Product Description
Contemporary / American English The horror of death row is that you die a little each day. The waiting kills you. Seventy-year-old Sam Cayhall is on Mississippi's death row. Sam hates lawyers but his date with the gas chamber is close, and time is running out. Then Adam Hall, a young lawyer arrives. Can he and his secret persuade Sam to accept his help? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Well written but needed a better ending
This is a story about deep, dark secrets that a family has hidden from each other and the world. A subject that is controversial and one that everyone has an opinion about, the death sentence. It is a character study of a man from when he joined the KKK, as a teenager, until his final days on death row. This seventy-year-old grandfather, after three trials in Mississippi spanning more than twelve years and another twelve years of appeals, doubts if Adam Hall a twenty-six-year-old attorney can save him from his last breath being cyanide gas. During his first interview with Adam, he recognized a voice that sounded like his son that committed suicide and indeed it was his grandson that he had never met.

Two of my favorite movies are The Firm and The Pelican Brief, both based on books by Mr. Grisham. I place The Pelican Brief in my top ten movies ever.

This novel is NOT a thriller. It does not have a lot of action or plot twists, but it is well written and certainly kept my interest. I would have given it more stars but I did not like the ending. I was let down when I turned the last page as I was keyed up for a ........ Not only was the ending a total surprise to me but several items did not have closure.

Author al-Qaeda Strikes Again

The Chamber is John Grisham's best-selling book - ever.
I was a John Grisham fan. My personal favorite is his first book, A Time to Kill, later adapted into a successful film.

The Chamber is John Grisham's best-selling book - ever. From beginning to end, it is an engrossing read. The reader flies through the 600+ pages, as Grisham paints a picture of a family wrecked by the sinful racism of the father.

The Chamber tells about a fictional character named Sam Cayhall, condemned to the gas chamber because of a crime he committed in the late 1960's against a Jewish lawyer. Cayhall was an accomplice in setting a bomb that destroyed the lawyer's office and unintentionally killed the lawyer's two twin boys. With just a month before his execution date, Cayhall's grandson, a fresh, young lawyer named Adam Hall, arrives on the scene to save the day.

The Chamber forces the reader to wrestle with the idea of the death penalty. The crimes are described in horrific detail, and we later discover that Cayhall was guilty of even more egregious sins than the one for which the government wants to execute him.

If you skip the book and decide to rent the movie, be aware. The movie isn't half as good as the book. (I know everyone always says this, but trust me on this one.)

This is, in my opinion Grisham's last work worth reading.
I gradually tired of Grisham's writing. His approach has become overly familiar and formulaic. Many of his books read as if the author was planning for an immediate movie adaptation of the current novel (the Stephen King Movie of the Week syndrome) while he was writing. As a consequence, I simply stopped reading his subsequent books. Grisham can produce page turning prose with the best of them, but after awhile the repetition became monotonous for me. After reading six of his books, I stopped cold.

It was not so much a case that Grisham was not entertaining, he was, but as a reader I had the sense of having been there and done that. Some gifted authors have a talent for writing books that always seem to be fresh and new, even when employing the same set of characters, while others seem to fall into a predictable, if profitable rut. Someday, I may check out another Grisham book to see if I was incorrect in my original assessment.""

John Grisham's Best-Seller
I have long been a John Grisham fan. My personal favorite is his first book, A Time to Kill, later adapted into a successful film. Some of Grisham's books are heavily influenced by Christianity. The Testament and The Last Juror come to mind. The Chamber is John Grisham's best-selling book - ever. And for good reason. From beginning to end, it is an engrossing read. The reader flies through the 600+ pages, as Grisham paints a picture of a family wrecked by the sinful racism of the father.

The Chamber tells about a fictional character named Sam Cayhall, condemned to the gas chamber because of a crime he committed in the late 1960's against a Jewish lawyer. Cayhall was an accomplice in setting a bomb that destroyed the lawyer's office and unintentionally killed the lawyer's two twin boys. With just a month before his execution date, Cayhall's grandson, a fresh, young lawyer named Adam Hall, arrives on the scene to save the day.

The Chamber forces the reader to wrestle with the idea of the death penalty. Thankfully, Grisham does not make Cayhall out to be a victim. The crimes are described in horrific detail, and we later discover that Cayhall was guilty of even more egregious sins than the one for which the government wants to execute him.

As the characters remember past events, the picture of sin and its consequences becomes more and more disturbing. Cayhall's son commits suicide. The Jewish lawyer whose sons were killed in the bombing is paralyzed and later kills himself. Cayhall's daughter becomes an alcoholic and spends significant time in rehab. While the father shows no remorse for his actions, the children suffer under unbearable guilt and shame. I have never read a book that so clearly demonstrates how God visits the iniquity of the fathers to the next generations.

But there is redemption here, too. As the book progresses, Cayhall's defenses begin to fall. He becomes repentant. He looks forward to his visits with a young minister. He affirms the Apostle's Creed and places his faith in God. By the end, he is ready to face death and to meet his Maker.

I heartily recommend The Chamber for its picture of sin and the destructive force it leaves in its wake, but also for the redemption that can come to even the most hardened criminal.

If you skip the book and decide to rent the movie, be aware. The movie isn't half as good as the book. (I know everyone always says this, but trust me on this one.) The redemption scenes are absent from the movie, as well as the minister's role. The consequences of sin are minimized. The directors added action to the movie that is not found in the book, and this makes the movie much less compelling. ... Read more

Product Description
The blues, a distinct and powerful music most associated with the Southern Mississippi Delta region of the United States and emanating from that region's African-American culture, is appreciated the world over. Its ability to bridge cultural differences is partly due to its deeply emotional content and its unique musical form, derived from traditions of African and gospel music among others. It is characterized by musical sophistication, philosophical profundity, and lyrics that are frequently constructed from an unmatched poetic economy. The blues remain the premier musical form of the disenfranchised and downhearted.

Visualizing the Blues brings together photographs by world-renowned masters, among them Margaret Bourke-White, Mathew Brady, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Ralston Crawford, Jack Delano, William Eggleston, Walker Evans, Lee Friedlander, Clarence John Laughlin, Gordon Parks, Andres Serrano, Doris Ulmann, Eudora Welty, as well as a number of emerging artists including, Huger Foote, Birney Imes, and Ashley T. Mitchell. The intense visual texture created by the diverse talents of these photographers attests to a rich soup of experiences, social and geographical roots, and collective soul that contribute to the beloved culture of the American South. Hard truths, legendary humor, and depth of spirit for which blues music is well known comes to life in these images and provides a new way for appreciating and understanding the complex mix of influences that culminates in such an extraordinary musical expression.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The People Inside
Despite being listed under John Grisham, it's the photos more than the words that spill out of this book like hunks of compassion and nightmare all rolled together.The blues speak to our species ability to survive the deep hurt, and hauanting images like "klan granny" and "chain gang" are in juxtaposition with the ability to laugh, dance and sing even if some fool thinks you're less than them.This collection covers a variety of styles and a various photographers.It's like a footnote to any good blues collection, the "why" to the "how" of of America's most original musical form and the conditions that created it. ... Read more

Product Description
1998 MASS MARKET PAPERBACK EDITION. SOME WEAR AND CREASES ON BOOK.SOFT SPINE..SMALL CREASE ON A FEW PAGES. OVER ALL A GOOD READING COPY. WE SHIP DAILY... ... Read more

Product Description
In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems Backman, in his power broker heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world’s most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.
Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy. Eventually, after he has settled into his new life, the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does best: sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survive—there is no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is, who will kill him?


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Product Description
In this exclusive interview, the celebrated author talks about his childhood in Pennsylvania, his life in New England and his fascination with the female sexual organ. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Beautiful but brief.
A beautiful but brief slice of time seen through the eyes and felt through the recollections of one of America's finest writers.I only wish the interview had lasted longer! - E.M. LeDuc ... Read more

Product Description
This is nonfiction commentary. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Novels by John Grisham, the Associate, the Firm, the Appeal, the Client, the Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, a Time to Kill, a Painted House, the Broker, the Street Lawyer, the Rainmaker, the Last Juror, Skipping Christmas, Playing for Pizza, the Pelican Brief, the Partner, the Testament, Bleachers, the Runaway Jury, the King of Torts, the Brethren, the Chamber, the Summons, Ford County. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: The Associate is a legal thriller by John Grisham. His twenty-first novel, it was published by Doubleday and released in the United States on January 27, 2009. As an idealistic law student and editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal, Kyle McAvoy has the promise of a highly successful career in his future, although after graduation he intends to devote three years to public service before applying for employment with a prestigious firm. His plans are derailed when he is approached by the mysterious Bennie Wright, who has a videotape of a party that took place in Kyle's apartment five years earlier, when he was an undergraduate student at Duquesne University. In it, two of Kyle's fraternity brothers, Joey Bernardo and Baxter Tate, are seen having sexual relations with Elaine Keenan, a coed who later claimed she was raped while unconscious, a charge seemingly supported by Joey asking Baxter "Is she awake?" on the tape. At the time, the incident was investigated by local police, who determined there had been no assault and declined to take further action. With the tape now in his possession, Bennie threatens to expose Kyle's secret unless he cooperates with him and his associates. Bennie's plan is to have Kyle accept a position at New York City-based Scully ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

All Grisham's talent, in a different genre.
I enjoyed Grisham's writing style from the viewpoint of a young boy.It was a surprisingly well-developed story, and I didn't want it to end.

A Painted House
A very interesting book--different from other
books from this author,but I enjoyed it.
Hope there he will continue it in another
book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good Results
I was very pleased with the service and product I received.At first, I was worried when the book did not arrive as indicated in the shipping records. I emailed the vendor and a timely response followed.My book arrived in excellent shape.All is well. ... Read more

Product Description
A Time to Kill
The life of a ten-year-old black girl is shattered by two drunken and remorseless young men. The mostly white town reacts with shock and horror at the inhuman crime. Until her father acquires an assault rifle–and takes justice into his own outraged hands.
For ten days, with burning crosses and the crack of sniper fire spreading through the streets of Clanton, Mississippi, the nation sits spellbound as youngdefense attorney Jack Brigance struggles to save his client’s life… and then his own.

The King of Torts
When Clay Carter of the public defender’s office reluctantly takes the case of a young man charged with a random street killing, he assumes it is just another of the many senseless murders that hit D.C. every week. But as he digs into the background of his client, Clay stumbles on a conspiracy too horrible to believe. He suddenly finds himself in the middle of a complex case against one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, looking at the kind of enormous settlement that would totally change his life–that would make him, almost overnight, the legal profession’s newest king of torts . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Time To Kill
A must read. I saw the movie but the details in the book are real life. ... Read more

Product Description
Discusses the life, career, and influence of the popular writer of legal thrillers. ... Read more

Product Description
n his first collection of short stories John Grisham takes us back to Ford County, Mississippi, the setting of his first novel, A Time to Kill.Wheelchair-bound Inez Graney and her two older sons, Leon and Butch, take a bizarre road trip through the Mississippi Delta to visit the youngest Graney brother, Raymond, who's been locked away on death row for eleven years. It could well be their last visit.Mack Stafford, a hard-drinking and low-grossing run-of-the-mill divorce lawyer gets a miracle phone call with a completely unexpected offer to settle some old, forgotten cases for more money than he has ever seen. Mack is suddenly bored with the law, fed up with his wife and his life, and makes drastic plans to finally escape.Quiet, dull Sidney, a data collector for an insurance company, perfects his blackjack skills in hopes of bringing down the casino empire of Clanton's most ambitious hustler, Bobby Carl Leach, who, among other crimes, has stolen Sidney's wife.Three good ol' boys from rural Ford County begin a journey to the big city of Memphis to give blood to a grievously injured friend. However, they are unable to drive past a beer store as the trip takes longer and longer. The journey comes to an abrupt end when they make a fateful stop at a Memphis strip club.The Quiet Haven Retirement Home is the final stop for the elderly of Clanton. It's a sad, languid place with little controversy, until Gilbert arrives. Posing as a lowly paid bedpan boy, he is in reality a brilliant stalker with an uncanny ability to sniff out the assets of those "seniors" he professes to love.One of the hazards of litigating against people in a small town is that one day, long after the trial, you will probably come face-to-face with someone you've beaten in a lawsuit. Lawyer Stanley Wade bumps into an old adversary, a man with a long memory, and the encounter becomes a violent ordeal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Real eye opener!
I loved this book. I think it addressed an important issue we all throw to the wayside.It was a real eye opener and it can be an example to its many readers.

Real eye opener!
I loved this book. I think it addressed an important issue we all throw to the wayside.It was a real eye opener and it can be an example to its many readers.

Not as fulfilling!
This one kind of disappointed me.It based itself on an issue that is valid, and the message about the pilght of the homeless is an important one.But the anticipation for another hot Grisham made this book seemunfulfilling! Otherwise, it is a great read!

A liberal political agenda minus the proper information.
First let me say that all previous books were very well written and lived up to the rave reviews.However "The Street Lawyer" lost all interest for me after the second reference to the eeeevil Republicans nottaking care of us all from cradle to grave.I shall not read another JohnGrisham book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Of very uneven quality but on the whole entertaining
The main storyline contains courtroom drama that matches Grisham's best for attorney shenanigans and legal surprises. I couldn't stop reading the portions that described the trial.

On first reading, the first 100 pages bored me. But now that I am re-reading, I see the point and they are ok.

The conclusion is bizarre and anticlimactic and seems silly, as though Grisham couldn't come up with a sensible end. The love intrigue is irrelevant to the case against the insurance company and is contrived.

The story is marred by Grisham's tendency to use his story for his far-left activism. Here it is a campaign against big corporations (insurance, in this case) and abusive husbands.

With good editing, condensation, and self-discipline, this could have been a masterpiece. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

good book
My copy of this book had been lost during a move and I needed another copy. It is a good book that I enjoyed reading. ... Read more