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Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:In this searing courtroom drama, best-selling author John Grisham probes the savage depths of racial violence... as he delivers a compelling tale of uncertain justice in a small southern town... Clanton, Mississippi. The life of a ten-year-old girl is shattered by two drunken and remorseless young man. The mostly white town reacts with shock and horror at the inhuman crime. Until her black father acquires an assault rifle � and takes justice into his own outraged hands. For ten days, as burning crosses and the crack of sniper fire spread through the streets of Clanton, the nation sits spellbound as young defense attorney Jake Brigance struggles to save his client's life... and then his own...… (more)
User reviews
Anyway, I think everyone knows the plot - a ten year old black girl is raped by two rednecks in a small Mississippi town, and her father, despairing of ever getting justice in the courts, shoots them both dead. Jake Brigance, Grisham's obnoxious young lawyer, is hired to defend him. Improbable, but suitably dramatic. What I think I forgot - or overlooked - was the high cliche count, and just how crass the writing is. Jake is a pig, for a start. Not a colourful character who the reader loves to hate, because Grisham obviously wants everyone to love him, but a pig. His historic house is burned down, along with his daughter's dog, and his response is along the lines of 'Meh'. His improbably attractive and intelligent assistant is dragged into the woods, tied to a pole, stripped and assaulted, and Jake dismisses her trauma with 'She'll be fine'. The ten year old girl is also 'fine' by the end of the novel. The misogyny in this novel is almost as disgusting as the racism, the latter of which is mostly intentional but still nauseating to read. The 'n-word' is used 142 times, mostly by Jake and his friends.
Grisham has claimed to have been inspired by To Kill A Mockingbird, and I can see the determined similarities, but Grisham in not Harper Lee and Jake Brigance isn't worthy to carry Atticus Finch's briefcase. I'm also a little depressed that the same level of obviously racism exists in both eras (and into today). Now I'm just annoyed that I downloaded this along with the sequel Sycamore Row!
The controversy in Clanton after Carl Lee's action causes us to search our own hearts and souls. What would we have done if Tonya were our daughter? How would we vote if we were on the jury? Would we, in our deepest souls feel differently if he were white?
I am not a big fan of Grisham generally but I love A Time to Kill. I have read it several times and still feel the thrills and suspense long after other novels become old hash. This is a book that should be on everyone's reading list.
**SPOILER**
I don't think the jury was right to find Carl Lee not guilty.
Clanton, Mississippi. The life of a ten-year-old girl is shattered by two drunken and remorseless young
For ten days, as burning crosses and the crack of sniper fire spread through the streets of Clanton, the nation sits spellbound as young defense attorney Jake Brigance struggles to save his client's life... and then his own...
I think that "A Time To Kill" is Mr. Grisham's best book so far. I've read many of his other novels, some are great, and some are so-so, but this novel ranks at the top. It is full of different issues like rape, murder, kkk, racism, etc. The plot just keeps on building and
I recommend this book to all the folks. Enjoy it!
Summer Book Review
August 26, 2009
A Time to Kill
Over the summer, I read John Grisham’s novel A Time to Kill. This book is centered around an African American (Carl Lee Hailey) fighting against racism and prejudice in the U.S. court system, with the help of his Lawyer, Jake Brigance.
The book really hits the ground running, setting the stage before going into details and fully painting the background. It opens with a vivid description of a rape crime committed by two rural white men. They try to dispose of her (a ten year old black girl) after they are finished by throwing her off of a bridge, but fortunately she is spotted by fishermen and rushed to the hospital. The graphic descriptions of the horrible crime really help you understand how the father feels. The two who are guilty are found quickly due to their tendencies to brag about their crimes. While they are awaiting arraignment, Carl Lee Hailey (the girl’s father) shoots both of them for fear that the court system will not adequately punish them. Carl Lee Hailey is arrested soon after and selects Jake Brigance for his lawyer. From that point on, the town is almost completely divided between the people who think Carl’s actions were justified and those who want to see him punished. Grisham builds the suspense perfectly as the war escalates further from control as the Ku Klux Klan and even people from outside the county become evolved. Characters are built up and explained in great detail, as John Grisham continually paints more vividly the setting that the stunning events unfold in. Grisham can do this exceptionally well because of his introspect into the thoughts and fears of almost every character, even members of the KKK, while still leaving holes in the story large enough that mystery and suspense can also fit in. He even allows the reader into the thoughts of the judge, jurors, prosecuting attorney, and of course, the suspect (Hailey) to give the reader an idea of what is going on.
All of these elements that are essential to a mystery/suspense novel are effortlessly woven together to form the grand scheme. (Which I’ll try to not completely blow away) The only complaint I have for this book is that the ending left a lot of holes that that I would have liked to see resolved, but this is only really noticed when you are over thinking it as much as I am. Due to an excellent and dynamic plot, this I one of the best-written and most enjoyable books I have ever read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in suspense novels, or just good books.
The character's in this book are drastically