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The Chamber  By  cover art

The Chamber

By: John Grisham
Narrated by: Alexander Adams
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Publisher's summary

In the corridors of Chicago's top law firm:

Twenty-six-year-old Adam Hall stands on the brink of a brilliant legal career. Now he is risking it all for a death-row killer and an impossible case.

Maximum Security Unit, Mississippi State Prison:

Sam Cayhall is a former Klansman and unrepentant racist now facing the death penalty for a fatal bombing in 1967. He has run out of chances - except for one: the young, liberal Chicago lawyer who just happens to be his grandson. While the executioners prepare the gas chamber, while the protesters gather and the TV cameras wait, Adam has only days, hours, minutes to save his client. For between the two men is a chasm of shame, family lies, and secrets - including the one secret that could save Sam Cayhall's life...or cost Adam his.

"A dark and thoughtful tale pulsing wit moral uncertainties...Grisham is at his best." (People)

"Compelling.... Powerful.... The Chamber will make readers think long and hard about the death penalty." (USA Today)

©1994 John Grisham (P)1999 Random House, Inc., Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"His best yet." (The Houston Post)

"Mesmerizing...with an authority and originality...and with a grasp of literary complexity that makes Scott Turow's novels pale by comparison - Grisham returns." (San Francisco Chronicle)

Featured Article: The Essential John Grisham in Audio


John Grisham is best known for his fast-paced legal thrillers and mysteries, many of which have been adapted for television and film. Because he’s so prolific and has been writing for decades, it can be difficult to know where to begin when selecting a title from his impressive back catalog. And Grisham is definitely a jack-of-all-trades: he’s written not only legal thrillers, but nonfiction, a series for kids, some humorous novels, and recently, a new mystery series outside of the legal thriller genre. To help you decide which Grisham gem to download next, we’ve compiled a list of the very best.

What listeners say about The Chamber

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good narrator, not Grisham’s best.

I have read or listened to nearly every Grisham novel thus far and I just wasn’t overly thrilled with this one.

Without spoiling anything, it just kinda goes nowhere. I don’t want a lot of hokey twists and turns, because that’s not what Grisham is about but I was really just waiting for SOMETHING to happen and it really never did.

If someone asked me in the middle of it “what’s happening in your book right now” I wouldn’t be able to tell them.

If you’re new to Grisham novels, skip this one for now. Come back to it when you’re hooked like me and you want to make sure you have read the entire bibliography.... but don’t let this one taint your view of JG

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

great reader. the story was wonderful he has read a lot of johns books. can't wait for the new book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great story!! Until the end…

Really enjoyed the entire story right up until the end. Narcoleptic in nature. Narration was good though!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Grisham never disappoints!

Since I received "The Client" as gift in 1993, I have expected a lot when I select a John Grisham novel and he has consistently met & exceeded my expectations. I was excited to find a title I hadn't read yet. "The Chamber" delivered the entire spectrum of qualities that make his novels so delicious!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Too syrupy for my taste.

I liked the pace and rhythm. However, Sam's transformation is not credible. The narration is outstanding.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

It was OK. Not up to Grisham's Usual Excellence

Got through it, but wasn't so impressed. This is my 8th Grisham audiobook, and not as good as the others. The performance was excellent. It's the story that was lacking.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Repeated to many stories

The stories were repeated too many times. Sentences were repeated with each character. After 5 hours I wanted the story to end but it didn’t. I would not recommend this book, it is not Grisham quality.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Listen!

A great combination of psychology, law and southern culture. This one is Grisham at his best.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Persuasive

Grisham gave me another wonderful adventure facilitated be a splendid reader. My eyes were gently opened to see an different viewpoint and I was edified by the new perspective.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

amazing story

changed my opinion on the death penalty. filled with Grishams legal teachings that made him famous.

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