The Last Juror
John GrishamThis book is not exceptionally well-written, but it also lacks the plot and continuity to get it off the ground. Put simply, it fails on all counts. The big shake-up surprise at the end is predictable, and even if I hadn't blatantly seen it coming to smack me in the face (luckily, I was able to duck and sustained no damage), it is not of a magnitude to shock or even merely stun anyone. The effect is, "Oh, wow, right, duh." My other major gripe is that Grisham tries much too hard to make the novel relevant and insightful regarding racism in the 70s. The racial tensions revealed by the plot are meaningless and underdeveloped. The effect of this is to make Grisham seem to be a meaning-mongerer eager only to fill pages rather than paint a finely attuned portrait of the day and age in which his characters are operating. In this case, he has no excuse, as the issue is school integration in the 70s.
Did I mention that this has nothing to do with the plot except to make it forgettable? Though this forgetfulness comes into play when Grisham tries again to overextend his limited writing capabilities in attacking a flawed legal system, it is still ineffective and does not even function as a plot device. Grisham cannot make up his mind regarding the genre of his work. Is it a fictional coming-of-age memoir? Is it a murder mystery (albeit one where all the answers are given out on a silver platter, requiring no thought whatsoever of the reader)? Is it a legal thriller? Is it an expose about racial tensions in 1970s Mississippi? Is it a scathing revelation of corruption in the judicial system? Can it decide? No. Grisham would do much better to stick to one or maybe two genres instead of trying to make his book a catchall.
Oh, and the end is sad to, for no reason. Grisham gives in to the pressures of modernization and his character sells out to The Man after avowing earlier not to. This change of heart is not explained. After reading this novel, Grisham would have you believe that the South can turn anyone conservative, that rich entrenched whites own the system, and that blacks and whites live happily (that is, the blacks are quite satisfied with their lower position) and best when separated by the enigmatic "tracks."
Grade: C-
Did I mention that this has nothing to do with the plot except to make it forgettable? Though this forgetfulness comes into play when Grisham tries again to overextend his limited writing capabilities in attacking a flawed legal system, it is still ineffective and does not even function as a plot device. Grisham cannot make up his mind regarding the genre of his work. Is it a fictional coming-of-age memoir? Is it a murder mystery (albeit one where all the answers are given out on a silver platter, requiring no thought whatsoever of the reader)? Is it a legal thriller? Is it an expose about racial tensions in 1970s Mississippi? Is it a scathing revelation of corruption in the judicial system? Can it decide? No. Grisham would do much better to stick to one or maybe two genres instead of trying to make his book a catchall.
Oh, and the end is sad to, for no reason. Grisham gives in to the pressures of modernization and his character sells out to The Man after avowing earlier not to. This change of heart is not explained. After reading this novel, Grisham would have you believe that the South can turn anyone conservative, that rich entrenched whites own the system, and that blacks and whites live happily (that is, the blacks are quite satisfied with their lower position) and best when separated by the enigmatic "tracks."
Grade: C-
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