Great... not a thriller
I must say this is the third book I read from Grisham. It really is a page turner and you really want to know what's next.
The thing I like the most about Grisham's wrtting is the way he describes feelings.... the way he describes the situations.
Mark is just a geniuos and there is no way you would not love him... He's smart and funny, and he is the typical boy who has seen way too much TV....
Reggie... well, she is just the kind lawyer and the one who feels most like Mark's mom.
Honestly, I read the book like in 4 days... I just couldn't put it away... However I didn't like the end, I think that somehow he was tired of writting and at the end everything happens so fast.
Anyway, you will enjoy this book.....
Grisham Sticks to His Formula Here, and Produces a Decent Read
I've never been a huge fan of John Grisham, but it's hard not to admire an author with such an incredible level of sales success. Whatever his faults, Grisham is clearly able to connect with his audience in a way that few writers can. I've read almost all of his novels now, and I think his first two, THE FIRM and A TIME TO KILL, are by far the best ones. THE CLIENT, Grisham's fourth novel, is moderately enjoyable, but not in the same league.
An earlier review referred to THE CLIENT as a "Disney movie for adults" and I think that serves as an apt description of this novel. This book is entertaining enough, but I think Grisham's major weakness as a writer is on full display here, because nearly all the major characters are essentially caricatures of one sort or another. If you enjoy complex, subtle characterization, you may want to think twice before reading this one. But if you're looking for a highly sentimental "David v. Goliath" type story, then you will probably be pleased with what Grisham dishes up.
Grisham's mains strength is his plotting (he carefully outlines all of his novels in advance), and he structures THE CLIENT in a manner that makes the book a page-turner. In most of his novels, Grisham is fond of writing about the little guy fighting against the big corporate and/or political interests, and he pretty much sticks to that winning formula here, with an eleven-year old hero battling the mafia and the FBI simultaneously. While there are some interesting twists in the plot, I found the story's progression and resolution to be quite predictable.
I know several people who love THE CLIENT, and consider it one of Grisham's best early efforts. While I wouldn't put the novel in that category, it's a nice popcorn read, especially for readers who enjoy storytelling that's written in a more traditional, sentimental style.
Tom Sawyer Takes on the Mafia, the FBI, and the Courts
If you only read one legal thriller by John Grisham, I strongly urge you to choose The Client. It's a remarkable book that will reward your patience, pique your curiosity, and keep you guessing until almost the very end.
The client has to be the most unusual legal thriller every written. The book's indomitable hero, Mark Sway, is an 11-year-old with a lot of guts and a desire to do the right thing. John Grisham takes that premise and pushes it to the limit by teaming Mark with the only lawyer that Grisham ever wrote positively about, Reggie Love. In the process, Grisham entertains with the petty foibles and vanities of the legal "powers that be" in a way that will make you wish that nice people worked at the law.
Enchanting books have heroes and heroines who intrigue and inspire us. Mark Sway and Reggie Love are well designed for those purposes. Mark is that wonderful combination of scamp, optimist, and idealist that Mark Twain first imagined in the character of Tom Sawyer. Reggie Love is a composite of the loving concern of everyone's favorite aunt combined with the toughness and smarts of Perry Mason.
The Mafia characters are bozos. The FBI agents are cretins. The prosecutors are sleaze balls. The other characters fade into the woodwork except for Reggie's favorite judge.
Have a ball!
Tom Sawyer Takes on the Mafia, the FBI, and the Courts
If you only read one legal thriller by John Grisham, I strongly urge you to choose The Client. It's a remarkable book that will reward your patience, pique your curiosity, and keep you guessing until almost the very end.
The client has to be the most unusual legal thriller every written. The book's indomitable hero, Mark Sway, is an 11-year-old with a lot of guts and a desire to do the right thing. John Grisham takes that premise and pushes it to the limit by teaming Mark with the only lawyer that Grisham ever wrote positively about, Reggie Love. In the process, Grisham entertains with the petty foibles and vanities of the legal "powers that be" in a way that will make you wish that nice people worked at the law.
Enchanting books have heroes and heroines who intrigue and inspire us. Mark Sway and Reggie Love are well designed for those purposes. Mark is that wonderful combination of scamp, optimist, and idealist that Mark Twain first imagined in the character of Tom Sawyer. Reggie Love is a composite of the loving concern of everyone's favorite aunt combined with the toughness and smarts of Perry Mason.
The Mafia characters are bozos. The FBI agents are cretins. The other characters fade into the woodwork except for Reggie's favorite judge.
Have a ball!
Tom Sawyer Takes on the Mafia, the FBI, and the Courts
If you only read one legal thriller by John Grisham, I strongly urge you to choose The Client. It's a remarkable book that will reward your patience, pique your curiosity, and keep you guessing until almost the very end.
The client has to be the most unusual legal thriller every written. The book's indomitable hero, Mark Sway, is an 11-year-old with a lot of guts and a desire to do the right thing. John Grisham takes that premise and pushes it to the limit by teaming Mark with the only lawyer that Grisham ever wrote positively about, Reggie Love. In the process, Grisham entertains with the petty foibles and vanities of the legal "powers that be" in a way that will make you wish that nice people worked at the law.
Enchanting books have heroes and heroines who intrigue and inspire us. Mark Sway and Reggie Love are well designed for those purposes. Mark is that wonderful combination of scamp, optimist, and idealist that Mark Twain first imagined in the character of Tom Sawyer. Reggie Love is a composite of the loving concern of everyone's favorite aunt combined with the toughness and smarts of Perry Mason.
The Mafia characters are bozos. The FBI agents are cretins. The other characters fade into the woodwork except for Reggie's favorite judge.
Have a ball!
