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The Litigators
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • After leaving a fast-track legal career and going on a serious bender, David Zinc is sober, unemployed, and desperate enough to take a job at Finley & Figg, a self-described “boutique law firm” that is anything but.
Oscar Finley and Wally Figg are in fact just two ambulance chasers who bicker like an old married couple. But now the firm is ready to tackle a case that could make the partners rich—without requiring them to actually practice much law. A class action suit has been brought against Varrick Labs, a pharmaceutical giant with annual sales of $25 billion, alleging that Krayoxx, its most popular drug, causes heart attacks. Wally smells money. All Finley & Figg has to do is find a handful of Krayoxx users to join the suit. It almost seems too good to be true ... and it is.
Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE AFTER THE FIRM!
Oscar Finley and Wally Figg are in fact just two ambulance chasers who bicker like an old married couple. But now the firm is ready to tackle a case that could make the partners rich—without requiring them to actually practice much law. A class action suit has been brought against Varrick Labs, a pharmaceutical giant with annual sales of $25 billion, alleging that Krayoxx, its most popular drug, causes heart attacks. Wally smells money. All Finley & Figg has to do is find a handful of Krayoxx users to join the suit. It almost seems too good to be true ... and it is.
Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE AFTER THE FIRM!
470 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 25, 2011
8192 people are currently reading
22607 people want to read
About the author
John Grisham
482 books89.3k followersJohn Grisham is the author of more than fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include Framed, Camino Ghosts and The Exchange: After the Firm.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,874 reviews
November 25, 2011
As a John Grisham fan , I was surprised to hear some early criticism of his latest book. However, as I got deeper and deeper into the story, I am starting to understand. This story has much more humor in it than many of his previous books ......and that's good not bad.
One can't help but chuckle at the law firm of Finley & Figg. They are the epitome of the storefront, ambulance chasing,divorces and DUI small time lawyers. They have never been very successful and they are just about able to pay their bills each month. Besides the two of them they have a 'do everything' secretary,Rochelle Gibson. Actually there is a cautious 'detente' amongst all the players until 2 things happen that may change the lives of all of them. First of all, Wally Figg finds out about what may become a major class action lawsuit over a drug called Krayoxx. The drug allegedly helps lower cholesterol but may in fact being causing people to die of heart attacks. And the second event is the landing of one , David Zinc on their doorstep. Zinc has been a successful associate of a big downtown law firm when he has a complete meltdown. He is sick and tired of the corporate life and decides to 'dropout'. He spends a day at Abner's bar getting wasted and when he decides to leave, he doesn't know where to go......going home and explaining this to his wife doesn't seem like to thing to do. When he finally gets into a taxi, he notices a billboard sign for the law firm Finley & Figg and he tells the driver that that is his destination. And all the elements of Grisham's latest book are now in play. How will the law firm of Finley & Figg and their new associate handle the growing class action suit against Varrick?? How many victims can they sign up to represent and will they be successful?? None of them has actually tried a case before a judge !
Please enjoy Grisham's latest legal saga with a generous dose of humor.
One can't help but chuckle at the law firm of Finley & Figg. They are the epitome of the storefront, ambulance chasing,divorces and DUI small time lawyers. They have never been very successful and they are just about able to pay their bills each month. Besides the two of them they have a 'do everything' secretary,Rochelle Gibson. Actually there is a cautious 'detente' amongst all the players until 2 things happen that may change the lives of all of them. First of all, Wally Figg finds out about what may become a major class action lawsuit over a drug called Krayoxx. The drug allegedly helps lower cholesterol but may in fact being causing people to die of heart attacks. And the second event is the landing of one , David Zinc on their doorstep. Zinc has been a successful associate of a big downtown law firm when he has a complete meltdown. He is sick and tired of the corporate life and decides to 'dropout'. He spends a day at Abner's bar getting wasted and when he decides to leave, he doesn't know where to go......going home and explaining this to his wife doesn't seem like to thing to do. When he finally gets into a taxi, he notices a billboard sign for the law firm Finley & Figg and he tells the driver that that is his destination. And all the elements of Grisham's latest book are now in play. How will the law firm of Finley & Figg and their new associate handle the growing class action suit against Varrick?? How many victims can they sign up to represent and will they be successful?? None of them has actually tried a case before a judge !
Please enjoy Grisham's latest legal saga with a generous dose of humor.
Read
November 24, 2023As the blurb on the back of this book says, corporate lawyer David Zinc has it all, big firm, big salary, living in the fast lane when one day he just ups and quits! He finds himself working with an 'ambulance chasing' (literally) law firm with dubious practices and lawyers and little coherent organisation or policies. The firm finds itself spearheading a class-action against one of the biggest pharmaceutical corporations in the United States... things are about to get very messy!
It is always a very good feeling for me when I pick up a bestselling writer for the first time and discover and acknowledge their talent. A world class mainstream legal thriller with lots of intriguing twists and turns that kept me engrossed. The only downside is that I now have to add Grisham's huge body of work to my TBR! A deserved 8 out of 12, Four Star read, thank you Grisham.
2023 read
It is always a very good feeling for me when I pick up a bestselling writer for the first time and discover and acknowledge their talent. A world class mainstream legal thriller with lots of intriguing twists and turns that kept me engrossed. The only downside is that I now have to add Grisham's huge body of work to my TBR! A deserved 8 out of 12, Four Star read, thank you Grisham.
2023 read
November 11, 2011
Well, I had great plans to jot down some notes and quotes to share with you about John Grisham's newest book - The Litigators. Yeah, that didn't happen.... because it ended up being a non stop read for me - I picked it up on a Sunday morning and turned the last page late (late) that night.
I was hooked from the opening pages. David Zinc has toiled away at a prestigious law firm in relative obscurity for the last five years. Until the morning he realizes he can't do it anymore and walks away. And lands at the firm of Finley & Figg - ambulance chasers, divorce court specialists and anything else they can make a buck at. Although Wally and Oscar refer to the office as a 'boutique firm', they are anything but - Wally has just placed an ad for the firm on local bingo hall cards.
When Wally gets wind of a potentially big case involving a big name cholesterol drug. It seems folks taking it are suffering heart damage and even death. If they can find a few cases of their own and ride on the coat tails of the big players in a mass claim action suit, they could all be rich. It seems simple enough......and that's enough of the plot given away.
What made The Litigators a non stop read? The characters for sure. Wally and Oscar's tactics are cringe worthy, their actions walk a fine line between working for the law and breaking it, but you just can't help rooting for them in this David and Goliath fight. David is eminently likable as well. He is sense and reason, but with a new found freedom since escaping the big firm drudgery.The personal storyline involving his wife Helen also added much to the book.
It seems like Grisham has a lot of fun writing The Litigators - there is a sly sense of humour underlying the entire book. I laughed out loud many times at the situations and dialogue. It was eye opening to see the legal maneuvering - much of the machinations involving the drug companies and lawyers gave me pause and made me wonder how much of it is fact. Quite frightening actually.
The Litigators is by far one of Grisham's best in my opinion (and I've read them all) An absolutely entertaining page turner that will be a well deserved best seller!
I was hooked from the opening pages. David Zinc has toiled away at a prestigious law firm in relative obscurity for the last five years. Until the morning he realizes he can't do it anymore and walks away. And lands at the firm of Finley & Figg - ambulance chasers, divorce court specialists and anything else they can make a buck at. Although Wally and Oscar refer to the office as a 'boutique firm', they are anything but - Wally has just placed an ad for the firm on local bingo hall cards.
When Wally gets wind of a potentially big case involving a big name cholesterol drug. It seems folks taking it are suffering heart damage and even death. If they can find a few cases of their own and ride on the coat tails of the big players in a mass claim action suit, they could all be rich. It seems simple enough......and that's enough of the plot given away.
What made The Litigators a non stop read? The characters for sure. Wally and Oscar's tactics are cringe worthy, their actions walk a fine line between working for the law and breaking it, but you just can't help rooting for them in this David and Goliath fight. David is eminently likable as well. He is sense and reason, but with a new found freedom since escaping the big firm drudgery.The personal storyline involving his wife Helen also added much to the book.
It seems like Grisham has a lot of fun writing The Litigators - there is a sly sense of humour underlying the entire book. I laughed out loud many times at the situations and dialogue. It was eye opening to see the legal maneuvering - much of the machinations involving the drug companies and lawyers gave me pause and made me wonder how much of it is fact. Quite frightening actually.
The Litigators is by far one of Grisham's best in my opinion (and I've read them all) An absolutely entertaining page turner that will be a well deserved best seller!
July 2, 2012
Poor showing for JG.. I disliked it and I believe that JG did not write this.. some student or apprentice did. There is a touch of the real JG in the main courtroom scene, but it is thin and too short. I can't believe this is him. that's all I can say. I had the Audible version - not the text. Here is my "Audible.com review"
Please let me rant: Until the big courtroom scene, I do not believe the words of this book were written by JG. I believe it was either a student's effort at mimicry or a formulaic software program where names and scenes were tossed and spit out as a story. The story was weak and no anticipation was built into it. When David first happens into Finley & Figg, there was so much complaint about his former boss, I expected the boss to be found dead and David accused. That would have been a much better story. This mess was like a big soup pot wherein alcoholism, sexism, ageism, fat-ism, and stupid-ism were all put together to create a reason to have a trial. The trial, as expected, was an exercise in futility, but it served the purpose of trotting out beautiful, intelligent women for big corporate (read: bad guys) to ogle and demean.
The saving grace, in the last 40 minutes of 11 hours was another fiasco. While it is all very sweet to hope for the kind of CEO we learn of at the end, it is unlikely and the results were too swift and also unlikely -- the corporation "caved" under so little pressure.
As for the reader: He sounded like Christopher Walken. anyway, I do not know if an author gets to prep the reader or even review the reading but this guy mispronounced words -- specifically Chicago words. He pronounced LaSalle Street as Lasall, and the town of Des Plaines as deplanes. While that's not a huge deal, it contributed to my dislike for the book. The fact that it was in Chicago was a little disconcerting, since I love the Mississippi novels so much, but as I live here, it's fun to listen for landmarks and references. Those that were accurately named (not renamed as fictional) were obviously gleaned from some reference book and had not the ring of any authenticity. That may all be the fault of the reader's lack of preparation, but it mattered in the listening.
Strange and inexplicable: There is a dog in the office who gets fed, but never taken OUT? There was no scene that I can recall that mentioned AC (Ambulance Chaser) getting out to do his business. A small thing, I know, but goes to making me think JG didn't touch this text.
When David is at the BIG TRIAL, he has reams of information about a variety of other products manufactured by the defendant. We heard nothing about David's research. Where did it come from? When did he do this? While he was walking his infant on the hourly shifts he shared with his wife? Come on!
The tying up of loose ends was fast and stupid. Finley and Figg were losers to massive degrees, but their savior, David comes in with a safety for all. When he walked in, he had money saved from his old job and he spread it around freely. Why? He didn't believe in those two yokels, not in the firm, not in the big case. We knew he was spontaneous and crazy when we met him, but this behavior is not sensible from within the context of the book. At the end, the savior comes through again, and the two hapless idiots get to skate on in their stupid lives. David is so "good" that his one dubious move, which could have caused him some bad press and bad luck, also evaporated.
The bar scenes at Abner's were the only times the book felt "real." They were so good that I thought I was reading a Lescroat/Dismas Hardy book.
Overall, I am shocked by the poor quality of the story, the writing and the reader. I am glad it was offered at below regular price, so I didn't use an Audible credit for it. Still, at $17, it was expensive.
If JG really wrote this, I must extrapolate the following:
1. He is subliminally poking fun at: poor people, fat people, drunks and "hot" women.
2. He may overtly poke big corporate greediness and unscrupulous manufacturers, but his real targets seem to be the poor and uneducated. It took David (corrosion-resistant) Zinc to swoop down on the law firm, the poor immigrants, and the big bad capitalists, and David was not even well versed on the law and its machinations.
3. I do not have the text to refer to but at one point toward the end the author refers to a drive for one of the lawyers as a small Asian woman of dubious ethnicity. While the word "dubious" is appropriately used, it has a negative connotation, as if the uncertainty of her ethnicity is dubious -- not that the specific ethnicity was dubious. Call it nitpicking, but there are several of these plays on words that make question author's true feelings about some people. He maligned the clients of Finley & Figg for taking the bait on Krayoxx making them seem stupid, obese-lazy and oh, stupid. They got their come-uppance in the Krayoxx trial. But the Burmese clients, with their gentle and self-effacing ways, well, they do better. They had the benevolent CEO.
4. It was a silly book. It had elements of Carl Hiaasen and elements of top-rate Grisham. It had some Jonathan Kellerman (but not enough) and it had some Dismas Hardy. David's capacity for saving the firm and its deserving clients had a dose of Jack Reacher (of the intellectual variety); that is, his efforts were superhuman, a tad ridiculous and somewhat unsupported by reality.
So, why take so much time writing this? Shrug.. I expected more and got less. I am complaining. I am complaining about what I perceive is a laziness a carelessness by well-loved authors. Maybe they are contracted to put out work on a timetable. This one felt like an obligation rather than an enjoyable undertaking by one of my favorite authors. I regret that I have to wait for the next one to come out. I will wait for the reviews to hit before I invest money or anticipation in acquiring it.
Thank you for reading.
Please let me rant: Until the big courtroom scene, I do not believe the words of this book were written by JG. I believe it was either a student's effort at mimicry or a formulaic software program where names and scenes were tossed and spit out as a story. The story was weak and no anticipation was built into it. When David first happens into Finley & Figg, there was so much complaint about his former boss, I expected the boss to be found dead and David accused. That would have been a much better story. This mess was like a big soup pot wherein alcoholism, sexism, ageism, fat-ism, and stupid-ism were all put together to create a reason to have a trial. The trial, as expected, was an exercise in futility, but it served the purpose of trotting out beautiful, intelligent women for big corporate (read: bad guys) to ogle and demean.
The saving grace, in the last 40 minutes of 11 hours was another fiasco. While it is all very sweet to hope for the kind of CEO we learn of at the end, it is unlikely and the results were too swift and also unlikely -- the corporation "caved" under so little pressure.
As for the reader: He sounded like Christopher Walken. anyway, I do not know if an author gets to prep the reader or even review the reading but this guy mispronounced words -- specifically Chicago words. He pronounced LaSalle Street as Lasall, and the town of Des Plaines as deplanes. While that's not a huge deal, it contributed to my dislike for the book. The fact that it was in Chicago was a little disconcerting, since I love the Mississippi novels so much, but as I live here, it's fun to listen for landmarks and references. Those that were accurately named (not renamed as fictional) were obviously gleaned from some reference book and had not the ring of any authenticity. That may all be the fault of the reader's lack of preparation, but it mattered in the listening.
Strange and inexplicable: There is a dog in the office who gets fed, but never taken OUT? There was no scene that I can recall that mentioned AC (Ambulance Chaser) getting out to do his business. A small thing, I know, but goes to making me think JG didn't touch this text.
When David is at the BIG TRIAL, he has reams of information about a variety of other products manufactured by the defendant. We heard nothing about David's research. Where did it come from? When did he do this? While he was walking his infant on the hourly shifts he shared with his wife? Come on!
The tying up of loose ends was fast and stupid. Finley and Figg were losers to massive degrees, but their savior, David comes in with a safety for all. When he walked in, he had money saved from his old job and he spread it around freely. Why? He didn't believe in those two yokels, not in the firm, not in the big case. We knew he was spontaneous and crazy when we met him, but this behavior is not sensible from within the context of the book. At the end, the savior comes through again, and the two hapless idiots get to skate on in their stupid lives. David is so "good" that his one dubious move, which could have caused him some bad press and bad luck, also evaporated.
The bar scenes at Abner's were the only times the book felt "real." They were so good that I thought I was reading a Lescroat/Dismas Hardy book.
Overall, I am shocked by the poor quality of the story, the writing and the reader. I am glad it was offered at below regular price, so I didn't use an Audible credit for it. Still, at $17, it was expensive.
If JG really wrote this, I must extrapolate the following:
1. He is subliminally poking fun at: poor people, fat people, drunks and "hot" women.
2. He may overtly poke big corporate greediness and unscrupulous manufacturers, but his real targets seem to be the poor and uneducated. It took David (corrosion-resistant) Zinc to swoop down on the law firm, the poor immigrants, and the big bad capitalists, and David was not even well versed on the law and its machinations.
3. I do not have the text to refer to but at one point toward the end the author refers to a drive for one of the lawyers as a small Asian woman of dubious ethnicity. While the word "dubious" is appropriately used, it has a negative connotation, as if the uncertainty of her ethnicity is dubious -- not that the specific ethnicity was dubious. Call it nitpicking, but there are several of these plays on words that make question author's true feelings about some people. He maligned the clients of Finley & Figg for taking the bait on Krayoxx making them seem stupid, obese-lazy and oh, stupid. They got their come-uppance in the Krayoxx trial. But the Burmese clients, with their gentle and self-effacing ways, well, they do better. They had the benevolent CEO.
4. It was a silly book. It had elements of Carl Hiaasen and elements of top-rate Grisham. It had some Jonathan Kellerman (but not enough) and it had some Dismas Hardy. David's capacity for saving the firm and its deserving clients had a dose of Jack Reacher (of the intellectual variety); that is, his efforts were superhuman, a tad ridiculous and somewhat unsupported by reality.
So, why take so much time writing this? Shrug.. I expected more and got less. I am complaining. I am complaining about what I perceive is a laziness a carelessness by well-loved authors. Maybe they are contracted to put out work on a timetable. This one felt like an obligation rather than an enjoyable undertaking by one of my favorite authors. I regret that I have to wait for the next one to come out. I will wait for the reviews to hit before I invest money or anticipation in acquiring it.
Thank you for reading.
April 18, 2020
Once again John Grisham never disappoints me! “The Litigators” is definitely a change of writing then the other John Grisham books. I love the humour Grisham portrays and nice to see a different side of Grisham and his writing.
May 2, 2016
When I first began reading John Grisham’s The Litigators I was immediately drawn into it. It's a must-read book, if you enjoy the snappy witty charm of a young black woman keeping her older bosses together.
It begins with the plot centering on Wally, Oscar, and Rochelle – then a short time later David – who’s personalities are as different as night and day. Oscar, the senior partner in Finley and Figg law offices situated on the West Side of Chicago, is a conservative jaded attorney who prides himself as a proverbial ambulance chasing attorney seeking the easy way to make a fast buck. His partner, Wally, a recovering alcoholic, sometimes employs questionable business ethics but goes just far enough to avoid too much legal scrutiny. Rochelle a former client who threatened to sue Finley and Figg for malpractice, was hired as a settlement of sorts and is the first buffer between the two lawyers and some of their shady clients and business associates. David joined the team later brought a sense of soundness to the motley crew, leaving his six figure law firm, high-stress job for the peace of mind at the low-key firm of Finley and Figg. The story tells of good and bad of a class action lawsuit filed against a cholesterol-lowering drug that has caused a number of deaths.
The Litigators presents a very graphic account – using drama, humor, suspense, and sarcasm – to present a very entertaining and sometimes predictable picture, especially if you read Grisham’s King of Torts. This has many of the same nuances. Nonetheless, it’s a great read and I highly recommend it.
It begins with the plot centering on Wally, Oscar, and Rochelle – then a short time later David – who’s personalities are as different as night and day. Oscar, the senior partner in Finley and Figg law offices situated on the West Side of Chicago, is a conservative jaded attorney who prides himself as a proverbial ambulance chasing attorney seeking the easy way to make a fast buck. His partner, Wally, a recovering alcoholic, sometimes employs questionable business ethics but goes just far enough to avoid too much legal scrutiny. Rochelle a former client who threatened to sue Finley and Figg for malpractice, was hired as a settlement of sorts and is the first buffer between the two lawyers and some of their shady clients and business associates. David joined the team later brought a sense of soundness to the motley crew, leaving his six figure law firm, high-stress job for the peace of mind at the low-key firm of Finley and Figg. The story tells of good and bad of a class action lawsuit filed against a cholesterol-lowering drug that has caused a number of deaths.
The Litigators presents a very graphic account – using drama, humor, suspense, and sarcasm – to present a very entertaining and sometimes predictable picture, especially if you read Grisham’s King of Torts. This has many of the same nuances. Nonetheless, it’s a great read and I highly recommend it.
November 7, 2024
I am back with another classic Grisham. This one published in 2011.
Our hero is David, a burned-out Harvard graduated lawyer who readers witness walking out of his corporate attorney job, into a bar where he gets blissfully drunk and then has himself driven to a small-time ambulance chasing law-firm and persuades them to hire him. Which they do.
Now this may seem like nothing, but, one of the partners gets themselves involved in a mass tort lawsuit against a large pharmaceutical company in which their drug has had major implications against people that have been taking it.
Here we go again, Grisham. With this book, Grisham appears to have another fight on his hands against the legal system, where it seems like he sees greed as a prime motivator and shows concern about whether a fair trial will be possible.
This feels like another David (no pun intended) and Goliath story for Grisham to have his characters tackle. It is against corporations that typically Grisham takes issue with – will readers judge this one fairly?
But before you render a verdict, consider the following too…
There is also something else that Grisham brings to this story. Humor. His characters Finley and Figg, are wildly charismatic.
Can this charm stave off the critics? Wait…one more thing.
We must not forget our hard-working hero, David. He after all did quit the path of assured wealth to work with these guys. And he is very likable, and we truly want the best for him.
Okay, now you can decide.
Our hero is David, a burned-out Harvard graduated lawyer who readers witness walking out of his corporate attorney job, into a bar where he gets blissfully drunk and then has himself driven to a small-time ambulance chasing law-firm and persuades them to hire him. Which they do.
Now this may seem like nothing, but, one of the partners gets themselves involved in a mass tort lawsuit against a large pharmaceutical company in which their drug has had major implications against people that have been taking it.
Here we go again, Grisham. With this book, Grisham appears to have another fight on his hands against the legal system, where it seems like he sees greed as a prime motivator and shows concern about whether a fair trial will be possible.
This feels like another David (no pun intended) and Goliath story for Grisham to have his characters tackle. It is against corporations that typically Grisham takes issue with – will readers judge this one fairly?
But before you render a verdict, consider the following too…
There is also something else that Grisham brings to this story. Humor. His characters Finley and Figg, are wildly charismatic.
Can this charm stave off the critics? Wait…one more thing.
We must not forget our hard-working hero, David. He after all did quit the path of assured wealth to work with these guys. And he is very likable, and we truly want the best for him.
Okay, now you can decide.
November 9, 2021
A legal thriller published published 2011.
A 4 star David & Goliath read.
Whilst I have to say that I did enjoy this rendition of the legal giant vs the legal minnow there was always the feeling that I’ve read it before. I hadn’t but I have read the same scenario before from the pen of John Grisham.
On this occasion it’s the evil multi national pharma corporations that are under the microscope.
I have no problem with that, greed and the desire for power is alive and well just as much in that sector of the business world as in most other sectors.
The problem is that to be at the top, and stay there, in this game can often endangering lives.
So, when this small legal firm of ambulance chasers get a chance to be a part of a class action against one of the major pharma players, where the pay day is spoken of in millions, temptation wins out. It seem that greed and the desire for power is also alive and well in the legal world.
The main problem for the ambulance chasers is, they are useless. The tank they now find themselves swimming in is full of predators, from both sides of the divide.
Little did they realise when this rags to riches story started just how good life was before the lure of money got them.
No professional body comes out looking good here. It’s like the old adage says, the shits the same it’s just the depth that changes’.
So, all in all an enjoyable, if familiar, read.
A 4 star David & Goliath read.
Whilst I have to say that I did enjoy this rendition of the legal giant vs the legal minnow there was always the feeling that I’ve read it before. I hadn’t but I have read the same scenario before from the pen of John Grisham.
On this occasion it’s the evil multi national pharma corporations that are under the microscope.
I have no problem with that, greed and the desire for power is alive and well just as much in that sector of the business world as in most other sectors.
The problem is that to be at the top, and stay there, in this game can often endangering lives.
So, when this small legal firm of ambulance chasers get a chance to be a part of a class action against one of the major pharma players, where the pay day is spoken of in millions, temptation wins out. It seem that greed and the desire for power is also alive and well in the legal world.
The main problem for the ambulance chasers is, they are useless. The tank they now find themselves swimming in is full of predators, from both sides of the divide.
Little did they realise when this rags to riches story started just how good life was before the lure of money got them.
No professional body comes out looking good here. It’s like the old adage says, the shits the same it’s just the depth that changes’.
So, all in all an enjoyable, if familiar, read.
January 15, 2015
Delightful, humorous, sometimes exciting, lots of the fascinating legal detail that is Grisham's trademark ... lawyers working hard, falling short and succeeding ... much greed and some (surprising) altruism ... Definitely an enjoyable read.
December 26, 2011
I won this book as a First Reads giveaway. In high school, I loved John Grisham but haven’t returned to him since reading The King of Torts as a college sophomore. I couldn’t tell if my tastes had matured or his quality had diminished but I was not impressed at all and he’s fallen off my radar since then. (In fact, I didn’t realize he was back to writing legal fiction.) The Litigators started out rather promising; it lacked the intensity of earlier Grishams but it was also surprisingly hilarious. I enjoyed most of this book until about chapter 25 of 30-something when the magic wore off. The rest of the book has none of the charm it starts with and one can almost hear the crackling on the line reading the last few chapters as Grisham phones it in. At least one other reviewer suggested a ghost writer was at work and I can see where they got that opinion from, because it’s an abrupt, almost 180 degrees turn in tone. It’s like someone decided this book could only be 385 pages long and there was a major “oh shit” moment at page 300.
His female characters suck, but I seem to remember them generally existing in three forms; fat and matronly, hot and bitchy or the generally unremarkable youngish woman known as “wifey”. I probably shouldn’t complain too much about the female stereotypes as his legal books are generally more about the story than the characters. The male major characters in The Litigators are also rather wooden, and the plot, although entertaining in points, is not a gripping page turner like his 1990s thrillers , making it hard to dismiss the crappy characters.
The Litigators started out promising but the end of it was so disappointing, I’m only giving it 2 stars. This is a fine book to grab in the airport concourse (well, its mass market paperback edition will be) during a day of travel but not really a book I’d recommend carving out a cozy afternoon to read.
His female characters suck, but I seem to remember them generally existing in three forms; fat and matronly, hot and bitchy or the generally unremarkable youngish woman known as “wifey”. I probably shouldn’t complain too much about the female stereotypes as his legal books are generally more about the story than the characters. The male major characters in The Litigators are also rather wooden, and the plot, although entertaining in points, is not a gripping page turner like his 1990s thrillers , making it hard to dismiss the crappy characters.
The Litigators started out promising but the end of it was so disappointing, I’m only giving it 2 stars. This is a fine book to grab in the airport concourse (well, its mass market paperback edition will be) during a day of travel but not really a book I’d recommend carving out a cozy afternoon to read.
November 21, 2011
While he has had a few 'less than stellar' books of late, Grisham delivers with a stong story steeped in legal jargon in this latest novel. I was hooked from page one and remain baffled at how he can write so fluidly about all sorts of legal topics.
While we have seen Grisham delve into the litigious side of the law in past thrillers, this one takes on a new angle. Introduce the young, wet behind the ears, lawyer out to make the world his oyster. Add some legal issue that begs for notice and justice and sprinkle in some character development and an underlying personal victory for the main character. That said, Grisham reforms the clay and makes this fresh and all together highly entertaining. The HUGE American drug manufacturers are salivating with all their successes and the question remains, could this latest drug be doing more harm? Grisham tackles the subject head-on and builds it up to a great courtroom climax... with an end that I will not reveal.
I loved the development, the dialogue, and the down right plausibility of this all happening. I have been a Grisham fan forever and lived through some minor disasters (pizza, anyone?), but this is the calibre I prefer and something that I cannot help but recommend to Grisham lovers, or even those who like a good legal thriller.
Kudos Mr. Grisham!
While we have seen Grisham delve into the litigious side of the law in past thrillers, this one takes on a new angle. Introduce the young, wet behind the ears, lawyer out to make the world his oyster. Add some legal issue that begs for notice and justice and sprinkle in some character development and an underlying personal victory for the main character. That said, Grisham reforms the clay and makes this fresh and all together highly entertaining. The HUGE American drug manufacturers are salivating with all their successes and the question remains, could this latest drug be doing more harm? Grisham tackles the subject head-on and builds it up to a great courtroom climax... with an end that I will not reveal.
I loved the development, the dialogue, and the down right plausibility of this all happening. I have been a Grisham fan forever and lived through some minor disasters (pizza, anyone?), but this is the calibre I prefer and something that I cannot help but recommend to Grisham lovers, or even those who like a good legal thriller.
Kudos Mr. Grisham!
February 19, 2016
gave up on John Grisham about 10 years ago when I was appalled at how horrible The Summons was! What happened to the hard-hitting author who had me on the edge of my seat and questioning the ever-moving ethical line between right and wrong with his early novels? A Time to Kill. The Firm. The Rainmaker. I loved those books.
After a decade of abandonment, two things happened: 1) I met Mr. Grisham several times and determined he needed another chance and 2) I heard that The Litigators was a return to his roots. I disagree with "return to his roots" but the book was enjoyable.
The law firm of Finley & Figg is not glamorous. The two man shop chances ambulances, convinced uncontested divorces to fight, and barely eek out a living in Chicago. David Zinc is billing $500 an hour buried in the basement of a megafirm doing grunt work and couldn't hate it more. When these two universes merge over a litigation suit against a big drug company, they quickly realize they are in over their heads.
The storyline was fine. It was a bit predictable and I enjoyed the crazy characters of Oscar Finley and Wally Figg much more than the straight-laced and ever golden David Zinc, but it was entertaining. However, it lacked the intensity of Mr. Grisham's classics. He switched from questioning the ethics of big name companies and their deceptive CEOs to questioning the ethics of average people living in near poverty who were too anxious to make a quick buck. Everyone likes to beat up on the rich unethical CEO, but picking on Average Joe - or below-Average Joe in this case - wasn't as easy. However, in typical Grisham fashion, he did make me think about the motivations behind actions.
For me, the most glaring short fall was that this took place in Chicago. CHICAGO?! I have come to association Grisham with sweltering heat, slow drawls, and the courtesies of the South. Having his roots in Mississippi always brought a touch of authenticity to the setting of his books and I missed that connection. There was no specific Chicago culture to spice up this books and it could have been identically placed in any number of big cities.
All in all, I did enjoy the book. It was a fast paced, enjoyable read, that was the perfect start of summer read. However, I think I need to come to grips with the fact that Mr. Grisham's early works were simply outstanding and a hard bar to meet again.
After a decade of abandonment, two things happened: 1) I met Mr. Grisham several times and determined he needed another chance and 2) I heard that The Litigators was a return to his roots. I disagree with "return to his roots" but the book was enjoyable.
The law firm of Finley & Figg is not glamorous. The two man shop chances ambulances, convinced uncontested divorces to fight, and barely eek out a living in Chicago. David Zinc is billing $500 an hour buried in the basement of a megafirm doing grunt work and couldn't hate it more. When these two universes merge over a litigation suit against a big drug company, they quickly realize they are in over their heads.
The storyline was fine. It was a bit predictable and I enjoyed the crazy characters of Oscar Finley and Wally Figg much more than the straight-laced and ever golden David Zinc, but it was entertaining. However, it lacked the intensity of Mr. Grisham's classics. He switched from questioning the ethics of big name companies and their deceptive CEOs to questioning the ethics of average people living in near poverty who were too anxious to make a quick buck. Everyone likes to beat up on the rich unethical CEO, but picking on Average Joe - or below-Average Joe in this case - wasn't as easy. However, in typical Grisham fashion, he did make me think about the motivations behind actions.
For me, the most glaring short fall was that this took place in Chicago. CHICAGO?! I have come to association Grisham with sweltering heat, slow drawls, and the courtesies of the South. Having his roots in Mississippi always brought a touch of authenticity to the setting of his books and I missed that connection. There was no specific Chicago culture to spice up this books and it could have been identically placed in any number of big cities.
All in all, I did enjoy the book. It was a fast paced, enjoyable read, that was the perfect start of summer read. However, I think I need to come to grips with the fact that Mr. Grisham's early works were simply outstanding and a hard bar to meet again.
February 16, 2023
Wowwww what a masterpiece throughly enjoyed this one kept getting better and better and felt so realistic as if you were actually there, very interesting drugs plot which killed 8 people
August 3, 2025
This was a good story but IMO not John Grisham's best. It was a legal story about Litigators, really about Litigators. The story is about a small law group, 3 men with many issues, who take on a case to sue a big drug company because people taking the medication are dying. The whole case was a big mess and they lost. Then, the younger lawyer took on another case of a young boy who was severely damaged from lead poisoning of some toys he had and eventually died. He sued the toy company on his own and won and then put the money back into the company to help everyone out. It's a very good story but lots of legal stuff which everyone might not enjoy.
November 30, 2015
This is a most enjoyable book, about David Zinc, a lawyer who got fed up with his job in a huge, fancy law firm. He got drunk, then joined up with a two-man law firm that specialized in ambulance chasing, DUI's, and quick divorces. This small firm had a weak grasp of ethical behavior. Zinc suffers a spectacular drop in salary, but sees an unusual opportunity, and grabs it.
Along comes the potential for a huge class action suit against a drug company. Their drug, Krayoxx, seems to be in the spotlight, and anecdotes of severe side effects are in the news. The small firm gets involved, hoping to avoid doing any real work. They think that their only job is to find plaintiffs and other lawyers will do their job for them. They are clueless; they have no idea how much trouble they are getting into!
This was a fun book; lots of twists in the plot, funny dialog, and generally unpredictable. That's the type of story I like the most; a story line that cannot be predicted ahead of time. And the characters are well-developed. Their personalities are so different from each other, that really helped make the book come alive.
I didn't read this book; I listened to the audiobook, as read by Dennis Boutsikaris. He does an excellent job as a narrator.
Along comes the potential for a huge class action suit against a drug company. Their drug, Krayoxx, seems to be in the spotlight, and anecdotes of severe side effects are in the news. The small firm gets involved, hoping to avoid doing any real work. They think that their only job is to find plaintiffs and other lawyers will do their job for them. They are clueless; they have no idea how much trouble they are getting into!
This was a fun book; lots of twists in the plot, funny dialog, and generally unpredictable. That's the type of story I like the most; a story line that cannot be predicted ahead of time. And the characters are well-developed. Their personalities are so different from each other, that really helped make the book come alive.
I didn't read this book; I listened to the audiobook, as read by Dennis Boutsikaris. He does an excellent job as a narrator.
June 28, 2016
Grisham Special (And a Funny Lawyer Joke) [[3.75 stars]]
For his first half-dozen years, he stropped his writing skills on the legal profession, slugging Big Business and sellout lawyers with a succession of suspenseful, at least plausible, blockbusters exploring legal issues just then hitting press. Much like a sustained thrum, and once a year, out came another NYT #1 bestseller in which Grisham delivered another upper left hook. And yet, he apparently lost the fire somewhere along the way, and "mailed in" some formulaic evanescent stories with stiff, largely unlikeable and forgettable characters, and unrealistic plots (see The Brethren as Exhibit 1).
In any case, I was skeptical in getting this one, to find Grisham back to his specialty: an unliterary, suspenseful and enjoyable yarn spiced with humor and affable, true-to-life characters, which also hits a pressing social issue (foreign manufacturers and domestic importers of toys with excessive lead levels as well as ambulance-chasing, class-action lawyers).
I recommend this for all Grisham fans.
Q: What's the difference between a lawyer and a rooster?Prior to reading this book a few years back, I'd grown disillusioned with Grisham's books, the recent ones like The Brethren, a book as agonizing as absurd. I thought perhaps he'd worn out, bored out or his ideas petered out.
A: When a rooster wakes up in the morning, its primal urge is to cluck defiance.
For his first half-dozen years, he stropped his writing skills on the legal profession, slugging Big Business and sellout lawyers with a succession of suspenseful, at least plausible, blockbusters exploring legal issues just then hitting press. Much like a sustained thrum, and once a year, out came another NYT #1 bestseller in which Grisham delivered another upper left hook. And yet, he apparently lost the fire somewhere along the way, and "mailed in" some formulaic evanescent stories with stiff, largely unlikeable and forgettable characters, and unrealistic plots (see The Brethren as Exhibit 1).
In any case, I was skeptical in getting this one, to find Grisham back to his specialty: an unliterary, suspenseful and enjoyable yarn spiced with humor and affable, true-to-life characters, which also hits a pressing social issue (foreign manufacturers and domestic importers of toys with excessive lead levels as well as ambulance-chasing, class-action lawyers).
I recommend this for all Grisham fans.
July 21, 2019
In The Litigators Grisham shows two sides of law practice: the corporate lawyers and the ambulance chasers. It seems that the author has no patience with either type of practice. So he creates the character David Zinc, who runs away from a lucrative but a boring job in a reputed firm and who ends up with ambulance chasers ultimately rescuing them from resorting to such lurid practice. Grisham is always the master in showing the ugly side of the law and justice system. And in this story too, he has kept true to his art.
Additionally, through this book, Grisham exposes the malpractices of big companies and their powerful manipulations to cover their negligence.
The story is good and engaging. This novel might be not one of his best, but nevertheless interesting enough to keep you going through.
Additionally, through this book, Grisham exposes the malpractices of big companies and their powerful manipulations to cover their negligence.
The story is good and engaging. This novel might be not one of his best, but nevertheless interesting enough to keep you going through.
March 26, 2016
An enjoyable romp. Occasionally I overdose on epic fantasy and need something to clear the cobwebs. This did the trick! Not Grisham's best but not his worst either.
December 12, 2011
It's interesting that I'd read John Grisham's latest novel The Litigators just as the promotional blitz for the NBC series based on his first huge bestseller The Firm is kicking into gear. Based on what I recall of The Firm and having read the latest Grisham offering, I honestly think the premise of The Litigators has far more promise and potential as a weekly television series than The Firm does. (Of course, The Firm has name recognition and a Tom Cruise movie in its favor, so I can see why NBC might go for that over this one.)
With Grisham, it seems like every other novel these days is great and then the next one is kind of a disappointment. Unfortunately, it appears The Litigators is that next one that was kind of a disappointment.
It's certainly not due to a lack of trying by Grisham. At this point, it'd be easy for him to go on auto-pilot and churn out a legal thriller a year following a standard formula as many big-name best selling authors are content to do (I'm looking at you James Patterson). Instead, Grisham seems willing to push new boundaries with his novels. In the case of The Litigators that push is toward a more satirical and humorous novel than many of his previous installments. And while that take works in the first several chapters, it begins to wear a bit thin by the middle third of the book and I rapidly found myself losing patience with the story down the home stretch.
It's the story of a Finley & Figg, a lower scale firm that could best described as ambulance chasers. Wally Figg has always dreamed of the high risk, high reward work of class action law suits and when he stumbles onto a potential one involving a cholesterol drug from a pharmaceutical company with a history of settling before the trial hits the courtroom, he eagerly begins signing up cases. He also casts his lot with a big name litigation firm to try and put some fear into the company.
Onto the scene of Finley & Figg comes David Zinc, a young lawyer at a corporate firm. Riding the elevator to his 97th floor cubicle one morning, David decides he's had enough and walks away. After a day spent drinking in a bar, he stumbles into Finley & Figg and takes a job there to find out the other side of being a lawyer.
Of course, there's an inevitable worlds-colliding conflict from the two sides, from which much of the humor stems. But Grisham offers up more than just a bit of humor from his eccentric characters. He offers some real insight and commentary on the world of mass tort litigation and the positive and negative impacts of it. During the story, David stumbles across a potential lawsuit where someone has genuinely been harmed by corporate negligence and the world of litigation will have a positive impact on a family and the community instead of just being done for the sake of a quick profit via settlement. Those portions of the story are far more effective and interesting that the world of mass tort as seen through the drug company storyline. (And it's also abundantly clear where Grisham's sympathies are).
It's just too bad that the novel isn't better than the sum of its parts. During the middle and last third of the novel, I couldn't' help but wonder if this premise might be better served as a short story or novella.
It's not a terrible book, by any stretch of the imagination. It's just not quite up to the level we've seen from Grisham in his better works.
But the good news is that given his recent pattern, his next book should be a lot better.
With Grisham, it seems like every other novel these days is great and then the next one is kind of a disappointment. Unfortunately, it appears The Litigators is that next one that was kind of a disappointment.
It's certainly not due to a lack of trying by Grisham. At this point, it'd be easy for him to go on auto-pilot and churn out a legal thriller a year following a standard formula as many big-name best selling authors are content to do (I'm looking at you James Patterson). Instead, Grisham seems willing to push new boundaries with his novels. In the case of The Litigators that push is toward a more satirical and humorous novel than many of his previous installments. And while that take works in the first several chapters, it begins to wear a bit thin by the middle third of the book and I rapidly found myself losing patience with the story down the home stretch.
It's the story of a Finley & Figg, a lower scale firm that could best described as ambulance chasers. Wally Figg has always dreamed of the high risk, high reward work of class action law suits and when he stumbles onto a potential one involving a cholesterol drug from a pharmaceutical company with a history of settling before the trial hits the courtroom, he eagerly begins signing up cases. He also casts his lot with a big name litigation firm to try and put some fear into the company.
Onto the scene of Finley & Figg comes David Zinc, a young lawyer at a corporate firm. Riding the elevator to his 97th floor cubicle one morning, David decides he's had enough and walks away. After a day spent drinking in a bar, he stumbles into Finley & Figg and takes a job there to find out the other side of being a lawyer.
Of course, there's an inevitable worlds-colliding conflict from the two sides, from which much of the humor stems. But Grisham offers up more than just a bit of humor from his eccentric characters. He offers some real insight and commentary on the world of mass tort litigation and the positive and negative impacts of it. During the story, David stumbles across a potential lawsuit where someone has genuinely been harmed by corporate negligence and the world of litigation will have a positive impact on a family and the community instead of just being done for the sake of a quick profit via settlement. Those portions of the story are far more effective and interesting that the world of mass tort as seen through the drug company storyline. (And it's also abundantly clear where Grisham's sympathies are).
It's just too bad that the novel isn't better than the sum of its parts. During the middle and last third of the novel, I couldn't' help but wonder if this premise might be better served as a short story or novella.
It's not a terrible book, by any stretch of the imagination. It's just not quite up to the level we've seen from Grisham in his better works.
But the good news is that given his recent pattern, his next book should be a lot better.
October 27, 2012
This is another entertaining read from John Grisham. A young lawyer, David Zinc, cracks one morning under the strain of his job at a top Chicago firm. On arriving at work, instead of marching dutifully to his desk, he leaps back into the elevator, runs out to the street and soon finds himself in a bar where he spends the rest of the day drinking himself into oblivion.
Hours later, David stumbles out of the bar and into a cab and then finds himself on the doorstep of the law firm of Finley and Figg in one of the city's less than desirable neighborhoods. Wally Figg and Oscar Finley are a couple of ambulance chasers who literally bolt from their desks and race out into the street at the tantalizing sound of a car crash. After a fairly long partnership, they are barely scraping by.
David happens by just as a major accident occurs in front of the offices of Finley and Figg. Oscar and Wally run out and attempt to recruit clients from among the victims and in the aftermath, David convinces them to hire him. He is willing to work for practically no base salary along with a share of the fees that he generates.
Shortly thereafter, Wally Figg stumbles across what he believes to be the chance of a legal lifetime. A study suggests that Krayoxx, a very popular cholesterol drug, may be having deadly side effects. One of Finley and Figg's clients who took the drug has just died, and Wally is determined to round up as many other apparent Krayoxx victims as he can find and sue Varrick Labs, the giant drug maker that produced Krayoxx.
The fact that no member of the firm has any experience in such cases deters Wally not in the slightest. Nor does the fact that none of the three members of the firm has ever appeared in a real court trial of any consequence. Nor does the fact that the firm has no money to hire the experts required to actually make the case. Oscar and David have serious reservations about the whole idea, but Wally insists that it's a can't-miss proposition and before long, the visions of a giant financial windfall overpower the better judgment of the other two members of the firm. The consequences are interesting to say the least.
This is a lighter and more humorous book than some of Mr. Grisham's more recent novels and it offers an interesting look into the world of the lawyers who make a career out of putting together large class action lawsuits in the hope of making fortunes out of the fees involved. It should appeal to a large number of readers.
Hours later, David stumbles out of the bar and into a cab and then finds himself on the doorstep of the law firm of Finley and Figg in one of the city's less than desirable neighborhoods. Wally Figg and Oscar Finley are a couple of ambulance chasers who literally bolt from their desks and race out into the street at the tantalizing sound of a car crash. After a fairly long partnership, they are barely scraping by.
David happens by just as a major accident occurs in front of the offices of Finley and Figg. Oscar and Wally run out and attempt to recruit clients from among the victims and in the aftermath, David convinces them to hire him. He is willing to work for practically no base salary along with a share of the fees that he generates.
Shortly thereafter, Wally Figg stumbles across what he believes to be the chance of a legal lifetime. A study suggests that Krayoxx, a very popular cholesterol drug, may be having deadly side effects. One of Finley and Figg's clients who took the drug has just died, and Wally is determined to round up as many other apparent Krayoxx victims as he can find and sue Varrick Labs, the giant drug maker that produced Krayoxx.
The fact that no member of the firm has any experience in such cases deters Wally not in the slightest. Nor does the fact that none of the three members of the firm has ever appeared in a real court trial of any consequence. Nor does the fact that the firm has no money to hire the experts required to actually make the case. Oscar and David have serious reservations about the whole idea, but Wally insists that it's a can't-miss proposition and before long, the visions of a giant financial windfall overpower the better judgment of the other two members of the firm. The consequences are interesting to say the least.
This is a lighter and more humorous book than some of Mr. Grisham's more recent novels and it offers an interesting look into the world of the lawyers who make a career out of putting together large class action lawsuits in the hope of making fortunes out of the fees involved. It should appeal to a large number of readers.
May 26, 2024
This one is a better version for "The King of Torts". The characters are more likeable, the plot is quite the same, but more believable. Nice guys earn, even not too much. otherwise, I see a younger Danny de Vito or Joe Pesci in Wally's place.
Later edit: I don't usually read books twice, but this was an exception. And believe me or not, I've found it as good as the first time. Perhaps people who don't enjoy this book are too strict about the author and don't like his touch of humor. Quite a pity...
Later edit: I don't usually read books twice, but this was an exception. And believe me or not, I've found it as good as the first time. Perhaps people who don't enjoy this book are too strict about the author and don't like his touch of humor. Quite a pity...
March 26, 2014
This was just a story . . . about lawyers . . . not particulary good lawyers . . . doing lawyer stuff. Sometimes they make good choices, but more often than not they make bad choices and bad things happen to them. In the end there is some resolution and you say "oh, that's nice". Easy to read and enjoyable, but not particulary complex or mind blowing.
November 8, 2011
This book was great....went through a bit of a ho-hum section, but the ending was fantastic...couldn't read it fast enough!!!!
March 3, 2021
I love books by John Grisham! Like most of his books, this is fast-paced with lots of twists and turns and a surprise ending
I highly recommend.
I highly recommend.
November 9, 2011
Why this book should probably have never been published:
1. Characters all were of dubious intelligence, and no one likes an idiot. A villain, maybe, or a nice, vengeful antagonist, but not a moron - let alone three of them.
2. Overt sexualization of the one female character. Must we describe her attire and 4-inch stilettos every time she enters the courtroom?
3. Eye-rollingly (yes, that's a word) predictable plot, from the boring Krayoxx case to the "I didn't see that coming! Oh wait, yes I did." sub-plot.
4. Fairy-tale ending for our hero (I use the term loosely, as I can't imagine mustering the concern to cheer on his successes or empathize with his disappointments)...really? Is this chick lit for the legal crowd?
5. Total lack of suspense. This will not be made into a movie with Tom Cruise sprinting down an empty street at night, briefcase full of sensitive, damning materials in hand.
As a quick read when you're just trying to pass the time (think plane/train/automobile), this may do, but only if you've read everything else on the underwhelming shelves of Hudson News. Otherwise, pick up a copy of the latest The Girl who Partook in Slightly Counter-Cultural Practices book and move on.
1. Characters all were of dubious intelligence, and no one likes an idiot. A villain, maybe, or a nice, vengeful antagonist, but not a moron - let alone three of them.
2. Overt sexualization of the one female character. Must we describe her attire and 4-inch stilettos every time she enters the courtroom?
3. Eye-rollingly (yes, that's a word) predictable plot, from the boring Krayoxx case to the "I didn't see that coming! Oh wait, yes I did." sub-plot.
4. Fairy-tale ending for our hero (I use the term loosely, as I can't imagine mustering the concern to cheer on his successes or empathize with his disappointments)...really? Is this chick lit for the legal crowd?
5. Total lack of suspense. This will not be made into a movie with Tom Cruise sprinting down an empty street at night, briefcase full of sensitive, damning materials in hand.
As a quick read when you're just trying to pass the time (think plane/train/automobile), this may do, but only if you've read everything else on the underwhelming shelves of Hudson News. Otherwise, pick up a copy of the latest The Girl who Partook in Slightly Counter-Cultural Practices book and move on.
January 14, 2018
Πόσο μου είχε λείψει η γραφή του Grisham και ένα δικαστικό βιβλίο, για αλλαγή μετά από τόσα αστυνομικά, δε λέγεται.
Ευχάριστο, γρήγορο, κυλάει απρόσκοπτα και σε βάζει στον κόσμο των μεγαλοδικηγόρων αλλά και σε αυτόν των δικηγόρων του δρόμου, στο Σικάγο. Ο John Grisham αποτελεί εγγύηση όταν μιλάμε για δικηγόρους και πολιτική, χρόνια τώρα.
5 αστέρια από εμένα, μέχρι το επόμενο...
Μ.
Ευχάριστο, γρήγορο, κυλάει απρόσκοπτα και σε βάζει στον κόσμο των μεγαλοδικηγόρων αλλά και σε αυτόν των δικηγόρων του δρόμου, στο Σικάγο. Ο John Grisham αποτελεί εγγύηση όταν μιλάμε για δικηγόρους και πολιτική, χρόνια τώρα.
5 αστέρια από εμένα, μέχρι το επόμενο...
Μ.
October 26, 2018
Grisham showcases the legal profession from the ugly, high paid, smart lawyers toiling in sweatshops to the ugly, ambulance-chasing side with some high points in between. (They're not all bad!) The clients & cases also run the gamut riding on the backs of a handful of characters who are also a mixed bag. The main character is fairly well done, but I still had some trouble connecting with him. I don't know why, but I never fully got into him & that harmed the story. There was something lacking there for me.
Still, it was a good story. It dragged a little at times, but came together very nicely at the end. Well worth reading if you've ever considered joining a class action lawsuit or hiring a lawyer for any sort of suit.
Well timed for me since I was recently asked to join a ludicrous class action suit (Did I buy/use specific model(s) of hard drive between 2003-2008? Seriously? Does anyone know specifics about 10-15 year old tech? I would have been handled at the time by the manufacturer's warranty, anyway. Of course, no proof needed to sign up.) & dealing with some estate planning. (Do it NOW & keep an eye on it as things change over the years - both your circumstances & the law.)
Anyway, this was well narrated & enjoyable if a bit long. I'll definitely read more by Grisham, but I think I'll stick to those books my GR friends give 4 stars to. Most only gave this 3 stars, a rating I agree with.
Still, it was a good story. It dragged a little at times, but came together very nicely at the end. Well worth reading if you've ever considered joining a class action lawsuit or hiring a lawyer for any sort of suit.
Well timed for me since I was recently asked to join a ludicrous class action suit (Did I buy/use specific model(s) of hard drive between 2003-2008? Seriously? Does anyone know specifics about 10-15 year old tech? I would have been handled at the time by the manufacturer's warranty, anyway. Of course, no proof needed to sign up.) & dealing with some estate planning. (Do it NOW & keep an eye on it as things change over the years - both your circumstances & the law.)
Anyway, this was well narrated & enjoyable if a bit long. I'll definitely read more by Grisham, but I think I'll stick to those books my GR friends give 4 stars to. Most only gave this 3 stars, a rating I agree with.
June 25, 2012
In the past, I have enjoyed John Grisham's novels, but The Litigators did not live up to the standards of Grisham's early novels like A Time to Kill or The Firm , even some of his more recent novels are better developed in plot, characters, and conflict than The Litigators .
At first The Litigators seems ridiculous, lawyers running after (or causing) car accidents, but then the story picks up when David Zinc begins to look into the lead poisoning of a young, Burmese boy (whose name escapes me right now). This is where the novel picks up, but then drops off again because it returns to the Krayoxx case and the ridiculousness of Wally Figg, who appears as a caricature of a lawyer.
The novel would have been much better if it had focused on the lead poisoning and the impact of the poisoning on the Burmese family. This part is reminiscent of The Client , which is one of my favorite Grisham novels. Instead, The Litigators falls flat as "get-rich-quick" scheme of a story and lacks any seriousness and suspense that readers are used to with John Grisham.
At first The Litigators seems ridiculous, lawyers running after (or causing) car accidents, but then the story picks up when David Zinc begins to look into the lead poisoning of a young, Burmese boy (whose name escapes me right now). This is where the novel picks up, but then drops off again because it returns to the Krayoxx case and the ridiculousness of Wally Figg, who appears as a caricature of a lawyer.
The novel would have been much better if it had focused on the lead poisoning and the impact of the poisoning on the Burmese family. This part is reminiscent of The Client , which is one of my favorite Grisham novels. Instead, The Litigators falls flat as "get-rich-quick" scheme of a story and lacks any seriousness and suspense that readers are used to with John Grisham.
March 29, 2012
It has been a long time since I have read a really good John Grisham novel, most likely due to the fact that it's been so long since he's actually written a really good novel. I read his first four, became a devoted fan until somewhere around "The Brethren" and it's been a pretty steady downward spiral ever since. But "The Litigators" sounded and just felt more like his usual style. I loved, sometimes hated, the characters and was so glad that there was that redemptive quality at the end that was missing in a few of the last books I read. It still didn't have the page-turning suspense of his earlier novels, but it was funny, well-written and except for a few boring pages during the trial, it was very entertaining. Nicely done, Johnny!
November 9, 2011
3.5 If not for the mistakes with Chicago locations, and I expected better research from Grisham, this book would have been a solid 4. That said I did enjoy the story and the fantastic characters
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