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Despite Grisham's passionate feelings about this subject -- or perhaps even because of them -- this long stretch of the book is tedious and bloated. Unfortunately, the novel loses steam when it switches into the politics of judicial elections. The bad guys are so much fun that you can't wait for their next scene, and you cheer their ruin for their dastardly deeds.
On one side we have the Big Evil Corporate Dude, Carl Trudeau, who would fit better in a Batman movie than a Grisham novel. P&P have hocked their future for the sake of their client. Both the heroes and villains in "The Appeal" are pure cartoon characters.
They have their halos polished once a week at the local family-run hardware store.Despite the ridiculous characters, the novel is actually quite entertaining for its first half. Finally, just when it seems that things might get interesting again, Grisham introduces a ham-handed deus ex machina that destroys any remaining vestiges of plausibility.There's an interesting and timely story buried somewhere in this novel, but good luck finding it under all the histrionics and verbiage. He does everything except sell his grandmother into slavery.
On the other side are the Scrappy Lovable Underdogs, the husband and wife legal team of Payton and Payton.
If this had been the first John Grisham book I had ever read it would also have been by last. After reading 20 other Grisham books I was expecting another blockbuster. I'll think twice before wasting money and time reading another of his books. What a crock. With "The Appeal" all I got was ticked-off at the lame ending and the realization that I had had been tricked into believe that what I thought was a novel was in fact Grisham's attempt at promoting his left-wing political viewpoints. I want my money back.
Along the way, several other side stories in the book keep things lively. Sure, it's a sad fact that many companies all over the world choose to disregard environmental rules. Though "The Appeal" is good, there were a few things about Grisham's storyline that didn't ring completely true. Also, Grisham's attempt at bad karma sideswiping one of the main characters at the end of the book was an interesting surprise, but it felt a tad contrived. The biggest point Grisham makes in "The Appeal" is that elected judges on state supreme courts should not be influenced by the people that backed them in their election. "The Appeal" is a legal thriller, but unlike most in the genre that plow through the dramatics of an intense trial, this one begins with the jury's verdict and lets the fireworks ensue afterward. Several subplots and numerous characters introduced along the way keep things interesting, and in typical John Grisham fashion, several meaty issues of the day arise. Like many, Grisham feels that supreme court judges should be appointed by a nonpartisan committee based on passed merit, not elections.
Carl Trudeau, who runs said company, ultimately hires a firm that specializes in working to elect supreme court judges who will consistently rule in favor of big businesses so that massive tort fees can be avoided. But the lack of remorse in Grisham's ultra-conservative, ultra-rich and somewhat cartoonish antagonist (Trudeau) seemed a bit overboard. It happens all the time in the legal world, and I would think many big law firms would salivate at the opportunity to take Krane's money, despite some of the obstacles. Those points aside, "The Appeal" is an enjoyable read that offers much to ponder. -- and do it with such an evil sneer. Grisham is far from being alone in this way of thinking. Additionally, in this day and age, it's hard to fathom that Krane Chemical would so blatantly disregard environmental laws in the U.S. These issues include blatant disregard for the environment by a huge corporation; the role of big money in politics and political fundraising; and large settlement fees in tort cases.
For instance, I had a hard time believing that the small, practically bankrupt firm of Payton and Payton wouldn't have received assistance from a much larger firm to fight Krane Chemical. The heartless company that caused the water problem, Krane Chemical Corporation, refuses to admit it did anything wrong and won't pay up for the heartache it caused the town. In other words, keep private money out of judicial elections to keep the judicial system free of political favors and bias; judges should make rulings based on the state constitution, not what their political backers desire. Coincidentally, while I was reading "The Appeal," an article by Mike Lawrence titled "Illinois needs to leave wonderland of judicial politics" talked about the exact same thing.In "The Appeal," the tragic town of Bowmore, Mississippi, is inundated with horrible water that has killed and sickened many of its residents.
and BOOO. BOOO. BOOO. Reading this story is like growing your own wheat, grinding it into flour, using the flour to make some nice pasta, making a zesty scallop primavera.and dumping the whole thing in the trash.This book had all the makings of a really great story. As they say in Mississippi, "Shame on ya." But then it ended with all the satisfaction of a MadLib. Some interesting characters, political and business intrigue. I felt like Grisham had written 97% of the book with an outstanding finish planned, and then ran into another commitment and had a ghost writer who was not filled in on the plot finish the book.Why did he introduce so many characters that were never flushed out and had no impact on the story.Then there's the implausible ending - 2 impossible coincidences happen the day before the payoff, and the fate of the 8 or so people we now care about is decided by the apparent flip of a coin.
Even after so many best sellers, John Grisham is always surprising us with a great book.
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