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Wil A Emerson
You are not alone..i loved the opening..thought it had all the necessary intrigue..then Mercer came into view...tumbling off the Harlequin book shelf. Who wrote this for Grisham? And what a sloppy ending...
Kathleen Meacham
I always read the reviews after I have finished a book, and not before. Consequently, I just finished posting my own review, where I said that it did not seem like Grisham wrote this. Then I discovered what you had to say. So yes, we are on the "same page" (pun intended) in that respect.
Christina Boodhan Juras
I felt exactly the same way! I asked that very same question.
I rated it one star and someone in my book club questioned my low rating and I asked myself if I was too harsh. I don't believe I was.
I've read quite a few of John Grisham's other titles and this one did not come close in terms of character development, plot or suspense. This book fell completely flat for me. At the end, I asked myself what was the point of it? If the plot had explored some seedy underworld of rare books, it might have been far more interesting (for me anyway).
I rated it one star and someone in my book club questioned my low rating and I asked myself if I was too harsh. I don't believe I was.
I've read quite a few of John Grisham's other titles and this one did not come close in terms of character development, plot or suspense. This book fell completely flat for me. At the end, I asked myself what was the point of it? If the plot had explored some seedy underworld of rare books, it might have been far more interesting (for me anyway).
Lynda Rothschild
I thought the book was less than satisfying..especially the ending. The Epilogue was necessary as it did bring closure. I almost think this is a cheesy attempt at a quick screenplay. I will say I did enjoy it, but certainly wasn't his best.
Sidna
I agree with you. It did not read like a John Grisham novel to me. I was disappointed in the book.
Deah
Did anyone else notice how EVERY TIME he described Bruce's outfits he ended with "and his dirty buckskins"? I mean the guy wears a suit and bowtie daily but "dirty" shoes? What? About halfway through the book I started noticing it and then noticed it EACH TIME until the end. Sloppy editing.
Victoria Ray
totally out of style. I wanted to drop it on page 30...
Amanda
I was so unhappy with this one. Mercer was a terrible character. And the ending made me toss the book down.
Jeri
Most of the time, I can't put his books down. This one....not so much. Very disappointed.
Gagarina Babic
I agree it felt too soft, like a romance novel at times. It didn't have the depth and grit of some of Grisham's earlier work, it did not get me too emotionally involved. It was all too convenient and sort of easy with predictable characters. I read it though and enjoyed parts of it, but I it was more like a beach reading.
Jody
Totally agree with you. When I came to the page "epilogue" I said "what?"
It was just so awful.....I too thought it felt like a "soap opera" but I didn't say "woman's soap opera"
soap op·er·a
ˈsōp ˌäp(ə)rə/Submit
noun
a television or radio drama series dealing typically with daily events in the lives of the same group of characters.
It was just so awful.....I too thought it felt like a "soap opera" but I didn't say "woman's soap opera"
soap op·er·a
ˈsōp ˌäp(ə)rə/Submit
noun
a television or radio drama series dealing typically with daily events in the lives of the same group of characters.
Jc
It was terrible. But I do object to your phrase "woman's soap opera" -- what the heck is that? I dislike stereotypes.
Jan
No need to be disparaging to women. I am reading this book and, frankly, find it well-written with interesting characters. Even a less-than-intriguing John Grisham is still excellent.
Blerim Myftiu
I found book positive. It contained a different flavor from classic courthouse-centered books of Mr. Grisham. It is different from he has served us for so many years.
Bettyws
I enjoyed the change in location (from courtroom) and having a female main character. It was fun and satisfying. I don't think we ever get the same reaction as after the first time reading a Grisham novel.
Bethinva
Certainly not his best!
Anthony Cleary
No, you are not alone. And I too found myself wondering who had actually written the book. Like you, I am terribly disappointed.
Arthur
I enjoyed reading it BUT this is not the John Grisham that I know. There were many convenient holes that were glossed over and unexplained happenings, some wrapped up in the Epilogue.
Sandra
I thought the same thing. It helps knowing I am definitely not the only person who thought this. He has strayed away from legal thrillers before, but those books worked. I loved THE PAINTED HOUSE. But, this one . . .
DR KARTHIK CHOWDARY VENEGALLA
feel the same way!!!
Joan Rusch
I agree this book was written by a ghostwriter. It began exciting then reverted to trash. Then it seemed they discarded a good part that would have followed the perpetrators. So disappointed I wasted my time when there are so many other good books.
Sherrie74
Just finished Bk 2 without knowing about Bk 1 and thought ... is this really Grisham?? Haven't read any of his books of late so this one just felt weird. I assume this one is very similar to Bk 2 so ordering it today from library as ebook.
Moe
I thought the beginning and ending were written by Grisham but the middle of the book certainly did not match the writing style in his other books, and it was also my least favorite part of the book.
DaveA
I wrote that very thing in my review. I thought he had a ghost writer. I thought I was the only one who came to that conclusion.
Cordelia
I'm 2/3 the way through and I was thinking the same thing! I haven't read John Grisham in a while and what I have previously read was more courtroom and crime driven.
Matterhörnli
yes I agree, I was going to write something along these lines, not John Grisham at all, what a dissapointment
Tom Higham
I thought the same thing about "The Summons". After "Sycamore Row" I thought Grisham was EVERYTHING I had always wished for in a fiction writer. After starting "The Summons" it seemed that Grisham was EVERYTHING I could not tolerate in a fiction writer. including gratuitous allusion to teenagers viewing pornography at a drive in movie, which was not only below the professional standard I expected from Grisham, but to my knowledge was a total historical fabrication. I presume a ghost writer wrote this pathetic book and I may never read another Grisham novel. I realize the temptation to hire ghost writers when every book with your name brings in millions, but I would think that Grisham with all of his wealth could find better ghost writers to emulate his writing and hold them to a higher standard.
Tera
The jacket cover states it's a "light-hearted caper" so the content was not really shocking. I found it much less dramatic and dopey than Calico Joe. Or... did that overly-dramatic, predictable, tear-jerker not count as a "woman's soap opera" since the protagonist was male and it featured baseball prominently?
Christine
I agree with Robbin. Very inferior stuff compared to his other books.
Andrea Brooks
Did feel like he was trying to do a Woman's Lit book but he didn't know how to the sex he felt should be there. Must get old to keep writing lawyer thill books.
Norma
Yes! you may have been looking for the usual john Grisham, but this book was light- hearted and a enjoyable change from his court room drama. We all know that every book we read is going to make us think one way, or the other. Ask yourself why do you enjoy reading books,!
Marie
don't you think he answered this question in novel with his writer characters? he has the two lesbian authors admitting to writing bodice rippers because they sell? Mercer is tempted to do the same when she hits a writer's block.
Minty McBunny
Totally agree. It didn't even read like someone attempting to be Grisham, it was so bland. I actually forgot more than once that I was supposedly reading a John Grisham novel! He has written some amazing books, but if he did actually write this one, he phoned it in.
Leeann Stewart
I agree!!! Very different for him, but I did enjoy it and it was a bit fun to read something different from him.
Kaylen
Yea the book isn’t his best… that seems clear.
Sooo it’s been 7 years and I perused the responses , I didn’t go through all of them but in my brief scroll I didn’t see many people comment on OPs criticism and how F’d up it is. Not because of the opinion they have but the reasoning they gives for the writing being bad, poor, etc. I did see a couple and I love that! And I feel like it’s important to thoroughly explore why this review is sh*t.
I don’t understand the comparison to ‘a woman’s soap opera’ …. First : what exactly is ‘ a woman’s soap opera’ ?
Why did you use the word ‘woman’ at all? We all know what a soap opera is and can infer from the shared understanding what you’re trying to say about the book. It seems like by specifying that the writing is like ‘a woman’s soap opera’ you are 1) Inferring that because of the feminine qualities/aspects you perceived in the writing that the book itself is not good, enjoyable, interesting etc (who knows because you didn’t actually say what you didn’t like or how it made you feel.)
2) Your using the word ‘woman’ in a way that loudly and clearly conveys your internalized misogyny and prejudice. It’s gross and immediately makes your points illegitimate and weak.
If you don’t like a book, that’s fine, that’s great … but your reasoning and explanation besides being harmful and misogynistic , simply doesn’t have any substance. If you just wanted to tell people you didn’t like the book and seek solidarity through weird conspiracy theories about possible ghost writers then you could simply do that without trying to legitimize and validate yourself with weak, unsubstantiated criticism that is WHOLLY BIGOTED. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it’s bad or defective. And Bigots can’t be trusted. Ever. Their opinions are always, already flawed and suspect because… well it’s obvious why.
Sooo it’s been 7 years and I perused the responses , I didn’t go through all of them but in my brief scroll I didn’t see many people comment on OPs criticism and how F’d up it is. Not because of the opinion they have but the reasoning they gives for the writing being bad, poor, etc. I did see a couple and I love that! And I feel like it’s important to thoroughly explore why this review is sh*t.
I don’t understand the comparison to ‘a woman’s soap opera’ …. First : what exactly is ‘ a woman’s soap opera’ ?
Why did you use the word ‘woman’ at all? We all know what a soap opera is and can infer from the shared understanding what you’re trying to say about the book. It seems like by specifying that the writing is like ‘a woman’s soap opera’ you are 1) Inferring that because of the feminine qualities/aspects you perceived in the writing that the book itself is not good, enjoyable, interesting etc (who knows because you didn’t actually say what you didn’t like or how it made you feel.)
2) Your using the word ‘woman’ in a way that loudly and clearly conveys your internalized misogyny and prejudice. It’s gross and immediately makes your points illegitimate and weak.
If you don’t like a book, that’s fine, that’s great … but your reasoning and explanation besides being harmful and misogynistic , simply doesn’t have any substance. If you just wanted to tell people you didn’t like the book and seek solidarity through weird conspiracy theories about possible ghost writers then you could simply do that without trying to legitimize and validate yourself with weak, unsubstantiated criticism that is WHOLLY BIGOTED. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it’s bad or defective. And Bigots can’t be trusted. Ever. Their opinions are always, already flawed and suspect because… well it’s obvious why.
Dino
I agree, I did not find anything about this book compelling .
Diane Parfitt
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)
Libby Belle
I was afraid to say anything, thought I was just having a bad week. But I agree with most of you. Didn't fit. And to top it off Stephen King gave a blurb on the front of the book. The front! The book left me disappointed, but I guess I'm spoiled by his other great writing. Here's the funny part...I found an error in it. Did you?
Deb Dueno
It's not as interesting as the excerpt made it sound. I read over half of it and I just wasn't interested in how it turned out.
John Blackburn
My first Grisham, and to say I was disappointed is an understatement. Starts off really well then turns into a Mills and Boon!
Don't bother with it.
Don't bother with it.
Christian Paquin
I heard that Martha Stewart wrote most of the book.
Donna Bellia
This is John Grisham’s only book that i did not finish. Instead of not being able to put it down.....i put it down and didn’t pick it up. Disappointed.
Nicholas
Probably not, at least for most of it. The setting is described almost exactly like Amelia Island, Florida, where Grisham owns a vacation house.
Ryan Diefenbach
I thought this novel must be by another writer with the same name because it was so shockingly out of character. A real let-down.
Jim Bowen
Couldn't agree more. Completely unlike any other Grisham I've read, except that he gives a major plot point away, early.
Judy Hoberman
i was also disappointed kept waiting for the
real story to start
real story to start
Dan Nieman
It seemed to me to be more of a slice of life novel than a crime/ suspense novel. It was an interesting little read, but I didn't have any real sense of suspense.
Alice
I liked this book because of the characters and the discussion of rare first editions. I didn't think it was a "soap opera," but it could have been sold as women's fiction. It's okay, a 3-star book.
I liked this better than many recent books by Grisham, which have been diatribes on the problems in the legal system or environmental issues.
If you want to read a wonderful mysteries series about rare first editions, start with Booked to Die by John Dunning.
I liked this better than many recent books by Grisham, which have been diatribes on the problems in the legal system or environmental issues.
If you want to read a wonderful mysteries series about rare first editions, start with Booked to Die by John Dunning.
BettyKate
Crazy, I was just thinking the same thing. I'm only half-way through the book and have been mostly liking it. The first parts were definitely John Grisham. And when Mercer first came on the scene, I deeply envied her. Dang, she is living the life I need right now! I need 100K and a beach house to finish my 2nd book. But I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be plagued with her hard core case of writer's block. Now I'm getting bogged down in the dinner parties and the literary gatherings which at first I thought delightful. Alas, I'll persevere. So many folks recommended this book to me due to the setting and it is, after all, a "Grisham".
Ralph Strong
not what i look for in Grisham book
Barb
I agree. I had to force myself to keep reading waiting for the real John Grisham to check in. A disappointing read.
Patricia Fischer
That's funny because my husband said the same thing. We were listening to the audiobook on a road trip and he said, "I can't listen to this anymore. It's like a soap opera."
Jan
I don't really the second half was fluffy or like a Harlequin romance. However, the ending definitely was rushed, not so much like someone else was writing it, but that Grisham was not putting much effort in, but just writing to get it over with.
Peggy Avagliano
I agree.
A few chapters in I checked the cover to see if there was another author listed.
The book lacked his typical character development. The plot was too basic
A few chapters in I checked the cover to see if there was another author listed.
The book lacked his typical character development. The plot was too basic
Michele
I was also disappointed. It reads like a grocery list.
Karen
I liked the book as a whole, but it wasn't what I expected from Grisham. Also, I didn't like the ending.
Tina
I'm not quite done with it and I kept telling people that it didn't seem like he wrote it. Thought I'd check in here to see what other people were saying and, well, I'm glad I'm not crazy! Usually I pass his books along to my Dad but I can guarantee, this is not his kind of book at all.
Jan Starr
Exactly what I thought - romance novel.
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