Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
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Am I the only one who thought this latest Grisham bestseller was already written a few years ago by an author named Jonathan Harr? Remember A Civil Action, a great book about a cancer cluster mass tort where the insurance company jerks around some pathetic plaintiffs after poisoning their ground water. They made a movie out of A Civil Action starring John Travolta.
That is the gist of The Appeal. There are some differences. Grisham focuses on the buying of a Mississippi Supreme Court justice, something that is possible in a state where the highest judges are subject to election and need to raise campaign funds, sometimes even from litigants appearing before them. The potential for abuse is definitely there, and this book points that out.
I am beginning to wonder if Grisham has written every idea he has in the legal thriller genre. He says he will be writing a legal thriller a year for the next few years. I hope the future ones are based on more creative premises, because this one felt almost like plagiarism to me.
Even so, it's still John Grisham. It feels like the predictable, enjoyable read that all of Grisham's books have delivered. There are great bad guys and hard-working good guys, but the characters feel a little one-dimensional. It's not a bad book - it just doesn't have the originality and passion of The Firm - a hard one to top. I give a qualified thumbs' up for John Grisham's latest bestseller, The Appeal.
