Side by Side Comparison of: Dell

One of Grishams most intriguing, captivating novels ever. I hate to be trivial,but I simply could not put this book down. The characters are so realistic. Even the dog, AC - Ambulance Chaser! David Zinc, the protagonist,leaves a huge, very profitable law firm because so much is required of his personal time. He hardly knows his wife, and even though they both want children, because of.his time required by his job, he is seldom able to even try to have a child. One day he gets fed up and just walks out. Ultimately, he winds up, on the same day, with a much smaller law firm, and the excitement begins. Read it! You'll be glad you did.

I am a big fan of John Grisham and this book proves why. The development of the characters is beautifully done and shows them as the individuals they are. There are so many twists and turns in the plot and at times it almost seems to take too long to get to the next page. Just when you may think you have it figured out, Grisham takes a different turn. Grisham has never disappointed me and he will not disappoint you. He writes with a wry sense of humor and add reality. Great read and highly recommended.

Loved this Grisham book from start to end ! Really enjoyed all the characters from the "lady" in the bar to the two man law partnership. The story was interesting but what totally made it a hit with me was the intelligent use of humor throughout the book. Some parts of it reminded me of Laurel & Hardy .... for those of you who are old enough to know who they were ..this will make sense. For those of you much younger .... with a "people type" sense of humor ... it will be enjoyable too. While there was a serious story line , it was written in a "common sense" , humorous approach. Well worth everybody's time to read this !!

John Grisham writes books to educate as well as entertain American readers. I have read his books for years and find them exciting, passionate and wonderful. As an attorney, I find that John Grisham is distinguished from other 'legal thriller' writers who mis-educate by pandering to readers and distorting what must be understood about the legal system. He performs one other vital service -- Grisham reveals corporate policy decisions that ultimately entangle citizens in the domestic and international tragedies that cause all of us permanent harm. Knowledge is power. Thank you John Grisham for your dedication.You are truly an American Patriot. What your books often reveal is just that important -- whether we know 'it' or not.

This book is both smilingly humorous and as serious as a heart attack. No matter how the author described the partners in the "boutique firm," all I saw was Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathieu. The description of what my law brothers often refer to as "the dirty shirt practice" is more fact than fiction. While lawyers are perceived as wealthy and powerful, the majority struggle to build a practice and need to keep an eagle eye on cash flow. They dream of the big case just around the corner and have a tough-as-stone, one-person office staffer who knows more than their spouses about the lawyers. The description of the mass tort bar is equally accurate, as is evident by the barrage of TV ads soliciting clients to phone some 800 number if they have suffered a legion of injuries allegedly caused by some drug or medical device. John Grisham lays out these issues in a cogent and meaningful tale wrapped around two product liability cases, one involving a cholesterol medication tied to heart attacks, the other involving a lead paint coating on a child's toy tied to horrific brain damage. Despite these serious threads, Grisham's description of Oscar Finley and Wally Figg, and all the troubles that arise from involvement in a mass tort case, kept a smile on my face. I read this book nearly nonstop and was sorry to see it end. Thankfully, Grisham summarizes the lives of the characters after the story ends, which left me satisfied and pleased.

Immediately after finishing the last chapter of "The Litigators," I read some of the reviews. It always amazes me how different people come away with radically differing views on a subject. I guess there is some truth in all of them.First the criticisms: At times I got the feeling John Grisham wrote a great short story and then screwed it up by filling in some of the chapters with trivial hyperbole merely to increase the page count. As a writer myself, I too plead guilty as charged. I suspect his first draft was a masterpiece. I can't say it's a book you can't put down. Too many times, I had to force myself to not skip unnecessary paragraphs. I would characterize the book as a roller-coaster ride, with the highs way above the mark and the lows mired in mud so dense you have to claw your way through to get to the other side. There were unnecessary characters introduced that could have well been left out. They served no purpose other than to slow down the pace.Now for the good stuff: On several occasions I found myself laughing out loud. Especially in the scene where the Senior Partner makes his opening remarks to the jury. That was completely unexpected and it set the stage for promises of more tomfoolery ahead. Grisham was writing from his soul at that point and reminiscent of the scene when the lawyer crashed through the courtroom ceiling in the movie "Trial and Error." From that point on, anything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and Grisham portrayed it brilliantly. He may not know it, but he has a real flair for comedy. I wish he would use it more often. There were several more missed opportunities. As I mentioned earlier, the overall story was superb and no doubt it will be made into a Hollywood movie, but my guess is the screenplay will be written into a comedic performance instead of a drama.I've tried to purchase more of Grisham's books on Kindle and I am thankful he saw fit to release this one as a Kindle product. I believe the majority of readers will continue to rate this book with five stars. I'm looking forward to more roller-coaster rides from Mr. Grisham.

I am an avid baseball fan, first because my son played well through high school and secondly because I love LSU baseball. Grisham has never disappointed me in any of his novels and has always impressed me by his knowledge of so many things, especially baseball and football. I have read almost 90% of his books and always look forward to his new works. Keep up the great work.

Pretty good baseball story. It has a heartwarming ending, too (not that I'm into those). The confrontation between Joe Castle and Warren Tracey could've been more drawn out. Castle's at-bat could've meant more when he stepped up to the plate, ninth inning or something. But I loved the big name drops--Willie Mays, Tom Seaver, Billy Williams, the Big Red Machine; that made it more "authentic." I also dug the POV from the antagonist's son, Paul Tracey. I would've liked to have seen a few more plot twists and maybe another 100 pages tacked on.

This was an older book of Grisham - Having said this, it was one of the best ones of his I have read, unlike most of his writing. It was really good and especially if you are a baseball fan. Many statistics in the book were not fiction but true baseball legend

John Grisham is a very good writer whose work is often formulaic. However this book is a welcome departure. He takes on a different arena, and focuses on the good and bad of sports. He also provides a poignant narrative of small town life and aspirations. The focus is on the sports hero and the anti-hero. Within it is the story of anger, remorse and redemption. It is a universal theme, well-written and captivating. For those who value sports, and sports as metaphor, it is a must read.

First of all I would like to say that I have delayed reading this book for a while, and I regret it now. I am not even sure why I had the delay.Before I give my opinion, I feel like it should be known that baseball is my life. I am from small town America. I was born in raised in a small town under the lights of the Dixie Park in rural North Louisiana. I loved the game so much I graduated with a degree so I can coach high school baseball. I now coach at a small town high school where baseball is the king.I can relate to the book both from a childhood sense and a adulthood. John Grisham did a perfect job of capturing the emotion and realism of small town baseball heroes.I cannot say enough about this novel. I would recommend Calico Joe to anyone that enjoys playing catch in the backyard with their old man. I would recommend Calico Joe to anyone that loves their dad.Calico Joe offers something no other book, in my opinion anyway, can do. The story gives any baseball person a passport to their childhood.Thanks Mr. Grishham.

The story is simple: a new kid is called up to the Cubs baseball team and becomes an instant star who then meets the big tough pitcher from the Mets. The kid homers off the pitcher and in the pitcher's mind insults him as he runs out the homer. Then the plot thickens. The book is seen through the eyes of the pitcher's son who has issues with his father that he must deal with. Now this book isn't just "issues" but a look back at what used to be the good ol' days. It makes you think as you read...when did I stop reading the box scores, when was the last baseball game I attended, why do I skip the sports pages now...? The book forces you to think about these things that used to be part of your life and why you stopped living that way. (In my case, one jungle war, one marriage, and one career at IBM...but is that reason enough?) Guess what, I now look at the box scores again. I actually page through the sports section. I read a sports article or two...and the world seems to slow down. And Timmy is starting to pitch like his Cy Young days, livin' is easy. So read this short little novella and enjoy life once again.

I'm a John Grisham fan. Not one of his best stories, but still good none the less. Because of my current schedule I don't have the time to actually read text, but I listened to this book in my car headed to work and on a road trip. If you like John Grisham you will enjoy this item.

David proved to be just what was needed in a world of everybody for themselves get a buck anyway you can lawyerism. Witty, light hearted but shows what can happen on the other side of the coin. Not all lawyers are wealthy or hit it big. Good read

John Grisham never fails to make his characters come to life on each page. WALLY AND OSCAR ARE DEEPLY FLAWED and very human. They need to be rescued from their sad lives and sadder yet law practice. In walks David. He is drunk after walking out on his high powered ,but unsatisfying powerful law firm. David is rescued by WALLY and OsCAR who in turn rescues them. In between is courtroom drama and intrigue . This was a good and satisfying read.

One day David Zinc just can't face going into the 600-person legal factory where he slaves 12 hours a day on boring international bonds, and decides to go get drunk instead. He stumbles into Finley & Figg almost by accident, drunk, and takes a low-paying job with them, and turns his life around - and theirs too. I love this book. It shows how small law offices work, and how big law offices work. He gets clients (almost by accident) and makes a living for his family. I love this book.

Grisham can write with the best of them. A hallmark of a great book is "the stoplight factor" - meaning you can't wait to see what's next. I became engrossed in the story and enjoyed being entertained by a master of courtroom drama.

Simply put, this is a fun book. David zinc is a young Harvard educated lawyer who gets fed up with his high stress job at a large law firm. The book opens with David going to work one day and having a near breakdown, at which point he decides he's had enough ... and immediately departs by dramatically diving head first back into the elevator and disappearing without notice. By the end of the day he has become completely drunk and finds himself at the office of Finley & Figg, a small law firm that prefers to think of themselves as a "boutique law firm," but in reality are just two ambulance-chasing lawyers operating on a shoestring budget. David joins this firm, which shortly embarks on a class-action lawsuit against a large pharmaceutical company in hopes of receiving a big payoff without having to go to court. Of course, things don't work out exactly as planned.This book was extremely entertaining and it kept me wanting more.

Grisham is an excellent writer and this somewhat formulaic tale is interesting and entertaining. It's not great literature, but made me keep turning the pages and hoping that the characters would resolve things. I'd buy it and read it again if I hadn't read it once, but it is not they type of book I would treasure and reread.

I am a baseball fan, but I'm an even bigger fan of well told stories. This was a story well told. The baseball, for me, was an added bonus. It's a fast read. It is a short book, and I see a lot of reviewers writing that as if it's a check mark in the con list -- but in my opinion, a writer doesn't get bonus points for prolonging a story that doesn't need expanded. When I say this was a fast read, I mean it as a compliment in every sense. I felt the characters were flushed out, and I found none nor noticed no holes in the story lines.There's a lot of heart in this book. I found themes of integrity, pride, and forgiveness jump out at me. I felt a lot through this read and am very thankful to the author for telling this story.My only reason for not giving it five stars is, actually, the author's notes. I was confused by them. I couldn't tell how much of the book was made up, how much or what was fiction, and what was fact. The notes from the author sort of confused me beyond that. You'll have to read the notes to know what I'm referring to -- but I'm still confused to this moment about how much of the book was aimed to be accurate, and how much is not. STILL, very worthy of a read. And, like I said, it's quick. Enjoy.

Calico Joe is an excellent novel, one of the best baseball books I have read. John Grisham has a gift for creating interesting plots, believable characters, and an engaging narrative, usually with a surprise ending. In this novel he deftly merges fiction with reality in typical Grisham fashion. During the summer of 1973, following up on the Vietnam troubles and Watergate-related problems, he chooses the Mets-Cubs pennant race (one actually occurred between those NL teams in 1973), and adds his mixture of fictional characters. I think Joe Castle, or "Calico Joe," who was called up to the Cubs partway through the season, is modeled on the real-life "Hurricane" Bob Hazel, who was called up to the Milwaukee Braves in mid-1957 and whose hot bat carried the Braves to the pennant and ultimately to a World Series victory over the perennial champion Yankees. Regardless, Castle lifts the Cubs toward the top until he is beaned on purpose by the Mets' aging, mean-spirited Warren Tracey, the hard-throwing pitcher and abusive father of 11-year-old Paul Tracey, who tells the fictional story. Many years later, poetic justice, or perhaps baseball justice, is served when the grown Paul gets his ill father, now dying of cancer, to meet with the disabled Castle, of Calico Rock, Arkansas, and apologize for the career-ending injury he inflicted on the rookie who was having a season for the ages. Grisham can tell a great story, and if you like baseball, he proves it to readers once again.

I'm not a Grishman fan but purchased the Kindle version because of the reviews. The story starts out a bit slow with all of the baseball names, facts and stats but moves quickly into a story that provides a quick enjoyable read. The plot is described in other reviews. Most of the reviews lament that the book is "too short." I think that those comments come from the fact that the author ends the story well and appropriately as a a baseball event driven story but as a reader you have become attached to some of the characters so when Warren, the long bullying father, passes it seems that there is still more to the story. You start with the son as a middle schooler and you want to see his life through to the end. Because of that, the book seems short . . . You want to follow the story of the Castle brothers, the son, the newspaper editor and get more because the book really isn't about baseball, redemption, reconcillation but rather about the characters you become attached to and wish well. You suddenly want the book to morph into one of those epics following towns and people over the generations. It is the kind you would pass along, not because it is great literature but it is a nice rainy day or beach read that leaves you feeling good when it's done. Can't beat that!

I sought out this latest John Grisham book to observe his treatment of POV, on the advice of my editor, Robin Martin. The story of Joe Castle, a rising baseball star on the 1973 Chicago Cubs team, was told in first person through the eyes of a man who, as an eleven-year-old boy, had a personal connection to Calico Joe.Anyone who loves America's pastime will enjoy the behind-the-scenes insights into Major League Baseball from a true fan's perspective. The treatments of relationship between professional athletes and between father and son are compelling, honest, and at times, brutal.Grisham is the only author I've read cover-to-cover in one sitting. I think it might have been The Client, on a very long plane ride. Calico Joe also has that definite don't-want-to-put-it down / can't-wait-to-get back-to-it quality.As much as I enjoyed the read, I couldn't give a fifth star because of how Grisham chose to end the story. I don't believe truly cruel men ever change their feathers, even on their deathbeds. I'm not sure of the final path I would have chosen, but mine probably would have been sadder . . . and more believable.

Calico JoeJohn GrishamThis is a wonderful story, told by the viewpoint of the son of one, of two former major league baseball players. It is a much easier read than most of Mr. Grisham's novels; that is, it is easier to keep track of the characters in the story than it is in his novels involving the legal/justice systems. One of the players, the father of the narrator, was an aging pitcher for the New York Mets in 1973. The father (Mr. Tracey) was also an alcoholic as well as a spouse and child abuser. The other player (Calico Joe) was a rookie hitting phenomenon who played for the Chicago Cubs. Both the Cubs and the Mets had excellent seasons in 1973 with the Mets finally winning the pennant.There was an incident that involved both players on the Mets home field late in the 1973 season. Neither player continued playing after that season. The son (Paul) tries many times to have his father meet with Calico Joe. This is not easy since Calico Joe's brothers are very protective of Joe, and Mr. Tracy does not really want to meet with him.The story centers around Paul Tracey's trying to arrange the meeting between his father and Calico Joe. But it also includes tales of reconciliation and redemption. Mr. Grisham's prose in riveting as it always is. The many subplots feed into the many story line.

A good read with a weak ending. Typical Gresham book. Big companies are evil and lawyers are heroes. Probably my last Gresham book unless he creates a better story line.

it took all I had to get through this book...I skimmed page after page. The pages became redundant..same stuff over and over...it's side stories and finale are implausible. don't waste the time I did on this book. Read "The Last Juror." So far, the only book of Mr. Grisham's that was worth the money I paid for it.

The Litigator is second Grisham book in recent times that refuses to give the redeeming moments to protagonists.So, the good guys are portrayed as rank outsiders, underdogs, minnows that almost demand some life victory from the author God. The bad guys are detailed as scheming tyrants, unscrupulous professionals that you expect to be slammed down in the last 5% of the book for all their purported sins. The story develops nice and easy as predictably the odds against the heroes are turning smaller and smaller, almost to the vanishing point.And you are almost at the end of the book, you get a flicker, you expect a flare and the good guys just perish. The bad guys dont turn out to be as bad. The good guys are given some rewards for being a part of the book in some side story.Too real life for a pot boiler.

I have read several of John Grisham's novels and have enjoyed them for their pace and in most cases suspense. "The Litigators" is of a different genre. It is a pleasant caricature of life in the legal world where the main protagonist, David Zinc, a Harvard trained lawyer fed up with his lot at a large Chicago firm, goes on a bender and ends up going to work for a pair of low grade sleazy but lovable ambulance chasers. The characters are all flawed but yet impossibly we'll grounded, kind and honorable, certainly rare personalities in the legal profession at any level. David's new firm attempts to enter the arena of mass tort litigation taking on big pharma using a frivolous claim the that a new cholesterol medication is causing cardiac pathology, in the hopes of a quick payday. They bumble along in a comedic fashion hoping for a settlement until forced to go to trial. Where they are hopelessly incompetent and overmatched. Because this is a modern fairy tale, things somehow seem to work out in the end for all concerned. Pure but enjoyable pablum.

Extolling the beauty of character attorney Nadine Karros at every turn got to be nauseating and very unlike a Grisham character. Grisham's appeal to me throughout his career is depicting the everyday man. It was off-putting to continually be bombarded with Ms Karros's beauty, intelligence, wit, cunning, style, figure, savvy, etc. Im a huge Grisham fan, read ALL his previous books but this is now my second mediocre review. Just too simplistic. Especially for Grisham. Its not bad, just so average. I didn't have to anxiously wait a whole year for this, Grisham's annual release. Any non famous author delivers this type of effort year round. Nevertheless, still no one tops Grisham's wry humor. That is what keeps him ahead of the pack even with sub-par outings such as the Litigators. Hoping next release will have a much more sophisticated plot.

...for the paperback. I've always bought John Grisham's books as soon as they are released and have read them as soon as I can in hardback, and I've loved almost all of them. This one was different. It took me so long to read this one, whereas with his others I've finished them in no longer than two to three days, usually two.The good things about this book are its humor and the character of David Zinc. Not just that he is a character in the book, but his show of integrity and intelligence, and his willingness to walk away from a huge law firm with hundreds of lawyers who spend 80 hours a week billing by the hour. About halfway through the book, it picks up a little speed, but it never gets to the usual page-turning tension and suspense that Grisham's other books have done.Finley and Figg are laughable, as they are intended to be, with their "boutique law firm" that is almost, but not quite, a real law firm. Finley and Figg are literal ambulance chasers and are lucky to be making five-figure incomes. They never see the inside of a courtroom and hope they never do.Once Figg finds out about the drug Krayoxx, a cholesterol reducer that has been linked to heart attacks, he goes on a mission to find people affected by the drug and hopes to join a class action suit against the pharmaceutical company that makes it. From there on out I thought the book got lost in and bogged down with lawyers, patients, and back and forth phone calls among all of them. Then the defense team steps in and they have to be kept track of, as well. The writing just wasn't as clear as in previous books.I certainly won't say that I won't read the next Grisham novel, because I will. I've always loved John Grisham's books and look forward to each one. This one just wasn't my cup of tea or my dose of Krayoxx.

Not really up to Grisham's greatest work.

An OK but, not one of Grisham's best.

Calico Joe is a fast read and maintained my interest. I was a baseball fan in the 70's, although I no longer care, and it was fun to read about baseball when baseball was fun. I like stories that have a strong resemblance of realness but this plot seems "cheesy" and struggled to meet my interpretation of believability,

"Calico Joe: A Novel" is not the type of book I usually read. I read it because my best friend was anxious for me to do so. It was an enjoyable book - an "easy read." I found myself more absorbed with the story than expected. The climax was a bit disappointing to me - just a little bit too quick to bring about changes in main characters. All in all it was an engaging book, and it was interesting to learn a little about baseball as I'm not a great fan of baseball, either. I'd recommend it as a good summertime beach novel.

This is a short story that is called a book. I like the story but I am tired of big name authors writing shorter and shorter books and charging a fortune. I am an avid reader and have always been since childhood and I am tired of authors cashing in on their celebrity. They grew popular because of good well written, properly long novels. If Grisham had started with books like this he would have no movies or the popularity he now has. He has sold out. I hope he enjoys our money but he didn't earn it with this one he has too much ability to be writing these little stories. How wide should the margins be and how big the space between lines and how large did you have to make the print. I hate the idea of books going digital and bookstores disappearing but I don't ever want to hear a complaint about how this evolved as books like this make me feel that authors deserve it. At least John Grisham does and it seems to happen to all the authors after they become popular. They write shorter and shorter books and try to charge more. Live with what you have created. You now make less money on digital books.

I'll begin by saying I am, at best, a lukewarm John Grisham fan. I devoured his first three novels and then began to yawn, ever so slightly. But i do love a baseball story and the thought of Grisham tackling that subject was irresistible. Well.Calico Joe is not a bad book. It's premise is sound and its layout logical. And some of the baseball insights are interesting (He claims, at the end, to have conducted considerable research). But . . .The author's effort suggests he might have entered one of those weekend write-a-novel contests. In the days of pen and ink, Grisham would not have used an entire bottle of Quink. Definitely has the aroma of a work that was rushing to meet a deadline. Too bad, because the characters were interesting and could have used a little more time on the page. I want to say, 'go back, John, and do it right'. Baseball needs another good story.

Not John Grisham's best work. It never gets interesting. I did finish it only to be disappointed. Leave this one on the shelf.

Difficult to continue to the end. Depressing, repetitive, legal mumbo jumbo. Cannot recommend this book to any fan of Grisham

I'm a John Grisham fan, but this book was so full of nonsense, and an unbelievable storyline that I almost gave up on it. I did finally manage to finish it, but I would not recommend this book.The two main characters, Wally and Oscar are two bumbling "lawyers" and I use the term loosely who think they have a get rich quick legal case. This book was more of a believe it or not comedy than a mystery or thriller.

Well, I finished it. And I don't know what to think. It kind of drolled on and on, I forced myself to finish it. Certainly was not his best, and I think the only thing that held me to the book is A) I don't give up on books, unless they REALLY suck, and B) It was based in Chicago, and he was pretty accurate with all his references.

I have read many of John Grisham's books and enjoyed every one BUT this book will probably be my last. It was a struggle to get through until I reached about chapter 31 or so. The buildup to the trial was boring with Wally dragging David all over Chicago to get clients and the trial was a waste until David was on his own and actually asked some good questions of the witness. Everyone knew what the outcome was going to be so why did it take so many pages to get there? The characters came across as a bunch of bums with David being the exception. The only part I really liked was David & Helen's search for Nasty Teeth and the lawsuit against the toy company that sold them.

I haven't read Grisham in a while, I found his writing was a bit boring, but I decided to give the Litigators a try. I can honestly say that the first 97% of the book felt like I was reading the background info and the character development. Only in the last few pages were a few exciting paragraphs that felt rushed to get the story over with. I must say I was very disappointed, there was very little actual plot going on. It was like reading a year in the life of _______. Sorry, but this book totally missed the mark for me, if you like action and an exciting plot and not just a well developed character, you will not like this book.

not that interested in bb

Snoozer no olot easy to forecast the next event in this story . Not his best workHope his next book isnt my last purchase

Not being a big sports fan it just wasn't very interesting to me. Go for it guys!

Yes it was a novel about baseball and that part I really liked. ****SPOILER ALERT****But the main story was about a purposeful and senseless act by a bitter, resentful alcoholic ruining another baseball player's health, career and life.I skipped pages and pages of it, which I rarely do in any book. The 2nd star is because of the wonderful baseball games described and that's it.

I am a big fan of John Grisham's writing and after having read the memorable Playing for Pizza I was anxious to read another sports related novel by the author. The story was just OK, the writing was very good as usual. I don't believe the story went anywhere and was disappointing.

Shame on me! I adore John Grisham's writing, but am not a baseball fan - at all. So, his references were clearly not understood. The best part, tho', came to me on the elevator down to the basement give-away-library, when I met a young man wearing a baseball cap. I asked if he enjoyed baseball, and when he replied "sure!" I handed the Grisham novel to him and he cheerfully thanked me!! I was so relieved to find a happy home for my new purchase! So, Thank you! cj

Poor character development, boring story line and very predictable, hated the tied up in a bow ending. Would not recommend.

It was just so slow! I found it very boring, and just kept thinking something was going to happen.

I've been a Grisham fan and have enjoyed his books in the past. I read the Litigators after reading and enjoying Gray Mountain. The Litigators was a major disappointment! I have to agree with other reviews that this book was pure formula with a story that was not all that engaging. I had to force myself to finish it. The story line of big firm lawyer opts to pass on the big bucks for a small time law firm just doesn't have much depth without a more interesting back story as there was in Gray Mountain.

John Grisham has lost his touch. I can't even bother finishing it. The characters are unlikable, the story hardly compelling. Complete waste of time and money

This latest work by John Grisham is, in a word, boring. Nothing about the story is compelling. The characters, and all of the images painted around the characters, are tired cliches. There are NO surprises (everything is predictable) and the only reason I could find for completing the drudgery of reading this story was my own ethic that I complete what I start. Even when it is, as here, painful. If you are looking for a story with even an iota of freshness, forego this purchase and read something (or anything) else.

I am not sure why anyone is giving this book 5 stars. This book is outright boring! Grisham spends several chapters on the court proceedings of a tort case against a drug manufacturer and repeatedly remarks how bored our main characters are listening to this endless testimony and then proceeds to force us to read the boring play by play of it. I skimmed through most of these chapters and the only reaction from me was a slight ironic groan every time I read, "and the jury was half asleep after all this." Yeah, me, too. This is not The Firm, or Runaway Jury and certainly not A Time To Kill. There is not any excitement beyond the first chapter. No mystery. No legal prowess--in fact, all the main characters are either quack ambulance chasers or the new guy who has never been to court. There is no big court room drama. Even the little side story is a case that gets settled without any dramatization. It's a simple enough read if you are interested in the bare bones of how not to file a mass tort case and loss it in court. Other than that. Forget it. Seriously. Forget it.

Of interest only to baseball enthusiasts.

Of course it's about baseball, Just didn't think that's all it's about. I'm not a big fan of baseball so that's why I didn't care for it. Looking for someone locally to give it to.

You would have to be a great fan of American ball games to enjoy this book, hardly any story to speak of, just a blow by blow account games played.Not for me this book.

Not the best book by Grisham. Who really wrote it? Dull and simple are the two words that came to mind as I read the book. This is from a big Grisham fan. I was dooped on this poorly written so called book.

pretty boring book. It's only of any interest to baseball fanatics in USA & possibly Japan. That should have been made clear from the beginning. I have enjoyed numerous John Grisham novels, but not this one.

I was totally disappointed. This will be the first book I have purchased from this site that I will not get past the first chapter -