top books I've ever read. However, it was not bad, but average. Hence, the 3 stars.
The fact that the main character is a journalist and everything is looked from the point of view of a journalist is interesting. Willie seems like a very amateur journalist which changes through time. I kind of missed having a character that I could really get into them. Maybe the closest one was Miss Callie, but not enough to be completely absorbed. Regarding the way of writing, for me the rape was very graphic and detailed, that gave me the pure feeling of drama and disgust, which is good when you are reading a story like this, so good job there. However, the develop of the story and characters was not that interesting. Sometimes I even had to rad a few chapters twice so I don't get lost.
Anyway, interesting book and I don't feel it was a waste of time at all. I have several books by him so I'll keep on reading them.
The fact that the main character is a journalist and everything is looked from the point of view of a journalist is interesting. Willie seems like a very amateur journalist which changes through time. I kind of missed having a character that I could really get into them. Maybe the closest one was Miss Callie, but not enough to be completely absorbed. Regarding the way of writing, for me the rape was very graphic and detailed, that gave me the pure feeling of drama and disgust, which is good when you are reading a story like this, so good job there. However, the develop of the story and characters was not that interesting. Sometimes I even had to rad a few chapters twice so I don't get lost.
Anyway, interesting book and I don't feel it was a waste of time at all. I have several books by him so I'll keep on reading them.
July 26, 2017
Endearing read! dramatic storyline of unfolding in the stew of racial prejudices,economic disparity and corruption in a small community concerning a case...good from start to finish and it's well written (paperback!)
July 29, 2021
A stand alone semi-courtroom drama published 2004.
Probably deserves 4 stars.
The story of my life, not really sure to make of this. It was not what I expected but I unexpectedly enjoyed it.
As the title would suggest there was a courtroom involved but it consumed only about twenty percent of the whole. The rest was a retrospective look at Ford County in the seventies through the eyes of the local newspaper.
When it becomes obvious that the local newspaper will soon be going into receivership a young colt journalist, who is an employee of the papers, decided that he would make an offer to buy the paper.
Now the proud new owner with all the ambition and energy that only the young can engender he sets forth to make the paper a success.
To achieve this he, not only, reports on all and every newsworthy, or otherwise, story but he searches out any local citizen who might have a story worth telling. Before long the big event in most peoples lives becomes the next edition of the local newspaper.
For the most part the news is pretty mundane to say the least but when a young widow with two children is brutally raped and murdered the paper and the community goes into overdrive.
The man accused of the murder belongs to a family much hated by the local community for a bunch of thieving cutthroats. The case that was presented to the jury was so cut and dried that not only was a guilty verdict expected but the death penalty was also expected. When the jury gave the guilty as charged verdict but didn’t qualify that with the death penalty the locals were dumbstruck.
For the death penalty to be give all jurors have to agree, it takes just one juror to disagree to prevent the death penalty from being carried out.
This was an interesting look at life in the southern states of America in the seventies.
The division of the races. The Vietnam war. The attitudes to crime and punishment.
Not what I expected but very readable for all that.
November 1, 2017
Nice plot, fast paced, smooth writing although I felt the ending of the book was quite abrupt and rushed up but nevertheless an enjoyable read. It isn't John Grisham best work but still a great read.
September 5, 2022
4.5 stars
*review for the abridged 6 CD audio book in German, read by Charles Brauer.
I'm not a big Grisham reader, but this has to be THE BEST one of his I've run across. It's not a legal thriller as much as a historical novel about a small town in Mississippi in the 1970s. The changes in society are documented through the lense of the town newspaper. Really well done, although tearjerky at the end.
No complaints about the reading. Competent and with (hardly) no mispronounced English.
Personal "doh"🤦♂️ :
The German title is "Die Liste" = The List. Since I normally don't compare international titles until I'm about ready to write a review - if at all - I had no idea the original was "The Last Juror."
My bad. My really, really bad because I have a double of this one - the other is a print version in Dutch - sitting on my foreign languages shelf to read! It was only the pic of the Dutch cover in the "other editions " row that clued me in. If I'd known I had a double, I'd have held off with the German audio book until I'd read the Dutch print book, so as not to spoil the story. Doh!
#multilingualreaderproblems
Still. Good one from Grisham. (And apparently one I'll be "reading" again at some point... in het Nederlands)
*review for the abridged 6 CD audio book in German, read by Charles Brauer.
I'm not a big Grisham reader, but this has to be THE BEST one of his I've run across. It's not a legal thriller as much as a historical novel about a small town in Mississippi in the 1970s. The changes in society are documented through the lense of the town newspaper. Really well done, although tearjerky at the end.
No complaints about the reading. Competent and with (hardly) no mispronounced English.
Personal "doh"🤦♂️ :
The German title is "Die Liste" = The List. Since I normally don't compare international titles until I'm about ready to write a review - if at all - I had no idea the original was "The Last Juror."
My bad. My really, really bad because I have a double of this one - the other is a print version in Dutch - sitting on my foreign languages shelf to read! It was only the pic of the Dutch cover in the "other editions " row that clued me in. If I'd known I had a double, I'd have held off with the German audio book until I'd read the Dutch print book, so as not to spoil the story. Doh!
#multilingualreaderproblems
Still. Good one from Grisham. (And apparently one I'll be "reading" again at some point... in het Nederlands)
January 5, 2009
Everyone has an opinion on Grisham, and if you don't like him, feel free to skip my review! I read a ton of his books when I was travelling regularly for work (I'd pick one up in the airport book store and leave it when I landed on the other side), but haven't read one in a while. It was good to come back to him with this one! Yes, it was about a trial, and yes, it was in the South, but this time the narrator is the local newspaper's editor/owner. Definitely a different tack, and one I enjoyed. The lawyers in this one explain things to him, but aren't central.
I loved his descriptions of people in this one. I could actually see and hear them talking. And the descriptions of the food! oh dear! This book shouldn't be read when hungry. One section I marked to go back to is Miss Callie's pot roast. It sounded good enough that I'm going to try it.
Here's the excerpt:
"As usual, I confessed that I'd never had a pot roast, so Miss Callie described the recipe and the preparation in detail. . . . It was her simplest dish, she said. Take a beef rump roast, leave the fat on it, place it in the bottom of the pot, then cover it with new potatoes, onions, turnips, carrots, and beets; add some salt, pepper and water, put it in the oven on slow bake, and wait five hours. She filled my plate with beef and vegetables, then covered it all with a thick sauce. "The beets give it all a purple tint," she explained.
Yum! Talk about comfort food.
I loved his descriptions of people in this one. I could actually see and hear them talking. And the descriptions of the food! oh dear! This book shouldn't be read when hungry. One section I marked to go back to is Miss Callie's pot roast. It sounded good enough that I'm going to try it.
Here's the excerpt:
"As usual, I confessed that I'd never had a pot roast, so Miss Callie described the recipe and the preparation in detail. . . . It was her simplest dish, she said. Take a beef rump roast, leave the fat on it, place it in the bottom of the pot, then cover it with new potatoes, onions, turnips, carrots, and beets; add some salt, pepper and water, put it in the oven on slow bake, and wait five hours. She filled my plate with beef and vegetables, then covered it all with a thick sauce. "The beets give it all a purple tint," she explained.
Yum! Talk about comfort food.
October 13, 2024
It's the 1970's right after graduating college, Willie Traynor ends up in a small town in Mississippi as a fledgling reporter. But with circumstance and serendipity Willie ends up buying the town newspaper. As fate will have it a horrible murder gives him the boost of readership that makes his newspaper a total success.
This story really is a two part affair. The first half introduces you to all the colorful characters and the turmoil that surrounds a small town in the middle of this horrendous murder trial. With its miscreant defendant (and nefarious family).
The second part, of this story is the life of Willie Traynor after the trial in small town Mississippi during the 70's.
I really enjoyed the character development.
3 -4 stars
This story really is a two part affair. The first half introduces you to all the colorful characters and the turmoil that surrounds a small town in the middle of this horrendous murder trial. With its miscreant defendant (and nefarious family).
The second part, of this story is the life of Willie Traynor after the trial in small town Mississippi during the 70's.
I really enjoyed the character development.
3 -4 stars
September 3, 2023
Grisham is surely one of the best contemporary writers, as his books are attractive even when there are not top class.
That's the case with The Last Juror, interesting, easy (as usual...) to read, though the plot is less dynamic and the final twist (the identity of the serial jurors murderer) is not so spectacular. You remain with the pleasure of reading and the idea of liking to be one of his main characters, Willie, for example...
That's the case with The Last Juror, interesting, easy (as usual...) to read, though the plot is less dynamic and the final twist (the identity of the serial jurors murderer) is not so spectacular. You remain with the pleasure of reading and the idea of liking to be one of his main characters, Willie, for example...
December 20, 2008
This is the first Grisham book I've ever read, and it is really not a court drama, despite the implications of the title. In 1970, 23-year-old Willie Traynor moves to the small city of Clanton, Mississippi, and buys the local newspaper, which has recently gone bankrupt. Soon after this, a local woman is raped and murdered by Danny Padgitt, son of the "redneck mafia" that is the Padgitt family. The story vaguely meanders around the trial and subsequent fallout over the next several years, but mostly it's about Willie's life in Clanton and the people he meets. There are a lot of scenes and even minor characters thrown in just for color. The ending was mostly predictable, with the only major "twist" feeling like it had been plucked from thin air. It wasn't a bad book - the characters were definitely believable and often entertaining - but from the very beginning I wondered how Grisham would manage to find enough plot to fill the 350 pages. Unfortunately, he really didn't. In the end, if you enjoy reading about smalltown Southern life, you'll like this. If you're looking for an action-packed legal thriller, you probably want to look elsewhere.
January 13, 2015
The book is not an out & out legal thriller which the title seems to suggest.Set in 1970's Mississippi, half way through the book, it drifts into a commentary on elections,racial tension, segregation,parole system, churches and so on... . The ending is a bit predictable & underwhelming.
July 9, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely one of my favourite John Grisham books!
Absolutely one of my favourite John Grisham books!
August 10, 2021
My personal favorite Grisham book of all time.
April 7, 2015
One of my favorite books!
I was very impressed. The first notable thing about this story is that while there is some courtroom time, it is NOT about a court case or a lawyer, etc, like many of Grisham's books. Grisham is a fine writer, but in this story about a small southern town and it's very young, very green newspaper editor/writer, he outdid himself. I'll warn that it doesn't have quite as much "excitement" and "suspense" as you occasionally find in his courtroom thrillers. It's more laidback than those, although there is some suspense and a touch of blood and gore. This story is about people. It's about a town that changes over time and the townsfolk who change with it - some with relish and some kicking and screaming. It's about Willie Trainer, the newspaper owner who comes to town, an outsider, buys the newspaper, and over time gains the respect, loyalty and love of the town he serves. The true beauty of this book, though, is the incredible way that Mr. Grisham introduces you to the characters and the townspeople. Each character in this book is a story finely woven. You're not reading/hearing that Joe Blow eats eggs for breakfast and is wearing black pants and a blue shirt. You learn about these people: their past, their present, and you look forward to their future. The writing is masterful in the creation of characters that we care about, are interested in and who shape this story. When I finished the story, I actually left the radio off for the rest of my ride home just so I could think about what a wonderful story it was and how much I enjoyed it.
Following Grisham's other non-courtroom drama's, specifically A Painted House, I see his talent is truly in character development. But, while A Painted House was good, it wasn't like this story. This had a much more satisfying plot, filled with wonderful characters, and an end that was somewhat expected, but that provided an end to a tale and to an era. I recommend this story. The narration was wonderful. Don't go into it expecting the same old Grisham, though. Go into it expecting a good story about people who touch you.
This review is in reference to the unabridged audio version and the narration was excellent on this version. This is definitely a book for the commute.
I was very impressed. The first notable thing about this story is that while there is some courtroom time, it is NOT about a court case or a lawyer, etc, like many of Grisham's books. Grisham is a fine writer, but in this story about a small southern town and it's very young, very green newspaper editor/writer, he outdid himself. I'll warn that it doesn't have quite as much "excitement" and "suspense" as you occasionally find in his courtroom thrillers. It's more laidback than those, although there is some suspense and a touch of blood and gore. This story is about people. It's about a town that changes over time and the townsfolk who change with it - some with relish and some kicking and screaming. It's about Willie Trainer, the newspaper owner who comes to town, an outsider, buys the newspaper, and over time gains the respect, loyalty and love of the town he serves. The true beauty of this book, though, is the incredible way that Mr. Grisham introduces you to the characters and the townspeople. Each character in this book is a story finely woven. You're not reading/hearing that Joe Blow eats eggs for breakfast and is wearing black pants and a blue shirt. You learn about these people: their past, their present, and you look forward to their future. The writing is masterful in the creation of characters that we care about, are interested in and who shape this story. When I finished the story, I actually left the radio off for the rest of my ride home just so I could think about what a wonderful story it was and how much I enjoyed it.
Following Grisham's other non-courtroom drama's, specifically A Painted House, I see his talent is truly in character development. But, while A Painted House was good, it wasn't like this story. This had a much more satisfying plot, filled with wonderful characters, and an end that was somewhat expected, but that provided an end to a tale and to an era. I recommend this story. The narration was wonderful. Don't go into it expecting the same old Grisham, though. Go into it expecting a good story about people who touch you.
This review is in reference to the unabridged audio version and the narration was excellent on this version. This is definitely a book for the commute.
April 21, 2021
De vuelta a Clanton pero en el pasado (década de los setenta), esta novela no es precuela ni secuela de "Tiempo de Matar", pero repite algunos de los más entrañables antiheroes de Grisham. Volvemos con Wilbanks, ahora para odiarlo, conocemos un joven Harry Rex que ya era igual, y así otros más. Me parece que este libro se aparta del estilo legulello de la mayoría de las novelas de juicios del autor. Tiene mayor crítica social y una trama más sociológica para conocer el lado humano de ese pequeño pueblo. También aporta al conocimiento de la historia de USA, en particular del Sur profundo. A mí me recuerda la evolución de nuestras ciudades pequeñas en los últimos años. O tal vez a fines de los 90. La novela es un poco lenta, abarca muchas temáticas y divierte a velocidad algo menor de lo usual en Grisham. #elultimojurado #johngrisham
March 7, 2024
The Times was a very thin paper, and I knew immediately that it as in trouble. Heavy on the obits, light on news and advertising. The employees were disgruntled, but quiet and loyal. Jobs were scarce in Ford County in 1970. (PG 12)
This was a fun read and my 1000th book! Woohoo!
I enjoyed the flow of the story and the characters but it wasn't suspenseful like some of his other works. I liked the setting and year, which were Clanton, Mississippi in 1970. The story showed the injustice within the justice system and the small town vibes.
Great author that writes relatable people.
This was a fun read and my 1000th book! Woohoo!
I enjoyed the flow of the story and the characters but it wasn't suspenseful like some of his other works. I liked the setting and year, which were Clanton, Mississippi in 1970. The story showed the injustice within the justice system and the small town vibes.
Great author that writes relatable people.
May 11, 2021
I DON'T HIDE MY REVIEWS FOR SPOILERS. ON THE OTHER HAND I DON'T PUT THEM OUT ON ANY FEED.
This may be my favorite Grisham novel of all!
The law provides a layer to the story -- as to criminal sentencing, parole, business transactions, elections, divorce, probate -- but I was surprised it was not the key framework.
Instead, this is the tale of a dying weekly newspaper and the brash young Northern-educated Memphis journalist who buys it, turns it around, and during the process sinks roots into the tiny community of Clanton, Mississipi.
At its core, it is the story of journalist Will Traynor (whose name shifts to "Willie" in Clanton) and his friendship with a dignified, spiritual black woman named Miss Callie (who's an awesome cook and, therefore, not surprisingly obese, as well as a scrupulous recorder of typographical errors in Willie's paper, and a beloved icon to family and friends.)
Willie crosses a huge racial divide to get to know her.
Along the way, a brutal murder happens. Traynor covers the case. At trial, Miss Callie becomes the town's first black juror. Almost a decade later, someone with a grudge starts killing those jurors.
HUGE SPOILER HERE: Miss Callie is also the 'last juror," though not in the way you might expect.
Willie uses his newspaper to crusade -- aptly -- because it's the right thing to do. Also because he knows how to make it lucrative.
The book spans about nine years. Along the way Willie grows up. And makes a bundle.
Grisham's sense of humor is evident throughout, even as the book tackles serious themes including injustice, corruption and yellow journalism, as well as the cultures of small-town living, Southern-style church worship and Southern cooking.
I've enjoyed many of Grisham's titles. But never have I felt his humor so keenly as here.
This may be my favorite Grisham novel of all!
The law provides a layer to the story -- as to criminal sentencing, parole, business transactions, elections, divorce, probate -- but I was surprised it was not the key framework.
Instead, this is the tale of a dying weekly newspaper and the brash young Northern-educated Memphis journalist who buys it, turns it around, and during the process sinks roots into the tiny community of Clanton, Mississipi.
At its core, it is the story of journalist Will Traynor (whose name shifts to "Willie" in Clanton) and his friendship with a dignified, spiritual black woman named Miss Callie (who's an awesome cook and, therefore, not surprisingly obese, as well as a scrupulous recorder of typographical errors in Willie's paper, and a beloved icon to family and friends.)
Willie crosses a huge racial divide to get to know her.
Along the way, a brutal murder happens. Traynor covers the case. At trial, Miss Callie becomes the town's first black juror. Almost a decade later, someone with a grudge starts killing those jurors.
HUGE SPOILER HERE: Miss Callie is also the 'last juror," though not in the way you might expect.
Willie uses his newspaper to crusade -- aptly -- because it's the right thing to do. Also because he knows how to make it lucrative.
The book spans about nine years. Along the way Willie grows up. And makes a bundle.
Grisham's sense of humor is evident throughout, even as the book tackles serious themes including injustice, corruption and yellow journalism, as well as the cultures of small-town living, Southern-style church worship and Southern cooking.
I've enjoyed many of Grisham's titles. But never have I felt his humor so keenly as here.
November 22, 2010
I think this was the most overrated - over written- over plotted of any Grisham I have ever read. To be fair, I didn't read it in a book. I listened to it on tape. I liked Willie Traynor, the protagonist and Narrator, who bought a small town weekly newspaper and became a 23 year old celebrity in the town. There was a murder, of course - a vionent murder. Danny Padgit, the murderer was not sentenced to death. So far so good - but the title is "The Last Juror" We expect that the jurors will die one-by-one at the hands of this dreadful killer. But before we get there, we take numerous side trips - it took me so long to finish it that I forget some of them. Most significant was the relationship he built with Miss Callie over lunch every Thursday. He wrote articles on her seven children who had all graduated from college with PhD's and were all professors. Not too shabby for a black family in the 70's in Mississippi. He sidetracked to more than was necessary about racism in Mississippi in the 70's. He sidetracked about Viet Nam. Knowing the history of the Padgetts did nothing at all to further the plot. And in much the same way that Willie Traynor got tired of writing and sold the paper, I expect Grisham got tired of writing and before we got to the last juror, Miss Callie died. End of story. Huge disappointment.
July 30, 2015
Although I read this book quite a few years ago I still remember how much I enjoyed reading it.
I had read only a couple of Grisham's books up to that point and this one sounded like one that I would really enjoy reading and I did. I finished it over a weekend up at the cabin in just a few sittings.
There didn't seem to be as much courtroom time and I enjoyed the focus on the story in the small southern town. I really enjoyed the first person narrative. The characters are quite believable and the descriptions are vivid and understandable especially for the time in small town America. I also loved all of the descriptions of Miss Callie's wonderful cooking.
I got to know the town, its people, and the trauma they all experienced during the murder trial and the turmoil after the early release of a murderer. Grisham kept my interest throughout the book.
All in all a good story with interesting and well-developed characters.
I had read only a couple of Grisham's books up to that point and this one sounded like one that I would really enjoy reading and I did. I finished it over a weekend up at the cabin in just a few sittings.
There didn't seem to be as much courtroom time and I enjoyed the focus on the story in the small southern town. I really enjoyed the first person narrative. The characters are quite believable and the descriptions are vivid and understandable especially for the time in small town America. I also loved all of the descriptions of Miss Callie's wonderful cooking.
I got to know the town, its people, and the trauma they all experienced during the murder trial and the turmoil after the early release of a murderer. Grisham kept my interest throughout the book.
All in all a good story with interesting and well-developed characters.
September 17, 2010
رواية ممتعة ، تشدك بتفاصيلها الجميلة ..
قرية صغيرة تحدث فيها جريمة مفزعة ، يحاول البطل يكشف غموض القضية ويحاول يعرف من المجرم ..
أعجبني فيها كفاح البطل ، شلون كون مستقبله الوظيفي من الصفر ..
حماسة الشباب اللي عنده وروح المغامرة ..
قرية صغيرة تحدث فيها جريمة مفزعة ، يحاول البطل يكشف غموض القضية ويحاول يعرف من المجرم ..
أعجبني فيها كفاح البطل ، شلون كون مستقبله الوظيفي من الصفر ..
حماسة الشباب اللي عنده وروح المغامرة ..
December 11, 2019
Drags a bit in the middle
July 16, 2010
Wow, I am shocked at the amount of people who actually liked this book. Every two years or so I get the urge to read a Grisham novel in the hopes that it will be as good as his early work, but the last three books I've read have been a big disappointment (The Last Juror, The Broker and The King of Torts)
It's fine if Grisham wants to write something different than a legal thriller, but I wish his publishers didn't advertise this book as if it was. I really didn't want to read a book about small town southern life, especially a particularly boring southern town, but that is pretty much what this book is about. I found the characters to be uninteresting, particularly the main character. I thought it absolutely ridiculous that he sold the paper at the end so he could stay in the town and basically do nothing. The part where he went around to all the various churches in the area did nothing for the plot and it didn't even change his character mentally or spiritually. What was the point????
I did like how he brought back characters from A Time to Kill as Harry Rex is a great character, though I was disappointed about Lucien Wilbanks. I thought maybe the Padgitt case was the case that got him disbarred....but nope. He was disbarred for some other case that they barely mentioned. You would have thought that would be big news in that town, but apparently not. In A Time to Kill he was portrayed as a brilliant legal mind, but in this book he was a stereotypical defense attorney that did not impress me with his legal skills.
I thought the ending was ridiculous, both finding out who was killing the jurors and when Callie died....just awful. I kept reading this book hoping that the end would be worth it, but now I wish I had just stopped reading after page 100. I am referring to The Last Juror as the The Last Grisham Novel (that I will ever read).
It's fine if Grisham wants to write something different than a legal thriller, but I wish his publishers didn't advertise this book as if it was. I really didn't want to read a book about small town southern life, especially a particularly boring southern town, but that is pretty much what this book is about. I found the characters to be uninteresting, particularly the main character. I thought it absolutely ridiculous that he sold the paper at the end so he could stay in the town and basically do nothing. The part where he went around to all the various churches in the area did nothing for the plot and it didn't even change his character mentally or spiritually. What was the point????
I did like how he brought back characters from A Time to Kill as Harry Rex is a great character, though I was disappointed about Lucien Wilbanks. I thought maybe the Padgitt case was the case that got him disbarred....but nope. He was disbarred for some other case that they barely mentioned. You would have thought that would be big news in that town, but apparently not. In A Time to Kill he was portrayed as a brilliant legal mind, but in this book he was a stereotypical defense attorney that did not impress me with his legal skills.
I thought the ending was ridiculous, both finding out who was killing the jurors and when Callie died....just awful. I kept reading this book hoping that the end would be worth it, but now I wish I had just stopped reading after page 100. I am referring to The Last Juror as the The Last Grisham Novel (that I will ever read).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2024
4 Stars. Great but it dragged a little. I'm a long way from Mississippi but Grisham really has a way of bringing to life characters and the challenges of their daily lives in the deep south of the US. Through the eyes of 23-year-old Willy Traynor, the new owner of Clanton's weekly paper which he purchased for a song, we follow the 1970s story of the rape and murder of a young mother, the conviction of her accused killer, Danny Padgitt, and the terrible repercussions of his threat during the trial that, if the jury convicted him, he would come back after his release and kill them all. Yet the story does not revolve around Traynor or Padgitt. It's Callie Ruffin, a black woman from the other side of the tracks in town who is the centre of things. A great cook, she beckons young Willy every Thursday for lunch like a magnet draws a nickel. She's raised all but one of her 8 children to PhD level, and persuades Willy to take up religion. Callie becomes the first black person on a jury in Ford County, and it's her experience on the Padgitt jury and its aftermath which fascinates. Miss Callie is the last juror. Enjoy; I did. (Se2024)
December 17, 2017
This is my first Grisham novel and I absolutely loved it!
Set during 1970 in Mississippi, Willie Traynor a 23 year old dropout takes ownership of a falling newspaper.
One of the first items he's set to cover is a trial involving a rape and murder of a young mum.
The book really sets the tone of the era, Grisham expertly creates a vivid setting where the characters come to life.
I'm certainly intend to read more of he's bibliography.
Set during 1970 in Mississippi, Willie Traynor a 23 year old dropout takes ownership of a falling newspaper.
One of the first items he's set to cover is a trial involving a rape and murder of a young mum.
The book really sets the tone of the era, Grisham expertly creates a vivid setting where the characters come to life.
I'm certainly intend to read more of he's bibliography.
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