The Chamber

A Novel

By: John Grisham

Narrated by: Alexander Adams

Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins

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)

not usual grisham legal thriller.

good story but not a gripping thriller. interesting exploration of death row/penalty. it wasn't a bad story, but we were expecting a more engaging story with some plot twists. didn't happen

Don’t let the movie influence your decision to read...

I’ve never understood why Hollywood tries to take a book that’s over 10 hours to listen or over 500 pages written and think that same story can be condensed to 1 hour and 46 of screen time can begin to do a book justice?!?! After seeing the movie “The “Chamber” umpteen years ago I skipped reading the book because I felt the adaptations of “The Firm”, “A Time to Kill” and “The Client we’re so well done that Chambers’s book must have been bad to explain the movie.
I’m glad I talked myself into listening to Chamber! I wasn’t sorry because the book was 16 hours well spent:)

Time changes circumstances

the story was good. characters were interesting. can't find anything I don't like about John's story telling acumen.

Excellent Book

I started listening to this book and couldn’t put it down. It kept you in suspense until the very end. I highly recommend it if you like drama and suspense

A great story another great one by John Grisham.

fantastic story. another really good performance by the narrator. enjoyable. John Grisham is a great author. recommended.

worthwhile

strong story, beginning to end. Engaging, although the story arc falls a little flat in the end.
the narration is first rate and among the best I've ever heard. All in all, very good audiobook.

Title had my foiled great ending

This story is one of the best I listened too in a while Great character acting

Great Listen!

Great story, great performance, I intend to listen to it again in the future. Outstanding in every way. Don't miss this one!

Remarkable narration and story!

The nattatoro is awesome.. the best I've heard thus far. of cours I love the book. John Grisham is my favorite author. He never ceases to amaze me!

Simply amazing...

I love John Grisham books. I know that he is either loved or hated by most readers, but everyone seems to have an opinion on his writing. That is because he basically owns an entire genre of literature. His books have pervaded the entire populous of readers everywhere. I happen to fall into the category of Fans of Grisham. I also think that his books lend very well to this Audible format. They make very good listening material for commutes as well as cold winter days when all I need is a story to listen to while I putter around the house.

The Chamber deals with some fairly heavy subject matter, but Grisham finds a way to handle it in such an interesting and manageable way. The lawyers that he writes are usually quite predictable and quite similar throughout his many books. He loves to write stories about the underdogs, and the new, young lawyers taking on huge firms and governments. My opinion? If it works, keep it going. Love these books, and have read and listened to most of them more than once.

Michael Beck is, without question, not only the best Grisham narrator, but I firmly believe that there is not a narrator out there who is more supremely suited to a specific author's style than Beck is to Grisham's. Perfection.