What do You think about Personal Injuries (2000)?
I read this book a few years ago and loved it, as I love everything Scott Turow has ever written.Here's what stayed with me--the character of Robbie Feavor, a self confessed ambulance chaser. He hung out in emergency rooms and would clinch the deal with his clienst by shedding real tears over their tragedy. It worked every time.And here's what else I remember vividly: Robbie's wife, who is bedridden with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). It's a moving portrait of the toll the disease takes on people. Robbie is no hero, he's under investigation for tax fraud and bribing judges, but he does his best to care for his wife. If you're looking to raise your awareness of ALS without dousing yourself with ice water, read this book.
—Judy
Robbie is a lawyer who got caught passing bribes to judges. They make a deal with him to wear a wire so they can convict the judges. Things get more and more dangerous-- but the story is more about Robbie's philosophy of life and his impact on those around him.. his own lawyer and the beautiful F.B.I. agent posing as his new legal secretary and his wife, who is suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease. This is a tough book to read. Robbie's philosophy is to love those around him, though he does it through a hard shell. He thinks life is a play and everyone is pretending to be something. He is a thorough scoundrel that slowly wins over the people closest to him. In the meantime, the young FBI chick is having her own inner conflict and this story is about inner conflict more than anything else. Turow can build some decent characters and insert some good lawyerly jokes and legal wrangling. However, this one spent too much time dealing with character issue and not nearly enough time advancing the plot. Not my favcrite, but worth forcing through.
—David
I enjoy Turow as an author. He gives you an in depth look into each of the characters in the book.Robbie Feaver is a personal injury attorney who is caught by the IRS with a bank account he can't account for. Turns out the funds were used to pay off judges to get better results for his clients. This practice isn't the exception in Kindle County it is the norm. The government cuts a deal with Robbie: help them bust the corrupt judges and the sentence Robbie must serve will be reduced. The FBI gets involved in the gathering of evidence to bust the judges. Evon is the agent assigned to tagging along with Robbie as his new legal assistant/lover. We learn more about the backgrounds of Robbie and Evon throughout the book. Robbie has a wife with ALS and a mother who is dying in a nursing home. You get to even like the guy. He has good qualities and those that are not so good. Just like all of us.The narrator of the story is Robbie's attorney George Mason. It is tough at times to tell if the chapter is being told by George because he is present or told by a hovering spirit.
—Brent Soderstrum
