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In 1970, one of Mississippi's more colorful weekly newspapers went bankrupt. To the surprise and dismay of many, ownership was assumed by a 23 year-old college dropout, named Willie Traynor. The future of the paper looked grim until a young mother was brutally raped and murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt family. Willie Traynor reported all the gruesome details and the paper began to prosper. The murderer, Danny Padgitt was tried before a packed courthouse in Clanton, Mississippi. The trial came to a startling and dramatic end when he was found guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison, but in Mississippi, in 1970, "life" didn't necessarily mean "life" and nine years later Danny Padgitt managed to get himself paroled. He returned to Ford County and the retribution began.… (more)
User reviews
I felt like he took a page from Greg Iles' more literary books, or possibly even the Pat Conroy south. Not that his characters aren't stereotypes (the young and avid journalist, the kind and wise old black lady) but within type, they were developed sufficiently that I found myself interested. Also, the flock of lesser characters were wonderful. Others might find them hackneyed, but the gaggle of drunk old lawyers were priceless. As per usual, there were enough characters, especially on the various law enforcement and legal teams, that I lost track, but that's just me. On the plot side, things were weaker; the revelation at the bad guy at the end seemed flat and unmotivated. But I am a reader who cares much more about the characters' stories and journeys than about pure plot, so I didn't much mind.
This is a minor tale in a subdued voice
This young man, Willie Traynor, ends up being the narrator of our story that takes us through almost a decade of life and turmoil in this town. He ends up owning the paper and interacting with a lot of interesting characters. He makes good friends with the Ruffin family who is God fearing and raised eight children. Seven of which earned PhD's. And runs afoul of the most nefarious family in the county.
We watch Willie grow up before our eyes; there is some courtroom drama and suspense. The plot is definitely character driven. And Gresham tries to put in a twist, but I found it a little to easy to figure out long before I reached the end. (I will not tell you where I figured it out, for that will ruin the ending for you. But the clues are there.)
The Ruffin family is endearing, but the Mississippi in the early seventies was still pretty much segregated. I would love to have known the Miss Callie Ruffin character. This book is definitely worth reading.
Although the story is wrapped around crime and courtroom drama, it's really about people and a community. The legal aspect is just a framework. I really enjoyed it.
Using a small Mississippi town during the 1970s as a backdrop, John Grisham renders, what I believe, is his finest novel.
Unforgettable characters, traumatic events, unforeseen twists and a life-like conclusion combine to create this fast-paced read. Too many of Grisham’s
That is not the case with this book. Set in the south during desegregation, the end of the Viet Nam War and the beginning of suburban and rural sprawl, Grisham characters are believable. They reflect the times in which they live. They live; they die. They enjoy success; they struggle with life’s dilemmas.
This is not your typical Grisham novel. I, for one, am grateful for that. Novelists should grow with experience. With this book, Grisham leaps from the category of “popular novelist” to “great writer.”
--J.
At times the novel seemed more like a collection of anecdotes and episodes about life as a local newspaper publisher in rural Mississippi, but it remains interesting and engaging nonetheless. I would definitely recommend it!
The inside flap of The Last Juror states that it's about how Danny Padgitt murdered a woman and while he was
Another thing that annoyed me was the actual ending. It seemed very anticlimatic and it seemed like it came out of left field. I found myself thinking "That's very, very implausible" and also "How would no one know?." The ending was also very abrupt.
I guess some of the book was interesting and I did care about some of the characters. It was also nice how he had characters from A Time To Kill appear briefly in The Last Juror. Although, I really didn't think Lucien Wilbanks was such a bastard in A Time to Kill, but I thoroughly disliked him in this one.
I've only read one other Grisham book and that was A Time To Kill. That one was fabulous. This one...not so much. I'm still planning on picking up some of his other books (especially since I own like six others) and am hoping the brilliance that was behind A Time to Kill, shines brighter on one of the others.
Because Grisham doesn’t rely on the thrill of the money and the litigation, the pace is a little slower but much more pleasant. He also takes the time to develop some great characters (the Italian-speaking, 7 PhDs-raising chef extraordinaire Miss Callie has to be one of his best creations) and entertaining atmosphere – the brand new editor having war declared on him in a courtroom and delivered via a bomb, for example – which puts this several shelves ahead of King of Torts.
Young Willy Trainer becomes the owner of a newspaper that coverages everything from the obits
I am a Grisham fan. I like his gentle, predictable characters. The good guy always win, most often walking away into a tropical paradise with a boatload of money. In my mind, that is always a suitable ending.
In my opinion, this story of the little Southern town with its small town newspaper owner and its citizens was just a super read. I enjoyed the world of Willie as he became more known by the folks of this Mississippi hamlet. Mr. Crisham did an excellent
Without hesitation I would recommend this book to all my friends.