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This is a great audio book; It is unfortunate that the first disk skips as if scratched, and a thorough cleaning of the disk did not help with the problem. But the content of the book is relevant, interesting, and beautifully read.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
While John Grisham has achieved most of his success with his legal thrillers, he has also tried his hand at more contemplative and literary works (A Painted House) with reasonably good results. "The Last Juror" sees Grisham forge in a new direction, by creating a blend of both these two styles. But does it work? The first part of the book focuses on what we know Grisham is good at: the legal thriller, with action revolving around the courtroom. In typical Grisham style, this is what is served up in Part 1, and returns in Part 3. It's what we expect from Grisham, and will undoubtedly please the fans looking for the usual Grisham fare. However in the second part of the book, Grisham switches gears and takes a leisurely and slower-paced excursion in which he treats more serious issues such as the relation between whites and blacks, and the role and function of the church. Much of this is addressed through the eyes of the young newspaperman William Traynor, by giving close attention to the character of Miss Callie Ruffin, an elderly black woman and mother of eight. Miss Callie is one of the jurors alluded to in the title, who served nine years earlier in the trial of Danny Padgitt, a member of the criminal clan of Padgitts inhabiting Padgitt Island. The sensational trial resulted in Danny's conviction for the rape and murder of widow Rhoda Kasselaw. But now that Danny has served his time in prison and returned to civilization, one by one the jurors that were involved in case are killed. This deadly action at the close of the novel is exciting, and is probably what the average Grisham fan is looking for. But it has to be admitted that it only takes place in the last 20% of the book (Part 3), and it takes a significant amount of time to get this point. Quite frankly, I didn't find the extended diversion in Part 2 sufficiently gripping or interesting, at least, not after the more suspenseful appetizer dished up in Part 1. Certainly Traynor's relationship with Miss Callie is touching at times, and Grisham seems to be experimenting with the more literary style of A Painted House by incorporating a more personal touch and developing well-rounded characters in this portion of the novel. But in the end, this doesn't seem to fit with the legal thriller that the rest of the book wants to be. The title is also raises some intriguing questions. Although Miss Callie's character is important, it's not quite clear to me why the book should be named after her. Moreover, the title itself is somewhat misleading, perhaps deliberately so, in order to create wrong expectations in the mind of the reader, because it implies that Miss Callie will be the last juror to be killed, whereas in fact it simply denotes that she was the last juror chosen at the time of the trial. Ultimately, Grisham's blend of styles doesn't seem to work: The Last Juror appears to be two stories in one, one a legal thriller and the other a more heart-warming literary tale, and both threads don't really don't come together properly. Grisham has proven himself reasonably skilled in both styles, but on this occasion the oil of legal thrillers and the water of literary novels just don't mix well. While I admire Grisham for being prepared to try something different, and acknowledge that this will perhaps give some measure of satisfaction to those who enjoyed the more literary style we first saw in A Painted House, the reality is that "The Last Juror" will probably disappoint manRead full review
The reason I made this purchase is because I have always enjoyed reading/listening to a John Grisham Novel. I am rather disappointed to admit that this one falls far from the mark. His other written endeavors are just gripping to say the least. This was not as spellbinding or able to twist a tale a reader would want to unravel. I have always found myself anxious to continue and dreading to finish. This one however, I was able to leave again and again without wanting more. In the middle I could not wait to get it over with. I tend to be the type that always finishes a book no matter how much I hate it.
Borrowed the copy from the library for a trip to FL, but lost it somewhere. Needed to replace lost library copy and was told it would be $72 to replace thru the library.
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