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The Chamber
In the corridors of Chicago's top law firm: Twenty -six-year-old Adam Hall stands on the brink of a brilliant legal career. Now he is risking it all for a death-row killer and an impossible case.
Maximum Security Unit, Mississippi State Prison: Sam Cayhall is a former Klansman and unrepentant racist now facing the death penalty for a fatal bombing in 1967. He has run out of chances -- except for one: the young, liberal Chicago lawyer who just happens to be his grandson.
While the executioners prepare the gas chamber, while the protesters gather and the TV cameras wait, Adam has only days, hours, minutes to save his client. For between the two men is a chasm of shame, family lies, and secrets -- including the one secret that could save Sam Cayhall's life... or cost Adam his.
--back cover
Maximum Security Unit, Mississippi State Prison: Sam Cayhall is a former Klansman and unrepentant racist now facing the death penalty for a fatal bombing in 1967. He has run out of chances -- except for one: the young, liberal Chicago lawyer who just happens to be his grandson.
While the executioners prepare the gas chamber, while the protesters gather and the TV cameras wait, Adam has only days, hours, minutes to save his client. For between the two men is a chasm of shame, family lies, and secrets -- including the one secret that could save Sam Cayhall's life... or cost Adam his.
--back cover
632 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1994
About the author
John Grisham
769 books77.1k followersJohn Grisham is the author of forty-seven consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include The Judge's List, Sooley, and his third Jake Brigance novel, A Time for Mercy, which is being developed by HBO as a limited series.
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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August 1, 2023
CLEMENCY
Tra i non pochi film che si occupano della pena di morte, ho trovato questo particolarmente efficace (e purtroppo anche poco noto).
Anche per me, che l’ho letto solo due volte (Il partner) – ma conosco diversi suoi romanzi attraverso le trasposizioni cinematografiche – Grisham è automaticamente associato al sud degli Stati Uniti: Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas… La zona di quella nazione nella quale è nato e cresciuto, e che quindi conosce bene.
Stati nei quali è nato e prosperato il famigerato KKK (Ku Klux Klan), i propugnatori della razza bianca. Ma sarebbe un errore credere che quelli che il Klan ha scelto come nemici sono solo i neri: tra i suoi obiettivi c’è anche quello di ripulire il mondo dagli ebrei, bianchi e neri (più, sicuramente, anche gli omosessuali).
Questa storia comincia proprio così: un attentato del KKK a un avvocato ebreo.
”Clemency” è del 2019, diretto dalla regista Chinonye Chukwu, interpretato magnificamente da Alfre Woodard, ha vinto il Gran Premio della Giuria al Sundance.
Trattandosi di Grisham, la trama è particolarmente importante: per cui evito di parlarne e commentarla. A parte che nonostante l’inizio, ambientato nel 1967 a Greenville Mississippi - nel pieno delle lotte degli afroamericani per rivendicare i loro diritti - l’attenzione si sposta presto proprio sull’attentatore, convinto e fedele membro del Klan, autore di diversi attentati e uccisioni. E qui saltiamo al 1990, le lotte sono alle spalle, l’integrazione razziale è avviata, certe cose sembrano ormai scontate, altre non suscitano sdegno (ma la strada è lunga, lo è tuttora).
Questo invece è il film adattamento del romanzo di Grisham: in originale conserva lo stesso titolo (in italiano è diventato “L’ultimo appello”), diretto da James Foley nel 1996, con risultato così così, sollevato dalle interpretazioni di Gene Hackman (che non ne ha mai sbagliata una) nei panni del vecchio condannato membro del KKK e da quella di Faye Dunaway nel ruolo di sua figlia, ma affossato da quella mediocre del protagonista Chris O’Donnell.
Pur se qui e là si prende il tempo per descrivere un arredo o un paesaggio, un abbigliamento o un momento atmosferico, Grisham rimane sempre sul pezzo: trama, fatti, accadimenti, sorprese, colpi di scena. Costruiti con cura, senza sottolineature, senza strombazzamenti, lontano dall’enfasi. Fondamentali a questo scopo sono i dialoghi a volte piuttosto lunghi: curati e limati, sono scanditi sul ritmo e il tono di quelli che sembrano più credibili. E qui si può andare a nozze con quelli in carcere - il famigerato penitenziario di Parchman - tra l’attentatore membro del Klan, ormai settantenne, a un passo (quattro settimane) dalla camera a gas, e il suo giovane avvocato pieno d’idee, energia e aspettative: lunghi, condotti come un gioco di fioretto, densi ma scorrevoli, viene voglia di sentirli pronunciare (recitare?), un autentico piacere.
Piano piano questo lungo romanzo diventa un micidiale atto d’accusa alla pena di morte, la sua assurdità, la sua fondamentale non giustizia. Più Grisham indaga e scava nelle pratiche e nei cavilli burocratici, nelle giravolte e nella spirale della legislazione, più la sua accusa si fa solida e sostanziata. Aver scelto come “vittima” un uomo che di vittime ne ha fatte molte, per le ragioni e i motivi più biechi (il razzismo, la protezione della pura razza bianca, l’assunto del KKK), rende il racconto ancora più pregnante.
D’altra parte il titolo originale è The Chamber e naturalmente la “camera” è quella a gas. Il titolo adottato in Italia fa invece riferimento alla quantità di appelli che si scatenano a ridosso dell’esecuzione, gli estremi tentativi degli avvocati per salvare la vita dei loro clienti.
Il romanzo è del 1994 e allora si cominciava a considerava la camera a gas - che aveva preso il posto della sedia elettrica – come strumento inefficace e ingiusto perché infliggeva morti lente, allungando il dolore del condannato oltre ogni ragionevole limite. Al suo posto si preferiva l’iniezione letale, guardata a quell’epoca come innovativa e sicura. Sappiamo bene che così non è, anche l’iniezione si è rivelato barbaro strumento per eseguire sentenze barbare.
Mi sono chiesto spesso perché ti danno da mangiare prima di ammazzarti. E fanno venire il dottore per una visita medica prima dell’esecuzione. Ci pensi? Vogliono essere sicuri che sei in forma per morire. E c’è anche uno strizzacervelli che ti esamina prima dell’esecuzione, e deve preparare un rapporto scritto per il direttore e dichiarare che sei sano di mente quanto basta perché possano gassarti. E hanno nel libro paga un pastore che prega e medita con te e si assicura che la tua anima sia avviata nella direzione giusta. Tutto pagato dai contribuenti dello stato del Mississippi e organizzato da questa brava gente premurosa. Non dimenticare la visita coniugale. Puoi morire con la libidine soddisfatta. Pensano a tutto. Sono molto gentili. Si preoccupano dell’appetito, della salute e del benessere spirituale. All’ultimo momento ti infilano un catetere nel pene e ti tappano il culo perché non sporchi tutto. Ma questo lo fanno nel loro interesse, non nel tuo, perché non vogliono essere costretti a pulirti dopo. Dunque ti fanno mangiare bene, tutto quello che vuoi, e poi ti mettono un tappo.
Tra i non pochi film che si occupano della pena di morte, ho trovato questo particolarmente efficace (e purtroppo anche poco noto).
Anche per me, che l’ho letto solo due volte (Il partner) – ma conosco diversi suoi romanzi attraverso le trasposizioni cinematografiche – Grisham è automaticamente associato al sud degli Stati Uniti: Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas… La zona di quella nazione nella quale è nato e cresciuto, e che quindi conosce bene.
Stati nei quali è nato e prosperato il famigerato KKK (Ku Klux Klan), i propugnatori della razza bianca. Ma sarebbe un errore credere che quelli che il Klan ha scelto come nemici sono solo i neri: tra i suoi obiettivi c’è anche quello di ripulire il mondo dagli ebrei, bianchi e neri (più, sicuramente, anche gli omosessuali).
Questa storia comincia proprio così: un attentato del KKK a un avvocato ebreo.
”Clemency” è del 2019, diretto dalla regista Chinonye Chukwu, interpretato magnificamente da Alfre Woodard, ha vinto il Gran Premio della Giuria al Sundance.
Trattandosi di Grisham, la trama è particolarmente importante: per cui evito di parlarne e commentarla. A parte che nonostante l’inizio, ambientato nel 1967 a Greenville Mississippi - nel pieno delle lotte degli afroamericani per rivendicare i loro diritti - l’attenzione si sposta presto proprio sull’attentatore, convinto e fedele membro del Klan, autore di diversi attentati e uccisioni. E qui saltiamo al 1990, le lotte sono alle spalle, l’integrazione razziale è avviata, certe cose sembrano ormai scontate, altre non suscitano sdegno (ma la strada è lunga, lo è tuttora).
Questo invece è il film adattamento del romanzo di Grisham: in originale conserva lo stesso titolo (in italiano è diventato “L’ultimo appello”), diretto da James Foley nel 1996, con risultato così così, sollevato dalle interpretazioni di Gene Hackman (che non ne ha mai sbagliata una) nei panni del vecchio condannato membro del KKK e da quella di Faye Dunaway nel ruolo di sua figlia, ma affossato da quella mediocre del protagonista Chris O’Donnell.
Pur se qui e là si prende il tempo per descrivere un arredo o un paesaggio, un abbigliamento o un momento atmosferico, Grisham rimane sempre sul pezzo: trama, fatti, accadimenti, sorprese, colpi di scena. Costruiti con cura, senza sottolineature, senza strombazzamenti, lontano dall’enfasi. Fondamentali a questo scopo sono i dialoghi a volte piuttosto lunghi: curati e limati, sono scanditi sul ritmo e il tono di quelli che sembrano più credibili. E qui si può andare a nozze con quelli in carcere - il famigerato penitenziario di Parchman - tra l’attentatore membro del Klan, ormai settantenne, a un passo (quattro settimane) dalla camera a gas, e il suo giovane avvocato pieno d’idee, energia e aspettative: lunghi, condotti come un gioco di fioretto, densi ma scorrevoli, viene voglia di sentirli pronunciare (recitare?), un autentico piacere.
Piano piano questo lungo romanzo diventa un micidiale atto d’accusa alla pena di morte, la sua assurdità, la sua fondamentale non giustizia. Più Grisham indaga e scava nelle pratiche e nei cavilli burocratici, nelle giravolte e nella spirale della legislazione, più la sua accusa si fa solida e sostanziata. Aver scelto come “vittima” un uomo che di vittime ne ha fatte molte, per le ragioni e i motivi più biechi (il razzismo, la protezione della pura razza bianca, l’assunto del KKK), rende il racconto ancora più pregnante.
D’altra parte il titolo originale è The Chamber e naturalmente la “camera” è quella a gas. Il titolo adottato in Italia fa invece riferimento alla quantità di appelli che si scatenano a ridosso dell’esecuzione, gli estremi tentativi degli avvocati per salvare la vita dei loro clienti.
Il romanzo è del 1994 e allora si cominciava a considerava la camera a gas - che aveva preso il posto della sedia elettrica – come strumento inefficace e ingiusto perché infliggeva morti lente, allungando il dolore del condannato oltre ogni ragionevole limite. Al suo posto si preferiva l’iniezione letale, guardata a quell’epoca come innovativa e sicura. Sappiamo bene che così non è, anche l’iniezione si è rivelato barbaro strumento per eseguire sentenze barbare.
Mi sono chiesto spesso perché ti danno da mangiare prima di ammazzarti. E fanno venire il dottore per una visita medica prima dell’esecuzione. Ci pensi? Vogliono essere sicuri che sei in forma per morire. E c’è anche uno strizzacervelli che ti esamina prima dell’esecuzione, e deve preparare un rapporto scritto per il direttore e dichiarare che sei sano di mente quanto basta perché possano gassarti. E hanno nel libro paga un pastore che prega e medita con te e si assicura che la tua anima sia avviata nella direzione giusta. Tutto pagato dai contribuenti dello stato del Mississippi e organizzato da questa brava gente premurosa. Non dimenticare la visita coniugale. Puoi morire con la libidine soddisfatta. Pensano a tutto. Sono molto gentili. Si preoccupano dell’appetito, della salute e del benessere spirituale. All’ultimo momento ti infilano un catetere nel pene e ti tappano il culo perché non sporchi tutto. Ma questo lo fanno nel loro interesse, non nel tuo, perché non vogliono essere costretti a pulirti dopo. Dunque ti fanno mangiare bene, tutto quello che vuoi, e poi ti mettono un tappo.
October 25, 2018
I started reading this book in December. Why did it take me so long to finish it? Because of the topic: death row, KKK, racism plus I saw the movie before reading it. I am strongly against death row and I can't believe something so inhumane can be legal. These things are so horrible and painful to read and because of that I've read it only a couple of times a month. It made me feel so sad every time I read it. It's a great book, amazing writing, but really sad. You can't read it with a dry eye. I didn't.
December 21, 2008
I thought this was one of the most impacting novels I have read for a long time. Grisham thoroughly explores the implications of the death penalty and creates a well-rounded and complex character in Sam Cayhall. You come to hate him and pity him, asking yourself whether he really deserves death and cheering Adam on as he tries to save him. A book I will never forget.
November 20, 2016
“Look at me," he said, glancing
down at his legs. "A wretched old man in a red monkey suit. A convicted murderer about
to be gassed like an animal. And look at you. A fine young man with a beautiful
education and a bright future. Where in the world did I go wrong? What happened to me?
I've spent my
life hating people, and look what I have to show for it. You, you don't hate anybody. And
look where you're headed. We have the same blood. Why am I here?”
Oh My God..Fantastic..
down at his legs. "A wretched old man in a red monkey suit. A convicted murderer about
to be gassed like an animal. And look at you. A fine young man with a beautiful
education and a bright future. Where in the world did I go wrong? What happened to me?
I've spent my
life hating people, and look what I have to show for it. You, you don't hate anybody. And
look where you're headed. We have the same blood. Why am I here?”
Oh My God..Fantastic..
November 18, 2017
The Chamber, John Grisham
The Chamber (1994) is a legal thriller written by American author John Grisham. It is Grisham's fifth novel. In 1967, in Greenville, Mississippi, the office of Jewish lawyer Marvin Kramer is bombed, injuring Kramer and killing his two young sons. Sam Cayhall, a member of the Ku Klux Klan, is identified, arrested and tried for their murders, committed in retaliation for Kramer's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Sam's first two trials, engineered by his Klan-connected lawyer, each end in a mistrial. Twenty years later, the FBI pressures a suspected associate to testify against Sam at a third trial. Sam is convicted and sentenced to death by lethal gas. He is sent to the Mississippi State Penitentiary and placed on death row. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: دوم ماه اکتبر سال 1996 میلادی
عنوان: اتاق مجازات؛ نویسنده: جان گریشام؛ مترجم: فریده مهدوی دامغانی؛ تهران، درسا، 1374، در 1006 ص؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان امریکایی - قرن 29 م
عنوان: اتاق مرگ؛ نویسنده: جان گریشام؛ مترجم: هادی عادلپور؛ تهران، کوشش، 1374، در 674 ص؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان امریکایی - قرن 29 م
بمب گذاری دفتر وکیل رادیکال یهودی با سهولت به مرحله اجرا درآمد. اتخاذ این تصمیم وقت زیادی نگرفت. تنها سه نفر در ماجرا شرکت داشتند. ...؛ ا. شربیانی
The Chamber (1994) is a legal thriller written by American author John Grisham. It is Grisham's fifth novel. In 1967, in Greenville, Mississippi, the office of Jewish lawyer Marvin Kramer is bombed, injuring Kramer and killing his two young sons. Sam Cayhall, a member of the Ku Klux Klan, is identified, arrested and tried for their murders, committed in retaliation for Kramer's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Sam's first two trials, engineered by his Klan-connected lawyer, each end in a mistrial. Twenty years later, the FBI pressures a suspected associate to testify against Sam at a third trial. Sam is convicted and sentenced to death by lethal gas. He is sent to the Mississippi State Penitentiary and placed on death row. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: دوم ماه اکتبر سال 1996 میلادی
عنوان: اتاق مجازات؛ نویسنده: جان گریشام؛ مترجم: فریده مهدوی دامغانی؛ تهران، درسا، 1374، در 1006 ص؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان امریکایی - قرن 29 م
عنوان: اتاق مرگ؛ نویسنده: جان گریشام؛ مترجم: هادی عادلپور؛ تهران، کوشش، 1374، در 674 ص؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان امریکایی - قرن 29 م
بمب گذاری دفتر وکیل رادیکال یهودی با سهولت به مرحله اجرا درآمد. اتخاذ این تصمیم وقت زیادی نگرفت. تنها سه نفر در ماجرا شرکت داشتند. ...؛ ا. شربیانی
October 10, 2012
Just finished rereading this amazing book. This isn't one of Grisham's more popular stories however this book was a life transforming experience for me. Two issues this book forced me to deal with on my first reading in 1994: 1) How can people - any people, "Cluckers" (KKK), the Taliban, street gangs,Fred Phelps and congregation, boy soldiers of Sierra Leone, contract killers, even bullies, et al - be so cruel and mean and hateful? Where is compassion? How did they miss that piece of life? How could even members of my own family be so racist (all from Arkansas)? 2)Do I truly oppose the death penalty or do I just "tout" that I oppose the death penalty?
Good to read this again and be reminded of my own compassion and convictions. Pps 400-401 are the magic ones for me. Adam looking at the picture of Sam, his grandfather at 15, celebrating the lynching of a black man with neighbors and family - "He studied the clear, beautiful eyes of his grandfather and his heart ached. He was just a boy, born and reared in a household where hatred of blacks and others was simply a way of life. How much of it could be blamed on him? Look at those around him, his father, family, friends and neighbors, all probably honest, poor, hardworking people caught for the moment at the end of a cruel ceremony that was commonplace in their society. Sam didn't have a chance. This was the only world he knew. . . . would Adam have been right there in the middle of them if he had been born forty years earlier? . . .How is God's world could Sam Cayhall have become anything other than himself?"
Certainly that is not the answer in every circumstance - there is still the nature or nurture question. But this book cemented my own understanding of "situatedness" and has informed my compassionate self, assisted in transforming my spiritual sense to a place of understanding. Not every time, of course, but often.
And the death penalty? Absolutely not. No gas chamber, no lethal injection, no firing squad. However, I always add this caveat: I have never had a loved one who has been a victim of a capital crime. I would hope that my convictions would remain if that were ever the case.
Good to read this again and be reminded of my own compassion and convictions. Pps 400-401 are the magic ones for me. Adam looking at the picture of Sam, his grandfather at 15, celebrating the lynching of a black man with neighbors and family - "He studied the clear, beautiful eyes of his grandfather and his heart ached. He was just a boy, born and reared in a household where hatred of blacks and others was simply a way of life. How much of it could be blamed on him? Look at those around him, his father, family, friends and neighbors, all probably honest, poor, hardworking people caught for the moment at the end of a cruel ceremony that was commonplace in their society. Sam didn't have a chance. This was the only world he knew. . . . would Adam have been right there in the middle of them if he had been born forty years earlier? . . .How is God's world could Sam Cayhall have become anything other than himself?"
Certainly that is not the answer in every circumstance - there is still the nature or nurture question. But this book cemented my own understanding of "situatedness" and has informed my compassionate self, assisted in transforming my spiritual sense to a place of understanding. Not every time, of course, but often.
And the death penalty? Absolutely not. No gas chamber, no lethal injection, no firing squad. However, I always add this caveat: I have never had a loved one who has been a victim of a capital crime. I would hope that my convictions would remain if that were ever the case.
January 29, 2018
Grisham uses fiction to make a compelling case for the abolition of the death penalty.
I wouldn't describe this as a thriller, or even a drama, the pace is painfully slow. Sam is languishing on death row having been involved with the KKK in his younger years. He is now an old man preparing for death in the gas chamber.
Adam is his lawyer grandson with a fascination for the case and a familial bond which he doesn't quite understand. Managing to get assigned to Sam's case, he throws everything into the investigation. Will it be enough, though, to prevent the execution?
This book is heavily biased against capital punishment especially using gas chambers. Grisham develops the characters so effectively that an emotional response to Sam is manipulated from the reader. The goal is to remind those in favour of the death penalty that the people on death row are still humans, that some of them may be innocent, or at least innocent of the motivations that got them sentenced to death in the first place. Grisham has achieved this goal.
The Gospel message is somehow included in this book almost in its entirety. It begins with the message that God will forgive repentant sinners, but then continues to explain that it is only through Jesus that we can be forgiven. Grisham stops short of making it clear that Jesus was our substitute on the cross but He does say that He died for our sin. I wasn't expecting to see this as he isn't usually as clear in this area.
There is a fair amount of cursing using border-line swear words and abuse but not really strongly offensive language. There is some sexual content but nothing graphic. There is obviously violence, but it wasn't gratuitous.
I was bored in places in this novel and felt it could have been a lot shorter. I'm rating this according to my Grisham scale as I have high expectations.
Check out my John Grisham Shelf!
I wouldn't describe this as a thriller, or even a drama, the pace is painfully slow. Sam is languishing on death row having been involved with the KKK in his younger years. He is now an old man preparing for death in the gas chamber.
Adam is his lawyer grandson with a fascination for the case and a familial bond which he doesn't quite understand. Managing to get assigned to Sam's case, he throws everything into the investigation. Will it be enough, though, to prevent the execution?
This book is heavily biased against capital punishment especially using gas chambers. Grisham develops the characters so effectively that an emotional response to Sam is manipulated from the reader. The goal is to remind those in favour of the death penalty that the people on death row are still humans, that some of them may be innocent, or at least innocent of the motivations that got them sentenced to death in the first place. Grisham has achieved this goal.
The Gospel message is somehow included in this book almost in its entirety. It begins with the message that God will forgive repentant sinners, but then continues to explain that it is only through Jesus that we can be forgiven. Grisham stops short of making it clear that Jesus was our substitute on the cross but He does say that He died for our sin. I wasn't expecting to see this as he isn't usually as clear in this area.
There is a fair amount of cursing using border-line swear words and abuse but not really strongly offensive language. There is some sexual content but nothing graphic. There is obviously violence, but it wasn't gratuitous.
I was bored in places in this novel and felt it could have been a lot shorter. I'm rating this according to my Grisham scale as I have high expectations.
Check out my John Grisham Shelf!
November 3, 2013
Typically I am a Sci-fi/Fantasy reader, with a smattering of historical fiction thrown in. Really I'll read just about anything, but I have weakness for fairy tales. So when my dad recommended this book to me, and went as far as to buy it and give it to me, I was like... okay... But I decided to give it a chance because it's a book, and I like books.
And my response was: Wow. I have read very few things as heart stirring and thought provoking as this book. Who could like a KKK member? Murdering people is ALWAYS bad, right? And shouldn't people who murder people die? Before I read this book I would have said not me, yes, and yes, to each of those questions (respectively). Now though? I would say it depends, yes, and I don't know. I learned a lot about humanity. I also learned that the best ending isn't always the happiest one. Wow. This book is good. No matter what your typical genre is, take a break and give this book a chance.
And my response was: Wow. I have read very few things as heart stirring and thought provoking as this book. Who could like a KKK member? Murdering people is ALWAYS bad, right? And shouldn't people who murder people die? Before I read this book I would have said not me, yes, and yes, to each of those questions (respectively). Now though? I would say it depends, yes, and I don't know. I learned a lot about humanity. I also learned that the best ending isn't always the happiest one. Wow. This book is good. No matter what your typical genre is, take a break and give this book a chance.
May 26, 2016
4.5 stars
How could Adam ever reconcile the past with the present? How could he fairly judge these people and their horrible deed when, but for a quirk of fate, he would have been right there in the middle of them had he been born forty years earlier?...If Sam was lynching at such an early age, what could be expected of him as an adult?...How in God's world could Sam Cayhall have become anything other than himself? He never had a chance.
This is my first John Grisham novel, purchased for a dollar at a local consignment shop. It's the story of a young attorney who decides he wants to represent a grandfather he only recently learned he had and who is on death row for his part in a KKK killing decades earlier.
In many ways, this reads like southern Gothic fiction, which I generally enjoy so it's no surprise that I liked this as much as I did.
In addition to exploring racism in the south, Grisham tackles the morality of the death penalty and also seems to be delving into the topic of "free will." For those reasons alone, I thought this was a compelling read.
The argument made against the death penalty is a familiar one, that state condoned killing is cruel and immoral and doesn't really solve anything. Interestingly, I'm reading one of his earlier books called A Time to Kill where he makes a moral argument in favor of a father charged with killing two men who brutally raped and beat (almost to death) his ten-year old daughter.
Both arguments, while seemingly at odds with each other, are strong and thought provoking.
The two criticisms that seemed to appear in many of the less enthusiastic reviews I read are 1. This is much different than his other books and 2. It was way, way too long. This being my only Grisham book, I can't speak to the first complaint. I do feel as if the book was long, maybe longer than it had to be. Yet on the flip side, I think the pacing of the book and its length mirror the death row process. So in that sense, it almost seems appropriate.
GR friends that have read this seem underwhelmed. Most awarding only 3 stars. But I liked it. Really liked it. Grisham is a phenomenal writer.
How could Adam ever reconcile the past with the present? How could he fairly judge these people and their horrible deed when, but for a quirk of fate, he would have been right there in the middle of them had he been born forty years earlier?...If Sam was lynching at such an early age, what could be expected of him as an adult?...How in God's world could Sam Cayhall have become anything other than himself? He never had a chance.
This is my first John Grisham novel, purchased for a dollar at a local consignment shop. It's the story of a young attorney who decides he wants to represent a grandfather he only recently learned he had and who is on death row for his part in a KKK killing decades earlier.
In many ways, this reads like southern Gothic fiction, which I generally enjoy so it's no surprise that I liked this as much as I did.
In addition to exploring racism in the south, Grisham tackles the morality of the death penalty and also seems to be delving into the topic of "free will." For those reasons alone, I thought this was a compelling read.
The argument made against the death penalty is a familiar one, that state condoned killing is cruel and immoral and doesn't really solve anything. Interestingly, I'm reading one of his earlier books called A Time to Kill where he makes a moral argument in favor of a father charged with killing two men who brutally raped and beat (almost to death) his ten-year old daughter.
Both arguments, while seemingly at odds with each other, are strong and thought provoking.
The two criticisms that seemed to appear in many of the less enthusiastic reviews I read are 1. This is much different than his other books and 2. It was way, way too long. This being my only Grisham book, I can't speak to the first complaint. I do feel as if the book was long, maybe longer than it had to be. Yet on the flip side, I think the pacing of the book and its length mirror the death row process. So in that sense, it almost seems appropriate.
GR friends that have read this seem underwhelmed. Most awarding only 3 stars. But I liked it. Really liked it. Grisham is a phenomenal writer.
July 26, 2008
I have strong feelings and opinions related to this book that delves deeper into the issue of "an eye for an eye" as it relates to the judicial systems of the day. A great side story about a member of the KKK after the civil war during the segragation conflict. Being from a rural southern area, riding around as a child with a father who always kept a "nigger knocker" under the seat, and having family that still refuses to grasp the concept of nonjudgmental equality, I really thought this book showed the true side of descriminatin and reverse discrimination that could cause one to reflect on their belief system regarding the death penalty.
October 12, 2019
Made me wish once again that Grisham's books were shorter. The pace is very slow.
Grim subject matter,the story of a death row prisoner,the death penalty and the Klu Klux clan.
Grim subject matter,the story of a death row prisoner,the death penalty and the Klu Klux clan.
August 20, 2019
This is one of John 'S best deep hard political crime Thriller books of this century it's biggest point is the death penalty because of it whole story is a flash back.
I am against the death penalty because in America it is disgusting that any person even if are filth that should not be keeped on death row for 20ys.
This brilliant book all about waiting to die.My mother would not read it she said it was to upsetting. but that's why I recommend it so see both sides.
The Chamber was in my thoughts today the 20th August 19 because of murder of that police officer once again the hole point of this book one sentence 'Hang them high'
I am against the death penalty because in America it is disgusting that any person even if are filth that should not be keeped on death row for 20ys.
This brilliant book all about waiting to die.My mother would not read it she said it was to upsetting. but that's why I recommend it so see both sides.
The Chamber was in my thoughts today the 20th August 19 because of murder of that police officer once again the hole point of this book one sentence 'Hang them high'
May 20, 2019
Adam Hall grew up moving from place to place, his family never speaking of any family history. As far as Adam knew he had no other family than his parents and his younger sister. That all changed at Adam's father's funeral when Adam was seventeen. His father's sister attended the funeral and shared some of the family histories with young Adam. Adam was the grandson of Sam Cayhill, a murderer residing on death row. As Adam completed college and law school he was obsessed with learning all he could about his family history. Adam accepts his first job with the Jewish law firm that had until just recently represented his grandfather. With an execution date four weeks away Adam was able to convince the head of the pro bono section of his law firm to allow him to try and convince his grandfather to rehire the firm with Adam as his attorney. Sam had been convicted of a KKK at bombing killing two children and maiming one. The story revolves around the racial sentiments at the time of the bombing and the last-ditch efforts made for Sam as he awaits execution. Adam does not believe in the death penalty and fights to prove it is cruel and inhumane. Along the way, Adam learns much about his extended family and although he begins this journey despising his grandfather, in the end, he finds himself caring for him. As you travel this journey with Adam and Sam you find not only that they change, but find yourself changing. Having lived in the South during segregation and the accompanying racial tensions it brought back dark memories of that time of our countries history. This was an excellent read.
October 21, 2020
Unbelievably good! This is the best John Grisham book I have ever read and one of the top books I've read last year. The story was fantastic and so incredibly moving.
This is really a book that stays with you long after you read it!
This is really a book that stays with you long after you read it!
July 4, 2021
Grisham has written much better novels. In this book, he seems hellbent on ramming the message home that capital punishment is plain wrong. I didn't need convincing even before reading this book, but found the story to be a little laboured.
October 12, 2016
I wanted to give this book a 5-star rating because it gave an in-depth view of what it's like to be on death row waiting for the gas chamber, but it went on too long and could have been more exciting due to some other plot lines. It was very well written and kept my interest regardless.
December 30, 2021
Interesante, entretenido, pero también complicado y lento.
November 4, 2017
A well written book on the the subject of capital punishment. "Can you avenge a murder with the death of the murderer, and that too after lapse of many years?" is the question that was subtly raised throughout the book. From a legal point of view the book had merit as the story unfolds the defects of the methods that used to carry out execution thus showing a cruel side of the justice system. In this light, the book can perhaps seen as advocating for the abolition of capital punishment. However from a fictional point of view, it was much a socio-legal commentary than a story.
October 1, 2013
I generally was not a John Grisham fan. I had read "Peligan Brief" many years ago and found it too detailed and too boring. This is not the way I felt about this book - so John Grisham, you have earned your way back into my reading library.
The Gas Chamber is being prepared....time is running out - - Will this client be set free? John Grisham takes you through every emotion - - liking this client and even somewhat accepting perhaps of what he did - - to hating this guy and wanting to pull the gas line on him yourself.
I found myself biting my nails as I got near the ending.....I almost felt time was running out for me! In the literature world everyone loves a 'happy' ending...which would mean the guy would get set free and live a forgiving life....but does he? Can you, while reading, come up with a solution as to why this guy should/should not be set free. He freely admist the crime...that is never the question....then what else is there to say? A lot!!! You'll find yourself grabbing every minute you can to read the next paragraph......
The Gas Chamber is being prepared....time is running out - - Will this client be set free? John Grisham takes you through every emotion - - liking this client and even somewhat accepting perhaps of what he did - - to hating this guy and wanting to pull the gas line on him yourself.
I found myself biting my nails as I got near the ending.....I almost felt time was running out for me! In the literature world everyone loves a 'happy' ending...which would mean the guy would get set free and live a forgiving life....but does he? Can you, while reading, come up with a solution as to why this guy should/should not be set free. He freely admist the crime...that is never the question....then what else is there to say? A lot!!! You'll find yourself grabbing every minute you can to read the next paragraph......
August 12, 2013
I've read a couple of Grishams that had very rich and exciting plots, only to end abruptly, leaving the reader wanting for more.
I'm happy to say that that's not the case with The Chamber. This story has both the thrills and the heart and it carried through to the end. It was an exciting read, and tugs at the heart at the same time; I almost cried in some of the scenes.
I admire the character of Adam Hall, I wish there were more people like him in real life - those who would put the good of the family first, no matter what the price. I also admire the character of Sam Cayhall. Observers would say he deserved what he got (and maybe he did, who can really tell), but only he would know that he had made peace with himself and with God somehow before his end; and Sam did not see the need for this to be publicized. It's a sad story, but there was redemption at the end. Something good was borne out of something bad; and that's not a lesson to be ignored.
I'm happy to say that that's not the case with The Chamber. This story has both the thrills and the heart and it carried through to the end. It was an exciting read, and tugs at the heart at the same time; I almost cried in some of the scenes.
I admire the character of Adam Hall, I wish there were more people like him in real life - those who would put the good of the family first, no matter what the price. I also admire the character of Sam Cayhall. Observers would say he deserved what he got (and maybe he did, who can really tell), but only he would know that he had made peace with himself and with God somehow before his end; and Sam did not see the need for this to be publicized. It's a sad story, but there was redemption at the end. Something good was borne out of something bad; and that's not a lesson to be ignored.
June 11, 2015
Loved this book. Always enjoyed Grisham, and even though this book originally came out 20 years ago, its still relevant. You can almost feel the horror of being on Death Row, knowing you only have a certain time to live. Good characters, believable storyline.....the end, almost made me cry which never happens! Please read this, I think everyone in America needs too.
May 27, 2011
Though I haven’t read this book entirely, it so far is actually quite captivating. As a whole, it has kept hold of my attention. It also has a hint of humor in it, too. John Grisham having a background in law has put his knowledge and experience in his books.
“The Chamber” is about a young, bright lawyer, Adam Hall, who joined the Kravitz & Bane firm solely to represent and defend his grandfather, the infamous ex-Klansman Sam Cayhall, who is in Death Row for the bombing of the Kramer Firm, killing two children. Sam Cayhall is due to be sent into the gas chamber for the two murders. Adam risks everything to give his grandfather another appeal and to learn more about his family’s dark history in the process.
I was moved by Adam’s bravery and courage for exposing himself as the grandson of an infamous Klansman. While the other family members hide and disregard Sam as an embarrassment to the family, Adam comes out of hiding to save his grandfather. No matter how racist or horrible his grandfather was, he is still willing to fight to represent and get his grandfather out of Death Row and give him a second chance in life no matter the cost.
I actually have two favorite parts. I liked the second chapter because it’s about when Adam reveals himself as one of his firm’s client’s long-lost grandson to his superiors at the firm and struggles to get the chance to represent his grandfather. My other favorite part is when Adam learns more about his family. He learns of a first cousin who fled to Europe from his aunt who is the daughter of Sam Cayhall.
In my opinion, I think this one of his best books, because it shows the horrors of the death penalty. He really brings out in detail of the different death penalty devices in history and their horrible effect on the people they are made to kill.
“The Chamber” is about a young, bright lawyer, Adam Hall, who joined the Kravitz & Bane firm solely to represent and defend his grandfather, the infamous ex-Klansman Sam Cayhall, who is in Death Row for the bombing of the Kramer Firm, killing two children. Sam Cayhall is due to be sent into the gas chamber for the two murders. Adam risks everything to give his grandfather another appeal and to learn more about his family’s dark history in the process.
I was moved by Adam’s bravery and courage for exposing himself as the grandson of an infamous Klansman. While the other family members hide and disregard Sam as an embarrassment to the family, Adam comes out of hiding to save his grandfather. No matter how racist or horrible his grandfather was, he is still willing to fight to represent and get his grandfather out of Death Row and give him a second chance in life no matter the cost.
I actually have two favorite parts. I liked the second chapter because it’s about when Adam reveals himself as one of his firm’s client’s long-lost grandson to his superiors at the firm and struggles to get the chance to represent his grandfather. My other favorite part is when Adam learns more about his family. He learns of a first cousin who fled to Europe from his aunt who is the daughter of Sam Cayhall.
In my opinion, I think this one of his best books, because it shows the horrors of the death penalty. He really brings out in detail of the different death penalty devices in history and their horrible effect on the people they are made to kill.
January 20, 2014
The chamber is one of my favorite books. The author, John Grisham, has a simple way of writing where in all of his books he addresses issues such as law , politic, racism. His books are definitely strong books that cover strong topics. The chamber basically talks about a man who is being convicted and executed because of something he has done a long time back. But his lawyer/grandson thinks otherwise. Slowly, he works out things until he reaches the truth. But after finding out the truth, he might save his grandfathers life and end his. Its full of suspense and definitely keeps the reader on the hook . i recommend this book and rate it a 4.
June 20, 2022
Sam Cayhall, een fanatiek lid van de Ku-Klux-Klan is veroordeeld voor de moord op twee joodse jongetjes. Het vonnis is de doodstraf. Een maand voor de executie komt Adam Hall, de kleinzoon van Sam, hem bezoeken. Hij is advocaat en wil zijn grootvader juridisch bijstaan. Hij hoopt dat hij Sam toch nog zal kunnen vrijpleiten.
In dit boek wordt uitgebreid ingegaan op de wetgeving in Mississippi betreffende de doodstraf. De executie wordt ten tijde van het verhaal nog voltrokken door verstikking in de gaskamer.
Het leven in de 'dodengang', de gevangenis waar de ter dood veroordeelden wachten op de voltrekking van hun vonnis, wordt ook beschreven.
Dan is er natuurlijk het verhaal van Sam, hoe fanatiek hij was, welke misdaden hij allemaal begaan heeft, zijn achtergrond.
Adam is de zoon van Sam's zoon Eddie. Eddie heeft zelfmoord gepleegd ten gevolge van de veroordeling van zijn vader. Sam heeft ook nog een dochter, Lee, die een alcoholiste is.
De daad van Sam (of was de eigenlijke dader toch iemand anders en was Sam de medeplichtige?) heeft een invloed gehad op vele mensen.
Het is dus voor Adam moeilijk om met al die kennis om te gaan, en dan ook nog te proberen zijn grootvader te behoeden voor de gaskamer.
Ik vond dit een spannend boek, maar je moet wel de tijd nemen om het rustig te lezen en al de informatie op te nemen.
Dit boek wekt sterke emoties op over de doodstraf.
In dit boek wordt uitgebreid ingegaan op de wetgeving in Mississippi betreffende de doodstraf. De executie wordt ten tijde van het verhaal nog voltrokken door verstikking in de gaskamer.
Het leven in de 'dodengang', de gevangenis waar de ter dood veroordeelden wachten op de voltrekking van hun vonnis, wordt ook beschreven.
Dan is er natuurlijk het verhaal van Sam, hoe fanatiek hij was, welke misdaden hij allemaal begaan heeft, zijn achtergrond.
Adam is de zoon van Sam's zoon Eddie. Eddie heeft zelfmoord gepleegd ten gevolge van de veroordeling van zijn vader. Sam heeft ook nog een dochter, Lee, die een alcoholiste is.
De daad van Sam (of was de eigenlijke dader toch iemand anders en was Sam de medeplichtige?) heeft een invloed gehad op vele mensen.
Het is dus voor Adam moeilijk om met al die kennis om te gaan, en dan ook nog te proberen zijn grootvader te behoeden voor de gaskamer.
Ik vond dit een spannend boek, maar je moet wel de tijd nemen om het rustig te lezen en al de informatie op te nemen.
Dit boek wekt sterke emoties op over de doodstraf.
July 10, 2016
As usual, enthralling.
February 28, 2010
In some metafictional world, I suppose, the painfully slow pace of this novel could be seen as an intentional strategy meant to reproduce the agonizing waiting that is involved in ensuring that a condemned prisoner keeps his appointment with the death house, but the book’s slackness is much more likely a simple reflection of the enormous difficulty Grisham encountered in telling a story whose ending was inevitable and which was, thus, incapable of producing any genuine dramatic tension. As it is, Grisham walks a thin line between depicting, on the one hand, the gruesome pitilessness of Sam Cayhall's crimes and the anguish of his victims and their families and, on the other, creating sympathy for the suffering of Cayhall and his own family (especially his grandson, Adam, the young lawyer who attempts to save Cayhall's life). In the end, the book comes down squarely against the death penalty, doing what it can to make clear that Cayhall’s crimes rippled far beyond his immediate victims, engulfing his own children and grandchildren in a legacy of suffering that permanently shapes their lives and threatens to have no end. (The demons, says Cayhall's daughter, Lee, in the book's final chapters, are never destroyed; they just go off to haunt someone else.) In that way, Grisham lets Cayhall stand as a symbol of the decades of hate in the South, the lynchings and racism, the crimes condoned, the horrors institutionalized, and his death is meant to suggest not that such an era has disappeared but rather to signal the end of a time in which no other choice was possible. “If I’d never heard of the Klan,” Cayhall declares in his final hours, “I’d be a free man today.” And so would the South, Grisham seems to suggest. At the conclusion of the novel, Grisham permits Adam and his aunt, Lee, to walk away with some small hope, but with their pain fully intact. Whether Cayhall’s death brought relief to his victims’ families or closed an agonizing chapter in Mississippi history, as the spineless, politically ambitious governor intones, remains an open question. Grisham nonetheless makes his own beliefs clear, and any reasonable reader would have difficulty discarding them: Cayhall’s execution changes nothing, resolves nothing, serves no tangible purpose. It is a last, useless act in the history of useless acts that Grisham traces. And perhaps that is what makes The Chamber such an utterly melancholy read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2023
Only Grisham could write a novel that would entertain me about prison (my least favorite subject) and a defense attorney (not in my top 10 favorite's either). Brillant dialogue as always and a mysterious accomplice make this a solid 4-star novel.
The number of appeals filed became monotonous and the ending did surprise me.
The number of appeals filed became monotonous and the ending did surprise me.
August 22, 2017
This is a brick about an asshole on a death row. Almost nothing happens in this book. A book to a fans of jurisprudence, I guess. Because complaining in a nicely worded manner to the court of law is why these people exist. I really don't want to read about paperwork and sad people who are sad, because one man has been a giant dick. You know what, I'll save you some time and here's the whole morale, without wasting time on this 500+ pager brick - don't be a dick to other people, "mkey".
May 2, 2015
Too long, too technical (and I'm a lawyer). How do other readers feel about the loose end? It did make me think about the death penalty.
July 5, 2007
I loved this book. Never have I had such a distinct love/hate impression of a character before. It is long but you NEVER know how it will end. Its easy to finish it quickly.
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