"To Tell The Truth?"Quite a few years ago, there was a television show called "To Tell the Truth" in which a celebrity panel, egged on by a celebrity moderator, would try to guess which of three guest panelists, when quizzed about their lives and circumstances, would turn out to be the actual named person. The game always ended in the command "Will the real 'John Doe' please stand up", at which point our suspense was relieved and we all got to congratulate or commiserate on our own candidate of choice.And so with our now famous author, sometimes we feel like saying "Will the real John Grisham please stand up." In Partner, this is not (to our minds, thankfully) the slow-paced dramatist of book one, A Time to Kill, or book five, The Chamber, the latter of which we predicted would never be a movie (wrong!) for its dullness and lack of intrigue (right!). Nor is this the social commentator proselytizing in The Rainmaker (wife abuse is bad) or The Runaway Jury (smoking is bad), although at least these two gave us moderately satisfying page-turners. Nope -- the good news is that our clever creator of Pelican Brief, The Client, and The Firm is back, with all the complexities of plot, action and thrills, even an ironic twist at the end, to captivate our imaginations and keep us up until three in the morning with no regrets. And make no mistake, a movie made from this novel will be a barn burner -- the only question being how many millions more will it dump into the Grisham coffers.By now, you may have heard snatches of the plot. We hate to spoil the story, but the gist is that a successful young law firm partner "dies" in an accident, only to be discovered years later hiding abroad with close to eight figures in stolen loot. [Relax -- all that becomes clear in chapter one of forty-three, so we're hardly giving away the plot...:] What follows are the intricacies of legal maneuvers and one-up-man-ship by our hero, as he masterminds his own extrication from prison, while gradually spinning the whole incredible yarn through various conversations meted out carefully enough to keep us turning pages into the wee hours.So, for us, the best John Grisham has indeed stood up -- with riveting story telling, political and social insight into the mechanisms of lawyering, and a tale that engrosses from start to finish. Can't wait for the movie ! {Reviewer's note -- no movie to date as far as we know...}
Read a John Grisham after a long long time - dont remember which was the last one i read. Strangely, while I was reading this book - I kept thinking of or more like missing the Millenium series novels. Maybe it was because I was reading a suspense / thriller / on the run sort of book after a long time OR maybe I just missed the refined writing that those books had to offer. From plot to detail to storyline. But, like I was discussing with a friend of mine who pointed out and rightly so, that these two books/authors are incomparable - because the models they work on are completely different.While Larsson worked on his novels for a long time before putting them out there, Grisham churns one out every year! Maybe even sooner sometimes - which I realise greatly affects the quality of the writing. Both authors manage to make their books fast paced reads - edge of the seat, plot unravelling as you go - but its the relationship the reader develops with the characters that makes for an unforgettable book as against a forgettable one - like this one. :)Not that I am out to critically compare Grisham against Larsson but since the thought occured while reading this book - I thought I would mention it and see what others thought about it. Anyhow, coming to the book and its story - there were times when I wished that the detail would have been edited to a certain degree to make the story crisper, however the book still manages to keep you glued in until you've read it through. I was happy that the book at least ended as I was hoping it would with a final twist in the master scheme - else it would have been too run of the mill usual.Good book to take a break from any heavy reading but would help to not have as many plots as it did - you kinda get lost in them and just want to move on to the next thing.
What do You think about The Partner (2005)?
I read this hot on the heels of Iris Murdock's "The Nice and the Good" and they're as different as fish and fowl. Murdock's an intellectual- uses big words and intriguing insight. Grisham on the other hand is a machine- and in this novel the plot runs like the engine of a Ferrari.How good he is. From the opening words, "They found him in Ponta Pa..." to the end; "Surely, one day she would find him," the story ticks over without missing a beat. The partner disappears with $90 million, a goodly sum- after faking his death. Through a series of beautifully logical stages, he's found - but the money isn't. Thus the story develops. Unlike in Murdock's novel, you don't really give a toss about the characters. And by the end, you find yourself to have been singularly unmoved. But the writer's ability leaves you breathless. Grisham, there's his picture on the inside back cove, smart-looking, sassy, knowing-knows how to do it- through all the natural twists and turns of the plot, to the hinted at, but still unexpected denouement.Raindrops in the hair it's not - reality is never present, But he keeps you reading by unassailable logic. Clever boy, but different by far from Murdock. For what he does- 5/5
—C.S. Boag
The ending came as a surprise, but frankly, it was disappointing and silly. The whole book was leading to a fantastic triumph, but no, Grisham has to rain on his own, the protagonist's (and the reader's) parade by yanking the happy-ever-after out from under everything. Look, dude, you got where you are by following a tried-and-true, formulaic model for popular fiction. We don't pick up a Grisham novel looking for great literature, we pick up a Grisham novel because we want to be entertained by a tried-and-true, formulaic yarn. This pathetic attempt at tragedy fell on its face an unsatisfying thud. So why am I giving this three stars? Because, up until the last page or two, it was a fun read. Typical Grisham. Leave the tragedy to Hemingway and Dostoevsky.
—Bruce
Brilliant strategizing, excellent suspense, but FRUSTRATING AND SAD ENDING.REVIEWER’S OPINION:I love Grisham’s writing style. I was engaged all the way through. There was good action and a lot of suspense. By the end I was amazed, impressed, and intrigued with all the planning, strategizing, and how things worked out. It may not be believable but it was fun. Then the ending was frustrating and unhappy. I WANT HAPPY ENDINGS. Unfortunately that was my only problem with the book. I loved the experience. The only thing positive about the end was that it was thought provoking. I had to tell myself yes I could see that. But it’s not a story I want to hear. I normally would give this book a below average rating due to the ending, but because the rest was so good, I compromised at 3 stars. For someone who would enjoy smart-thinking, out-thinking others, and a good suspenseful read, go ahead.STORY BRIEF:Patrick worked for a law firm that was about to receive 90 million dollars from a lawsuit, 60 million of which would go to their client Arecio. Patrick fakes his own death in a burning car. Soon after that, he steals the 90 million, transferring it to an offshore account. For four years he has been hiding with a fake name in Brazil. Arecio and two insurance companies hire Stephano to find Patrick. They have just found him. They kidnap and torture him asking “Where is the money?” Eva is a Brazilian lawyer who helps Patrick during this time.The narrator Frank Muller is great. He adds fun suspense and drama to his reading of the book.DATA:Unabridged audiobook length: 11 hours 26 minutes. Narrator: Frank Muller. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day mostly various places in the U.S., plus S. America and Europe. Copyright: 1997. Genre: legal suspense.
—Jane Stewart
