The King of Torts

I gave this book 5 starts not because I think it will be an everlasting classic, but rather because it is a "complete" book. It covererd all the bases I look for in a book:holds my interest, good characters and good character development, story pulls me, and when it comes to an end leaves me wanting a bit more. By the end of the book I wanted to sit down with Clay Carter and talk to him about his experience. I believed he could be an actual person. I do agree with another review that there were some unanswered questions at the end, but I feel that it left the author a huge opening for another book with Clay.

Michael Beck (the reader) is superb. I could listen to him read me the ABC's and it would sound terrific. He does character voices so convincingly that the listener does not have to be told who is speaking after the initial introductions are made because he makes each character so distinct.

Bottom line: Not classic literature, but a really good story. Worth the time spent and the book credit.

I couldn't disagree more with some other customer reviewers. I finished The King of Torts tonight on my commute home and thought it was a very satisfying ending to an exciting book. The character development was excellent--the topic fascinating. I cheered on Clay's successes and worried through the failures. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the book. Congratulations John Grisham on another winner!

I somehow missed this book when it first came out and but was very happy to recently find it. I have been disappointed with the more recent Grisham stories but this ealier work is a good example of why I have been a Grisham fan for some time. The story was good; you wanted to know what happens to the main character and it provided a window into the interesting, albeit disturbing, world of mass torts (class action suits). The story involves the meteoric rise and fall of a young lawyer into the mass torts arena. Can there be any 'lower' profession than being a mass tort lawyer? How is it we end up with a system where lawyers can make millions on the suffering of client who will only get fraction of what the lawyers get. The lawyer's rise is based on 'insider' information from a character who just appears at the beginning of the story and just as rapidly disappears at the end. The lawyer is not particularly likable but your curiosity will probably make you want to know what happens to his cases, if not exactly what happens to him. I did not feel bad at the end of the story when his fall was as rapid as his descent. The decisions of the lawyer become less logical as the story goes on and it is had to believe that anyone would stick with his plan for as long as he did. The story raps up a little too conveniently at the end but was overall, an enjoyable read. If you like Grisham, you will like this book.

This book was grisham at his best. Very captivating approach to the legal system. Ofcourse I think the ending could have been a lot different. However I definitely recommend it.

Mildly interesting look at the world of tort law, but the love story is not compelling and the plot is straightforward, without the interesting twists that Grisham usually employs.

Predictable, but enjoyable. I found that the characters were well developed, the story line very interesting and the reader supurb. My husband and I listened to this book in the car on a 15 hr road trip - we continued to listen each time we were in the car for the next week. Both of us found it entertaining but were letdown by the drop-off ending. We expected more information about the characters and their fate - but were left hi and dry. However, the reader, Michael Beck, was excellent - he managed to portray the different characters without a stilted or false sounding voice. Each character was distinctive and clear - he has a gift. Definately worth the purchase.

I have been getting more and more disgusted with Grisham. It seems like Clay Carter, Grisham got stuck by the bug of fame, money and all that comes with it after his first book. His books have become more and more like a movie with the entire plot laid out within the first 20 minutes. I wanted to like him again, but it didn't happen. This book was over after half the book. The ending was obvious because there was no other way for it to go but down. Grisham didn't even try to give us twists and turns on the way out. If you want a better read Sue Grafton, Linda Fairstein, Steve Martini Janet Evanovich or Perri O'Shanesay would be more enjoyable and leave Grisham to the masses who don't read enough to know better.

A young, poor lawyer enters into a Faustian agreement that brings him instant wealth, greed and ultimately destruction. This is one of Grisham's best novels and although it shows an ugly side of the legal profession, as well as the human condition, it keeps you interested from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend this, particularly to those who consider themselves Grishamites.

I have rarely read a book in which I could care less about the main character. This is truly one of the worst books I have ever listened to or read. Don't waste your money or your time.

This was a different kind of book for grisham, more of a cautionary tale than a thriller. It is an interesting read, and will keep you listening, but don't expect fast paced action, or tense drama.