A Painted House |
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John Grisham
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Pages: 480 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0099416158
Pub: Arrow Books Ltd
Pub date: 2007-03-01
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 66625
Editorial Review:
This is the paperback edition of A Painted House which is publishing in December 2001. The hardback edition, which published in February 2001, is currently available.
Reader Reviews:
Beautiful (2/2 people found this helpful)
I have read a few Grisham legal novels which aren't really my thing. This is far better in my opinion and shows that he is a very skilled writer. It was a beautiful story with beautiful and vivid descriptions. I really recommend this book but certainly warn that it is very unlike any other of his books that I have read.
Awakenings (1/1 people found this helpful)
It's 1952 and 7-year-old Luke Chandler lives on a cotton farm in Arkansas with his Gran and Grandad (Pappy) and his mother and father. He was born there and has never known any other life. His mother came from a city and instils in her son the wish never to be a cotton farmer whilst, at the same time, dreaming of one day leaving the farm and going North to a more prosperous life. Even at the age of 7, Luke works all day picking cotton in the fields during the harvest time - September and October. That summer, a family of `hill people'- the Spruills, plus 7 or 8 Mexicans are taken-on to help pick. The story revolves around the happenings of that summer, as seen through the eyes of young Luke, who is now an adult with children of his own. A departure from Mr Grisham's usual lawyer-based tales, but refreshingly so.
A precocious child (3/4 people found this helpful)
Grisham has left the courtroom for 1952 rural Arkansas. A poor farming family with a teenage son in Korea hire hill folk and Mexicans to pick their cotton. The seven year old son of the farm tells his story with more ability than is possible for a boy of his age but that is I think the only flaw here. This is more novel than thriller but the young lad does witness two murders. Once again Grisham is describing a very Christian community. They are all Baptists or Methodists. I think the author's Christian standards are shown in his restraint in describing any sexual encounters. A delight to read.
Sublime and nostalgic - a modern classic (3/4 people found this helpful)
Those used to the highly charged, technical thrill of Grisham's courtroom dramas will be surprised to know that he can write just as well about family life on the cottom farms of 1950s Arkansas.
The story is engaging, and the description of a bygone lifestyle is fascinating. But most endearing of all is the pure magic of the writing style. Grisham manages to combine his trademark grittiness with the charm, innocence and naivety of a seven-year-old (the character through whose eyes the story is seen unfolding).
Anyone who appreciates well-written prose will, I think, like this book. I think it deserves to be called a modern-day classic. I could easily see it on the reading lists of secondary schools in years to come.
Calling all seven year old geniuses (0/2 people found this helpful)
'A Painted House' is the first non-courtroom based Grisham novel that I have read and it left me thinking that maybe another one is not the best idea.
We follow Luke a seven year old cotton picker who lives with his poor family on a farm in Arkansas in the 1950s. Rather than being interested in only sweets and fighting it seems Luke gets involved with everything that happens in the town that summer. He is witness to murder, fights, affairs and many other things.
It is this overfilling of the story and Grisham's stubbiness to stick to the first person that makes this book flawed. How could a seven year old become so involved and articulate themselves in such a way as to create a coherent narrative of their summer?
Apart from this major flaw the story itself is light but fun. A lot does happen but Grisham handles the description of events well and we do get a feel for how hard the life of people must have been in that situation. However, due to the poor narrative style this book is limited to an average score. I much prefer Grisham's court based dramas and in particular 'A Time to Kill'.
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