A Time to Kill

Out of all his books that I have read so far, this one has the most satisfying ending. All the characters were well written. I am at awe with how Jake was able to manage a firm all by himself, although of course he could solicit some advice from Lucien. But still I cannot fathom how he was able to deal with all the paper works with just one secretary whom he by the way hates to his core. So he had it coming when all the other works started piling up when he was working on the Hailey case. I admire how he was very determined at fighting for his cause. Jake is a far better lawyer compared to Rudy Baylor (a character in another Grisham novel). His wife was a pain in the ass, which is why I had made up my mind that I won't be marrying so that I would be able to focus on my dream job which is to be a lawyer. still have a pile of more of his books to read though.

Grisham's first and worth reading for that reason, even if it is a tad slow (Grisham admitted that it "rambles") and full of N words. Also has some autobiographical elements according to Grisham which is nifty.

Grisham is one of my favorite authors. Maybe because I’m a trial attorney. So, I really wanted to like this book. And, while I found the constant use of the “N” word understandable, in context, I nevertheless found it offensive. But I just couldn’t finish the book. It was too much of a grind. The pacing was off. Way off.

I have read only one other legal thriller. From the 'experience' of having read two of them, I don't really get why legal thrillers are called 'thrillers'. I guess the supposedly thrilling element here is about who trumps the other in bribing, cheating, manipulating and finding loopholes in the law, when the truth is staring at us from the beginning. It's more drama than a thriller. I felt this book to be very American. Probably because 12 random people were deciding, whether a man should live or die. I've seen this peculiar American thing called jury trials in all those TV shows and movies (and especially loved 12 Angry Men) and have always wondered, why there was no such system in India. (obviously I'm not very politically inclined). And then I read this. Everything that could go wrong with a jury trial happens in here. Truth and justice loses all meaning. The spine of the book is racial tension which holds it together pretty well. And I had not much idea about the KKK before this. I like a good revenge story; like John Wick, when the one good thing in his life is taken, out he goes all in. Carl Lee has kids and family. Why did he have to do this? Then again, I'm no black man in a white majority county. I'm no father and I have no kids. What do I know? Still, I hated how Carl Lee took Jake for granted. Maybe his character was inspired by some doofus Grisham himself had to represent. And I don't know if this 'braless women who come onto married men' and appreciation for 'women who don't wear pants', is a 90s thing of the South or a fantasy of the author's. Anyway, even though it drags us around with boring details and squabbles between lawyers, it gets more horrifying and gut wrenching in the last 100 pages. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. It was...okay.

A Time to Kill is Grisham's first novel, and it shows. While Grisham's works are not literary classics, this book was in desperate need of substantial editing. The story concept is intriguing (should a father who killed the men who gang raped his daughter go to jail, and how does his race play into this decision?), particularly to me, a person who specialises in criminal law, but even I had trouble slogging through the procedural parts of the book where nothing much was happening. None of the characters were very interesting or developed, especially the female clerk who seemed to be around only to give male readers someone sexy to think about. Most of the narrative is slow with the bulk of the suspense occurring in the last few chapters. It certainly isn't the worst book I have read, but The Firm was a much better thriller, and Grisham had obviously learned quite a bit about pacing by then (his female characters were still terrible though).

I thought this was his best book

"A Time To Kill" by John Grisham Published 2001 by Random House Audio Publishing Group Originally published 1989 by Wynwood Press Trigger Warnings: Rape (Child), Death, Murder, Racism Challenges: #bookiary2019 - 6/52 #ReadingChallenge2019 by Linz the Bookworm - Level 2 A Book by John Grisham **Non-Spoilery Summary** It's a short one today, but it's been a while since I finished this and it really was just bleh for me. Living in the Mississipi in the 1980s, these characters face all sorts of trials and tribulations. A young sixteen-year-old black girl is violently raped by two white supremacists. The latter are later killed by the girl's father. He is charged with capital murder. Jake Brigance is his lawyer. The themes explored are gripping, but the plot itself is not. I stuck around for the high stakes of the father and daughter relationship, but the focus was on Jake Brigance. This is why I read realistic fiction and young adult novels...it delves more into relationships, which is really what I found myself yearning for. I'm glad I gave this a shot as it was something outside my comfort zone, but it definitely affirms that this is not the genre for me if I'm reading for enjoyment. Perhaps if I wish to pick up a "challenging" book in the future? But I'd be more inclined to reach for classics if that were the case...I digress. The relevance of the moral was certainly important to note and it is a message that needs to be spread far and wide; I just wish it could be done in a more entertaining fashion. **Spoilery Review** Characters - 4/10 I didn't care for Jake. I only cared for the father and his daughter. The court case itself was means to an end. It did, however, represent the time and place in which this book was set and the racial dynamics present. I did find that some characters were difficult to track but that may have been the American "twang" of the audiobook narrator. Character Growth - 3/10 Not much in terms of character development. This was very heavily plot driven. Writing Style - 5/10 I wasn't very keen on the writing style. Perhaps crime just isn't for me? It wasn't inventive, but straight to the point. It wasn't bad...just not my style. Pace - 3/10 To be honest, I lost the plot not far into the story and wasn't very interested in what was happening. I feel like this was an abriged version, and it still didn't work for me with pacing. I just couldn't follow. If it weren't for the audiobook I probably would have DNFed it very early on. Again, just not my genre. Strength of Plot - 5/10 It made perfect sense for the place and time and was a good reminder of the racial issues prevalent in America back then (and even still today). The moral of the novel was powerful and definitely worth the wait, but overall I can't speak much for the strength of the plot since I didn't care enough to follow it too closely throughout. It was a speed listen situation. Entertainment - 3/10 Yep, the topic was of interest to me (i.e. racial tensions, high stake relationships, and the effect of violent crimes on individuals. Nope, the delivery was not entertaining to me, even with the shock factor. Individuality - 5/10 Can't really rate too much on this because I haven't really read anything like this, but it is renownnd for being quality literature in the genre. I'll give it half marks out of respect. Thought Provoking - 7/10 Yep! The one thing it had going for it, really. I appreciated the racial prejudices brought to light throughout and it had a "To Kill A Mockingbird" vibe, but without Scout, Jem, Atticus...or the purity of that novel. Relevance - 8/10 Racial prejudice is still relevant in today's day and age, and the final question that stumped the jury is incredibly relevant. What if the situation were reversed? Ending - 8/10 It wrapped up nicely. I just wish the middle bit matched haha. I had no idea what was going to happen and it certainly kept me hanging to the very last moment! TOTAL = 51/100 = 3 stars My lowest rating so far for 2019! My next review will be for "Anatomy" by Franks Martin for "Level 1 A book you got for free"