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The Reckoning
October 1946, Clanton, Mississippi.
Pete Banning was Clanton, Mississippi's favorite son--a decorated World War II hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church. Then one cool October morning he rose early, drove into town, walked into the church, and calmly shot and killed his pastor and friend, the Reverend Dexter Bell. As if the murder weren't shocking enough, it was even more baffling that Pete's only statement about it--to the sheriff, to his lawyers, to the judge, to the jury, and to his family--was: "I have nothing to say."
Pete was not afraid of death and was willing to take his motive to the grave.
John Grisham takes us on an incredible journey, from the Jim Crow South to the jungles of the Philippines during World War II; from an insane asylum filled with secrets to the Clanton courtroom where Pete's defense attorney tries desperately to save him. Reminiscent of the finest tradition of Southern Gothic storytelling, 'The Reckoning' would not be complete without Grisham's signature layers of legal suspense, and he delivers on every page.
Pete Banning was Clanton, Mississippi's favorite son--a decorated World War II hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church. Then one cool October morning he rose early, drove into town, walked into the church, and calmly shot and killed his pastor and friend, the Reverend Dexter Bell. As if the murder weren't shocking enough, it was even more baffling that Pete's only statement about it--to the sheriff, to his lawyers, to the judge, to the jury, and to his family--was: "I have nothing to say."
Pete was not afraid of death and was willing to take his motive to the grave.
John Grisham takes us on an incredible journey, from the Jim Crow South to the jungles of the Philippines during World War II; from an insane asylum filled with secrets to the Clanton courtroom where Pete's defense attorney tries desperately to save him. Reminiscent of the finest tradition of Southern Gothic storytelling, 'The Reckoning' would not be complete without Grisham's signature layers of legal suspense, and he delivers on every page.
420 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2018
29281 people are currently reading
48912 people want to read
About the author
John Grisham
468 books87.9k 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 9,866 reviews
December 25, 2018
4.5 to 5 stars
This was the most epic and intricate novel Grisham has released in quite some time. It's a mixture of legal drama and historical fiction that keeps you guessing until the very last page. Most of his recent books have been fairly quick reads with a basic storyline. The Reckoning is anything but basic or quick.
If you are into Grisham mainly for his legal dramas, I think the historical fiction may distract you too much. If you are really into historical fiction, you may not be patient enough to get through the legal stuff to get to the World War II story. But, if you are a fan of both, you will get the best of both worlds; the first third is legal, the second third historical, and the last 3rd brings it all together.
Note on the content: the story takes place during and post WWII with narrative taking place in both the American South and the Pacific Theater. Grisham wrote it to keep true to the attitudes and the dialogue of the time period. This means that some words and opinions are controversial and could be upsetting. If you are okay with prose content being raw for the sake of realism, you should be fine. But, if you think this might make you uncomfortable, approach with caution.
This was an enthralling reading experience and one of the best I have had with Grisham. It's great, unique storytelling that I believe lots of book fans will enjoy.
This was the most epic and intricate novel Grisham has released in quite some time. It's a mixture of legal drama and historical fiction that keeps you guessing until the very last page. Most of his recent books have been fairly quick reads with a basic storyline. The Reckoning is anything but basic or quick.
If you are into Grisham mainly for his legal dramas, I think the historical fiction may distract you too much. If you are really into historical fiction, you may not be patient enough to get through the legal stuff to get to the World War II story. But, if you are a fan of both, you will get the best of both worlds; the first third is legal, the second third historical, and the last 3rd brings it all together.
Note on the content: the story takes place during and post WWII with narrative taking place in both the American South and the Pacific Theater. Grisham wrote it to keep true to the attitudes and the dialogue of the time period. This means that some words and opinions are controversial and could be upsetting. If you are okay with prose content being raw for the sake of realism, you should be fine. But, if you think this might make you uncomfortable, approach with caution.
This was an enthralling reading experience and one of the best I have had with Grisham. It's great, unique storytelling that I believe lots of book fans will enjoy.
September 12, 2018
I hated this book. It was racist, sexist, and most damningly - boring. The way Grisham talked about the black characters was condescending and the way he talked about Mary Ann was both racist and sexist. The reasons behind the crime were obvious and boring. If Grisham wanted to write a book about the horrors of the Pacific theater during World War II he should've just written that book, but those chapters merely served to point out the lack in substance in the rest of the book. I don't have sympathy for a family losing their land because their patriarch committed murder and I don't have sympathy for someone who planned a murder and refuses to divulge a motive to help their family understand.
I've loved some of Grisham's past work and this was so bad that it makes me suspect that I was wrong to have enjoyed his writing ever!
I read an e-ARC through NetGalley.
I've loved some of Grisham's past work and this was so bad that it makes me suspect that I was wrong to have enjoyed his writing ever!
I read an e-ARC through NetGalley.
November 11, 2018
4+. It has been a while since I have read a Grisham. Not sure why, but I can say I'm glad this is one I read. It combined my many book loves, a legal story, a mystery, which is really at the heart of this book, and a look back to a terrible time in history. It is the 1940' in the Jim Crow south, a farmer whose large farm has been passed down through generations, Pete Banning does what he needs to do for the immediate future. He then walks over to the Methodist Church and shoots the Pastor three times. Why? He has no intention of saying, no explanation, no excuses. His wife had been committed to a mental institution the year before, his two grown children away at their respective schools.
So that is the mystery, and of course the court case. We then follow him back to the war, and the Bataan death March in the Philippines. Hard to read, but well researched, well written, the merciless Japanese and Bannings time in the military. Too many he became a hero. There is one part near the beginning that was very emotional, he was loved by many.
This was a book I couldn't put down, it just pulled me into the story of this family, and of course I needed to know the why. So,even though I don't always fsvor narratives that go back and forth, here I can't see this story working any other way. It truly has a little of everything, plus a family that one can't help but embrace, and a man who makes a decision feeling he has no other choice. In this book I feel as though Grisham has out done himself.
ARC from Doubleday.
So that is the mystery, and of course the court case. We then follow him back to the war, and the Bataan death March in the Philippines. Hard to read, but well researched, well written, the merciless Japanese and Bannings time in the military. Too many he became a hero. There is one part near the beginning that was very emotional, he was loved by many.
This was a book I couldn't put down, it just pulled me into the story of this family, and of course I needed to know the why. So,even though I don't always fsvor narratives that go back and forth, here I can't see this story working any other way. It truly has a little of everything, plus a family that one can't help but embrace, and a man who makes a decision feeling he has no other choice. In this book I feel as though Grisham has out done himself.
ARC from Doubleday.
October 26, 2018
I have enjoyed SO MANY Grisham books that he is on my "read anything he publishes" list...however this one could and should be avoided.
November 1, 2018
Far From One of Grisham's Best: I typically enjoy anything by Grisham and rate them in the 4 star range most always. The Reckoning fell well short of what I would expect from Grisham. Most disappointing was that at about 30% of the book reads like an historical fiction account of World War II battles and not something I expected from a read of the book jacket - or a typical Grisham novel. While there is legal challenge and courtroom storyline- this part of the story had little drama, no surprises and an ending to the legal challenge that was obvious from the beginning. Was hoping for a plot twist somewhere to redeem the book, but it never came. This seems like a story that Grisham just put out to meet a publisher's deadline as readers like myself expect more. A few nagging elements also including the fact that the son and daughter in the story refer throughout to their father and mother by first name- Pete and Liza- which seemed odd and out of place with the time and setting for this story. Even if you are diehard Grisham fan, believe you can pass on this one without feeling you have missed anything.
November 9, 2018
400 page LONG and drawn out story. Could have been based on a ten page short story by a freshman in community college. Mr Grisham, please bring back your inventive legal thrillers. Severely disappointed.
January 4, 2019
417 pages. Four HUNDRED and seventeen pages. For a story that could have been told...in fact SHOULD have been told...in about 250, and that is being generous. I liken this novel to a trip I once took with my parents when I was a child. We drove from Pennsylvania to Florida to visit my grandparents. Along the way, my father thought he had some moral obligation to pay homage to every roadside attraction within 50 miles of our route. It was torture. So was this book. Every time Grisham seemed to return to the actual plot and gain momentum, another shiny object would grab his attention and send him racing in the opposite direction. It was maddening.
Fans of historic fiction will appreciate the prolonged and painfully detailed descriptions of the main character’s military experiences in WWII. Folks who thought they were buying the story billed in the summary will not. Seriously. Page after page after page about an American soldier captured by the Japanese, who then escapes and joins guerrilla fighters. Pages that added NOTHING in the way of furthering the plot.
I had other issues with this novel as well. The theme of segregation in the Deep South took such center stage that to miss the significance and not predict the outcome was virtually impossible. Additionally, the entire book alludes to a justifiable vengeance. In the end, it was, however, such an overreaction that every bit of sympathy, or sense of likability, I had built for the main character dissolved.
Clearly Grisham can write. He is an accomplished author with a huge and loyal fan base. Why he veered so far off the beaten path on this one is the true mystery. Two stars just because the writing was sound, but what a profound disappointment.
Fans of historic fiction will appreciate the prolonged and painfully detailed descriptions of the main character’s military experiences in WWII. Folks who thought they were buying the story billed in the summary will not. Seriously. Page after page after page about an American soldier captured by the Japanese, who then escapes and joins guerrilla fighters. Pages that added NOTHING in the way of furthering the plot.
I had other issues with this novel as well. The theme of segregation in the Deep South took such center stage that to miss the significance and not predict the outcome was virtually impossible. Additionally, the entire book alludes to a justifiable vengeance. In the end, it was, however, such an overreaction that every bit of sympathy, or sense of likability, I had built for the main character dissolved.
Clearly Grisham can write. He is an accomplished author with a huge and loyal fan base. Why he veered so far off the beaten path on this one is the true mystery. Two stars just because the writing was sound, but what a profound disappointment.
November 23, 2018
Yes, I admit that I've been faithful to Grisham for years, and yes, I was rewarded again .... The Reckoning is a novel very much different from what I expected BUT once I started reading, I couldn't put this book down. I immensely enjoyed the story but I'm especially grateful to Grisham for remembering the plight of the American soldiers during the war in the Pacific .....
September 26, 2023
Para mí, que he leído muchísimas novelas de Grisham, esta es una de las más complejas y conseguidas de toda su obra. El autor nos lleva de nuevo a su Mississippi rural de finales de los 40, concretamente a Clanton. Allí, un héroe de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y hacendado recolector de algodón asesina, sin motivo aparente, y a la vista de suficientes testigos, al pastor de la iglesia metodista de su localidad, con el que además la familia compartía una hermosa amistad. Sabe que lo van a condenar a la silla eléctrica, salvo que explique el porqué de su crimen, en cuyo caso le podrían conmutar la pena a cadena perpetua. Sabe que le está buscando la ruina a su familia, que depende del negocio algodonero para seguir con sus prósperas vidas. Sabe que el respeto que todos sus vecinos le profesan se va a convertir en odio. Sabe que va a dejar huérfanos a la esposa del pastor y a sus tres hijos, con pocas posibilidades de supervivencia. Sabe que tan solo tiene que decir por qué lo ha hecho, y a pesar de ello, elige el silencio y la silla eléctrica.
No es la típica novela sobre abogados y juicios a los que nos tiene acostumbrados. Hay abogados y hay juicios, sí. Pero no son lo más importante en la narrativa. En la segunda parte (hay tres, bien diferenciadas) asistimos a la historia personal de Pete Banning, nuestro héroe, desde que conoce a su mujer y se alista en el ejército, hasta su movilización y posterior traslado a Filipinas. Tras el bombardeo de Pearl Harbour, la guerra en el Pacífico cobrará extrema importancia. Aquí nuestro protagonista será apresado por los japoneses, y asistiremos a capítulo tras capítulo de vejaciones y sufrimientos. El que avisa no es traidor, esta parte está descrita con tal detalle, que a más de uno se le puede atragantar la lectura, pues no se escatima en nada. Es como si estuviésemos leyendo una novela sobre un campo de concentración nazi, sólo que aquí los nazis son los japos (perdón por el americanismo). Y por desgracia, lo que se cuenta, por lo que yo sé, es bastante verídico. Es en esta parte donde la novela alcanza una dimensión que raya en lo soberbio, por lo que intuyo que Grisham hubiese sido un gran narrador bélico.
Las partes primera y tercera, sin estar a la misma altura, no desmerecen para nada a la segunda, que conforman en su totalidad una lectura APASIONANTE. Y no diré más, que ya es mucho.
5 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞
No es la típica novela sobre abogados y juicios a los que nos tiene acostumbrados. Hay abogados y hay juicios, sí. Pero no son lo más importante en la narrativa. En la segunda parte (hay tres, bien diferenciadas) asistimos a la historia personal de Pete Banning, nuestro héroe, desde que conoce a su mujer y se alista en el ejército, hasta su movilización y posterior traslado a Filipinas. Tras el bombardeo de Pearl Harbour, la guerra en el Pacífico cobrará extrema importancia. Aquí nuestro protagonista será apresado por los japoneses, y asistiremos a capítulo tras capítulo de vejaciones y sufrimientos. El que avisa no es traidor, esta parte está descrita con tal detalle, que a más de uno se le puede atragantar la lectura, pues no se escatima en nada. Es como si estuviésemos leyendo una novela sobre un campo de concentración nazi, sólo que aquí los nazis son los japos (perdón por el americanismo). Y por desgracia, lo que se cuenta, por lo que yo sé, es bastante verídico. Es en esta parte donde la novela alcanza una dimensión que raya en lo soberbio, por lo que intuyo que Grisham hubiese sido un gran narrador bélico.
Las partes primera y tercera, sin estar a la misma altura, no desmerecen para nada a la segunda, que conforman en su totalidad una lectura APASIONANTE. Y no diré más, que ya es mucho.
5 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞
December 30, 2018
John Grisham continues his long-running string of novels with another piece that offers some unique legal discussions. Pete Banning is a well-respected white farmer, a war hero, and an all-around amiable man around Clanton, Mississippi in 1946. This is why it is so troubling when Banning walks into the office of black Methodist minister Dexter Bell and shoots him dead. Banning refuses to elude the authorities and will not speak about the crime. Going through the motions of a trial, but choosing not to offer a formidable defence, Banning is found guilty and sentenced to death. After a few delays, Pete Banning’s day with the electric chair is set. Banning is executed while his adult children and some other family are left with more questions than answers. After a thorough flashback depicting Pete Banning’s life and time in the Pacific arena during World War II, it is back to the late 1940s, where Joel Banning is trying to hold down the fort as the new man of the household. His mother, Liza, has been in an institution since before Pete’s death, another mystery that no one can answer. With wrongful death suits circling around the estate, Joel juggles his legal studies with trying to dig a little deeper to understand why Pete Banning might have felt the need to kill Dexter Bell. There are some loose ends that do not make much sense, but the Bell family remains focussed on punitive damages. With everything up in the air, Joel Banning watches all he has known circle the drain in a family mystery that no one seems able to decipher. Another great Grisham piece that develops slowly and will take a dedicated reader to finish. Recommended for fans of Grisham’s ‘southern legal matters’, though it is apparent that the novel has significant filler sections to pad its length.
I have long been a fan of John Grisham’s work, which approaches the law and courtroom matters from unique perspectives, investing the responsibility in the reader to piece the larger narrative together. That being said, some of his latter work seems to stuff a great deal of information that dilutes the legal arguments with too much backstory. Pete Banning plays a key role throughout the novel, with his development arising through significant backstory recounting in the middle portion of the book. Leaving his family to wonder what happened to fuel his need to commit capital murder, Banning’s life story comes to life when he is a POW in the Philippines, where Grisham offers a detailed narrative that keeps the reader enthralled. The latter portion of the novel shifts much of the focus on Joel Banning, legal mind and amateur sleuth. Trying to piece the great family mystery together, Joel seeks to turn over many stones to see what might slither out. The numerous other characters offer some interesting 1940s South flavour to the story, particularly the legal matters that address how a white man can be charged and fond guilty of killing a black man in Mississippi. Grisham is keen on stand-alone novels, though there are usually some interesting stereotypes that emerge throughout. The story in this piece is strong, depicting both the legal issues around race and murder, as well as estates and wrongful death suits. Most interesting of all is trying to determine what might have led Pete Banning to commit the ultimate crime and toss his family into significant distress, which comes together in the final chapter. I will admit that the middle section of the book, that exploring the time Banning spent in the war, presumed death and being tortured, seemed to be a great deal of drawn out character depiction and backstory. Some have bemoaned its presence in the novel, though I simply wonder if it could have been curtailed to a refined few chapters. While I choose not to spoil this for anyone, that backstory portion does not play into the foundational arguments for the murder he committed. I found the writing to be quite captivating as I pushed through the story in short order. Another Grisham success for those with patience!
Kudos, Mr. Grisham, for entertaining the reader from the outset. This is a story that will keep the reader thinking throughout as they become enthralled with the detailed writing. I cannot wait for the next piece you have planned.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
I have long been a fan of John Grisham’s work, which approaches the law and courtroom matters from unique perspectives, investing the responsibility in the reader to piece the larger narrative together. That being said, some of his latter work seems to stuff a great deal of information that dilutes the legal arguments with too much backstory. Pete Banning plays a key role throughout the novel, with his development arising through significant backstory recounting in the middle portion of the book. Leaving his family to wonder what happened to fuel his need to commit capital murder, Banning’s life story comes to life when he is a POW in the Philippines, where Grisham offers a detailed narrative that keeps the reader enthralled. The latter portion of the novel shifts much of the focus on Joel Banning, legal mind and amateur sleuth. Trying to piece the great family mystery together, Joel seeks to turn over many stones to see what might slither out. The numerous other characters offer some interesting 1940s South flavour to the story, particularly the legal matters that address how a white man can be charged and fond guilty of killing a black man in Mississippi. Grisham is keen on stand-alone novels, though there are usually some interesting stereotypes that emerge throughout. The story in this piece is strong, depicting both the legal issues around race and murder, as well as estates and wrongful death suits. Most interesting of all is trying to determine what might have led Pete Banning to commit the ultimate crime and toss his family into significant distress, which comes together in the final chapter. I will admit that the middle section of the book, that exploring the time Banning spent in the war, presumed death and being tortured, seemed to be a great deal of drawn out character depiction and backstory. Some have bemoaned its presence in the novel, though I simply wonder if it could have been curtailed to a refined few chapters. While I choose not to spoil this for anyone, that backstory portion does not play into the foundational arguments for the murder he committed. I found the writing to be quite captivating as I pushed through the story in short order. Another Grisham success for those with patience!
Kudos, Mr. Grisham, for entertaining the reader from the outset. This is a story that will keep the reader thinking throughout as they become enthralled with the detailed writing. I cannot wait for the next piece you have planned.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
December 13, 2018
This did not work for me. It started out pretty interesting but died a quick death. It was just too long, dull, and depressing. The war flashbacks bored me to tears and I didn't understand why they were even included in the story. Don't go into this expecting some big twist at the end. Or even a big eye opening moment. It never comes. I didn't finish this book thinking "I totally understand why he killed that man." Which was very frustrating.
June 18, 2020
For a visit to "Downerville," read this story. It's quite depressing. 2 of 10 stars!
October 26, 2018
I've read many Grisham novels and have enjoyed the first several. And I've have even read one recently....last week to be more accurate. In that review, I couldn't quite name the thing that kept me from liking it like I've liked his older stuff. But now after reading this one, I think I know what that "thing" is.
Grisham can come up with a story...that isn't a problem. He can create suspicion and suspense. Great. But the problem I've had with this book and with the one I read last week, is the writing. There is so much telling. He explains everything. It feels like he sees the scene in his head, and writes exactly what he sees. Nothing more. Nothing less. That is why I'm having a problem with the characters. They feel like cardboard....like they are in a painting and I'm trying to guess, who they really are, what they are thinking and feeling, etc.
Also, this book was predictable in the "what really happened" arena. My advice, read the first part to get the info on the crisis at hand....then skip right to the very end. I promise. It will be okay.
Grisham can come up with a story...that isn't a problem. He can create suspicion and suspense. Great. But the problem I've had with this book and with the one I read last week, is the writing. There is so much telling. He explains everything. It feels like he sees the scene in his head, and writes exactly what he sees. Nothing more. Nothing less. That is why I'm having a problem with the characters. They feel like cardboard....like they are in a painting and I'm trying to guess, who they really are, what they are thinking and feeling, etc.
Also, this book was predictable in the "what really happened" arena. My advice, read the first part to get the info on the crisis at hand....then skip right to the very end. I promise. It will be okay.
October 21, 2022
This is some story! Grisham returns to his roots and we are given a glimpse of the Jim Crow South in good ole Ford County. The book begins with a mystery. Why does Pete Banning shoot the minister and refuse to defend his actions? We watch his trial on the edge of our seats wondering if he will be sentenced to die on Old Sparky. No sooner is this answer revealed and we are whisked back in time to the Philippines during WW II with grueling details about the horrors of the Bataan Death March. Finally there are classic Grisham legal maneuverings as we continue to follow the Banning family post-trial. The deepest of secrets are reserved until the very last chapter making this a riveting read and one of Grisham's best.
If you are interested in reading more about the nurses on Bataan, try Angels of the Pacific: A Novel of World War II or When We Had Wings.
If you are interested in reading more about the nurses on Bataan, try Angels of the Pacific: A Novel of World War II or When We Had Wings.
November 21, 2020
The latest novel by John Grisham, The Reckoning (release date October 23), is a sprawling and enthralling read set in the Ford County of A Time to Kill, Sycamore Row, etc. By setting this story of murder and Gothic-esque family drama in the county most familiar to longtime Grisham readers, The Reckoning mixes the pleasures of familiarity with the new, experimental territory upon which the writer embarks. If anything, this novel is certainly not Grisham on auto-pilot.
This will likely be the most divisive Grisham release in some time, if ever. The author playfully mixes up and challenges the courtroom drama standard he set, choosing to tell the story in an almost non-linear fashion. At the heart of this novel is the question: What makes a beloved war hero and successful small-town land-owner murder his pastor in cold blood? The consequences set in motion by the murder — which happens in the first chapter, and is mentioned in the synopsis — are gritty and cold and real. Grisham’s focus is not so much the legal system (though it does play a part), but the dissolving of two American families.
This reader respects Grisham for shaking things up and penning what could be the darkest, and most literary, novel of his career. I certainly did not see it coming. If 2017’s The Rooster Bar was a slick crowd pleaser, The Reckoning is a raw challenge . . . one of which William Faulkner, perhaps, would be a fan.
Thanks to Doubleday Books for the free hardcover copy of this book, which was given in exchange for an honest review.
This will likely be the most divisive Grisham release in some time, if ever. The author playfully mixes up and challenges the courtroom drama standard he set, choosing to tell the story in an almost non-linear fashion. At the heart of this novel is the question: What makes a beloved war hero and successful small-town land-owner murder his pastor in cold blood? The consequences set in motion by the murder — which happens in the first chapter, and is mentioned in the synopsis — are gritty and cold and real. Grisham’s focus is not so much the legal system (though it does play a part), but the dissolving of two American families.
This reader respects Grisham for shaking things up and penning what could be the darkest, and most literary, novel of his career. I certainly did not see it coming. If 2017’s The Rooster Bar was a slick crowd pleaser, The Reckoning is a raw challenge . . . one of which William Faulkner, perhaps, would be a fan.
Thanks to Doubleday Books for the free hardcover copy of this book, which was given in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2024
I was curious to read my first novel by J. Grisham who is 'one of only three anglophone authors to have sold two million copies on the first printing.'
The novel has been described as a legal thriller, a murder mystery, a courtroom drama, a family saga, a coming-of-age story, a period piece and a war novel.
It was really interesting to read the WW2 part of the novel, in which the main character, an American military officer, spends three years in the Phillipines, where he has to endure dreadful ordeals including the Bataan Death March. It was engaging and informative; the author had read some memoirs of the American soldiers who had survived the hell and used parts of their stories in his novel.
As for the family saga, it seemed boring and predictable with poorly-developed characters and cliche dialogues.
The courtroom drama does not save the novel. It drags on forever.
The so-called mystery is easily predictable.
The novel has been described as a legal thriller, a murder mystery, a courtroom drama, a family saga, a coming-of-age story, a period piece and a war novel.
It was really interesting to read the WW2 part of the novel, in which the main character, an American military officer, spends three years in the Phillipines, where he has to endure dreadful ordeals including the Bataan Death March. It was engaging and informative; the author had read some memoirs of the American soldiers who had survived the hell and used parts of their stories in his novel.
As for the family saga, it seemed boring and predictable with poorly-developed characters and cliche dialogues.
The courtroom drama does not save the novel. It drags on forever.
The so-called mystery is easily predictable.
November 1, 2018
This started out so promising. The first 1/4 of the book (give or take) was fantastic. And then we got to the courtroom scenes and aftermath which dragged on but it is a Grisham book so fair enough. The second part of the book is 100 pages or so of WWII combat, specifically in the Philippines and the Bataan Death March. Compelling enough I suppose but completely out of place in the rest of the book. Yeah, I get he was trying to demonstrate Pete's PTSD but it just didn't work for me and wasn't at all what I had signed on for. By the time he got back to the primary story, I had lost patience. This one felt like Grisham wanted to write two different books and probably should have. The current day (not *our* current day) part of the story was far more compelling than the rest and, honestly, would have worked just fine without the WWII detour.
December 16, 2018
I hadn't read a John Grisham novel for quite awhile and very quickly after starting 'The Reckoning' I started thinking about other books of his that I also wanted to read. Unfortunately the book was a bit hit and miss for me, I enjoyed the first part of the novel where the killing and the court case happened but my interest waned when the second part of the book spoke of the main characters war time experiences and by the end I really didn't care a lot what the outcome proved to be. Overall disappointing and too drawn out.
November 12, 2018
This novel was incredible! This is one of my favorite John Grisham’s novels since A Time to Kill. It was a powerful story with so much mystery right up to the end. I could not right for the secrets to be revealed, and they were not exactly what readers would predict. I seriously enjoyed this book to the point of losing sleep over it. I would have read in one day if my schedule would have permitted. It was that good!
My quick and simple overall: mystery and an incredible story with intriguing characters. A really great standalone novel!
My quick and simple overall: mystery and an incredible story with intriguing characters. A really great standalone novel!
December 19, 2018
I'm a big Grisham fan and have read all of his adult books. The Reckoning would have been so much better as a short story. Grisham should have written another volume of Ford County and put a short story version of this book in the collection.
The book was too long, the recounting of Pete Banning's time in WWII had no bearing on the rest of the novel, the back and forth about the land and the estate was too much. The whole time I was reading this I just wanted to know why he did it. The ending was fine but I think it would have had more shock value if the rest book had been more succinct. If you really want to get to the point, I suggest you read all of Part 1 and the last chapter.
The book was too long, the recounting of Pete Banning's time in WWII had no bearing on the rest of the novel, the back and forth about the land and the estate was too much. The whole time I was reading this I just wanted to know why he did it. The ending was fine but I think it would have had more shock value if the rest book had been more succinct. If you really want to get to the point, I suggest you read all of Part 1 and the last chapter.
May 20, 2019
A suspenseful and intriguing Southern family drama with layers and layers of legal wrangling.
SUMMARY
Pete Banning was Clanton Mississippi‘s favorite son. He had recently returned from the Philippines as an decorated war hero. He was the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church.
One cool October morning in 1946 he rose early, had breakfast with his sister, drove into town, walked into the church, and calmly shot and killed his pastor and friend, Reverend Dexter Bell. As if the murder was not shocking enough it was even more baffling that Pete’s only statement about it—to the sheriff, to his lawyers, to the judge, and to the jury, and his family was —“I have nothing to say.”
“After a tragedy, those with even the slightest connections to it often exaggerate their involvement and importance.”
REVIEW
THE RECKONING is an intriguing and tragic southern family drama with layers of legal suspense. We are skillfully transported to the 1940’s and the Deep South culture of Clanton, Mississippi. The writing was captivating and detailed. Perhaps a little to detailed. While Pete’s experiences in the Philippines during WWII was a great part of the story, it was a bit longer than it needed to be.
The story contains a perfect cast of characters and all were masterfully created, from Pete and his beautiful wife Liza, to his brave sister Florry and his two children Joel and Stella. I listened to this book on Audible and found the performance mesmerizing, although the story was somewhat long at 17 hour and 36 minutes.
John Grisham has captured a suspenseful story and keeps us on the hook until the very last chapter. Why in the world would Pete Banning have killed Reverend Bell?
Grisham is an international best selling author of over 40 novels. He has an Accounting degree from Mississippi State University and graduated from law school at Ole Miss in 1982. He served in the Mississippi legislature from 1983 to 1990. He is married with two children and splits his time between Mississippi and Virginia.
““Hearing the truth is like grabbing smoke in our family,” Joel said.”
Publisher Doubleday
Published October 23, 2018
Narrated Michael Beck
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
SUMMARY
Pete Banning was Clanton Mississippi‘s favorite son. He had recently returned from the Philippines as an decorated war hero. He was the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist church.
One cool October morning in 1946 he rose early, had breakfast with his sister, drove into town, walked into the church, and calmly shot and killed his pastor and friend, Reverend Dexter Bell. As if the murder was not shocking enough it was even more baffling that Pete’s only statement about it—to the sheriff, to his lawyers, to the judge, and to the jury, and his family was —“I have nothing to say.”
“After a tragedy, those with even the slightest connections to it often exaggerate their involvement and importance.”
REVIEW
THE RECKONING is an intriguing and tragic southern family drama with layers of legal suspense. We are skillfully transported to the 1940’s and the Deep South culture of Clanton, Mississippi. The writing was captivating and detailed. Perhaps a little to detailed. While Pete’s experiences in the Philippines during WWII was a great part of the story, it was a bit longer than it needed to be.
The story contains a perfect cast of characters and all were masterfully created, from Pete and his beautiful wife Liza, to his brave sister Florry and his two children Joel and Stella. I listened to this book on Audible and found the performance mesmerizing, although the story was somewhat long at 17 hour and 36 minutes.
John Grisham has captured a suspenseful story and keeps us on the hook until the very last chapter. Why in the world would Pete Banning have killed Reverend Bell?
Grisham is an international best selling author of over 40 novels. He has an Accounting degree from Mississippi State University and graduated from law school at Ole Miss in 1982. He served in the Mississippi legislature from 1983 to 1990. He is married with two children and splits his time between Mississippi and Virginia.
““Hearing the truth is like grabbing smoke in our family,” Joel said.”
Publisher Doubleday
Published October 23, 2018
Narrated Michael Beck
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
December 25, 2019
3.5 stars
This was a long, complicated and accomplished novel, however it is not my favorite by Grisham. After what was a long 3-part complicated story I felt the very ending was way too simple. You do not come to the truth of the story until the final few pages. That wrap up was acceptable. It was the very last sentences that were, in my opinion, so weak, so wrong, and so off kilter.
Whew! This was like 3 separate stories rolled into one. It was the story of Pete shooting Dexter and then his murder trial. The second section was in hindsight - Pete's stint in WWII and his time in the Philippines as a guerilla. Then thirdly the last section which was mainly about Pete's kids - Joel and Stella - and the heartache and confusion after Pete's trial.
I felt the second section of the book about Pete's military activity was a bit too long. It was very detailed and in part interesting, but by the end of that section I was thoroughly over it. So much of what was written had nothing to do with the rest of the story, it felt like a whole new book, plopped down in the middle of another. Although I agree that some thought to Pete's military career was intricate to the story line, I think this was a bit too much.
Grisham did employ his legal suspense, with plenty of courtroom drama, plus other lawyer action outside of court, in addition to some great family situations and drama. I liked most of the characters. The scenery and the mid 1940's years were replicated well. So, all in all, Grisham has pulled off another good story, as only the master of legal suspense can do.
This was a long, complicated and accomplished novel, however it is not my favorite by Grisham. After what was a long 3-part complicated story I felt the very ending was way too simple. You do not come to the truth of the story until the final few pages. That wrap up was acceptable. It was the very last sentences that were, in my opinion, so weak, so wrong, and so off kilter.
Whew! This was like 3 separate stories rolled into one. It was the story of Pete shooting Dexter and then his murder trial. The second section was in hindsight - Pete's stint in WWII and his time in the Philippines as a guerilla. Then thirdly the last section which was mainly about Pete's kids - Joel and Stella - and the heartache and confusion after Pete's trial.
I felt the second section of the book about Pete's military activity was a bit too long. It was very detailed and in part interesting, but by the end of that section I was thoroughly over it. So much of what was written had nothing to do with the rest of the story, it felt like a whole new book, plopped down in the middle of another. Although I agree that some thought to Pete's military career was intricate to the story line, I think this was a bit too much.
Grisham did employ his legal suspense, with plenty of courtroom drama, plus other lawyer action outside of court, in addition to some great family situations and drama. I liked most of the characters. The scenery and the mid 1940's years were replicated well. So, all in all, Grisham has pulled off another good story, as only the master of legal suspense can do.
November 23, 2022
In Mississippi “between 1818 and 1940 … approximately six hundred black men were lynched by mobs operating outside the legal system and thoroughly immune from any of its repercussions”
John Grisham’s THE RECKONING is not the typical legal thriller that we have come to expect from him. It is a legal procedural drama and historical fiction centered around themes of war and violence, hatred, xenophobia, racism, misogyny, and jealousy. As you might imagine, it is not a pretty novel. It is not uplifting and it is not easy to read.
The first part – Act I if you will – tells the story of Pete Banning’s return from the Philippines, an acclaimed war hero, a successful cotton farmer, and a prosperous landowner, well known and greatly respected in his church and around his small southern community. Then, out of the blue, he walked into the church and calmly murdered the Reverend Dexter Bell. If he had a motive, he wasn’t saying and he was obviously prepared to face hanging or the electric chair before he would tell anyone the reason he felt that Dexter Bell deserved to die.
Act II was a look in the rear view mirror, the jaw-dropping and horrifying story of Banning’s capture by the Japanese in the Philippines and his amazing survival of the Bataan Death March. If other readers are like me, they will come to the close of this section of the novel a little mystified at having received no further clue as to what Banning's motive might be for the murder that we know will happen when he returns home after his service in the war.
THE RECKONING was written by John Grisham so it should come as no surprise to hear that Act III was Pete Banning’s trial for capital murder. What did, however, come as a bit of a shock to me was the fact that the trial itself and the final revelation as to Banning’s motive was plausible but melodramatic – an anticlimactic, venal, and simple unadorned illustration of the nasty, ugly power of small minded and all too human traits such as xenophobia, jealousy, and racism.
THE RECKONING was a readable novel but its interest was primarily in the historical reality of the story, particularly the details of the Pacific war against the Japanese. It was definitely not gripping in the sense one normally applies the word to suspense thrillers or legal thrillers such as Grisham has written in the past. I’m afraid I can recommend it only to those anal readers who like to say that they’ve read everything a particular author has written.
Paul Weiss
John Grisham’s THE RECKONING is not the typical legal thriller that we have come to expect from him. It is a legal procedural drama and historical fiction centered around themes of war and violence, hatred, xenophobia, racism, misogyny, and jealousy. As you might imagine, it is not a pretty novel. It is not uplifting and it is not easy to read.
The first part – Act I if you will – tells the story of Pete Banning’s return from the Philippines, an acclaimed war hero, a successful cotton farmer, and a prosperous landowner, well known and greatly respected in his church and around his small southern community. Then, out of the blue, he walked into the church and calmly murdered the Reverend Dexter Bell. If he had a motive, he wasn’t saying and he was obviously prepared to face hanging or the electric chair before he would tell anyone the reason he felt that Dexter Bell deserved to die.
Act II was a look in the rear view mirror, the jaw-dropping and horrifying story of Banning’s capture by the Japanese in the Philippines and his amazing survival of the Bataan Death March. If other readers are like me, they will come to the close of this section of the novel a little mystified at having received no further clue as to what Banning's motive might be for the murder that we know will happen when he returns home after his service in the war.
THE RECKONING was written by John Grisham so it should come as no surprise to hear that Act III was Pete Banning’s trial for capital murder. What did, however, come as a bit of a shock to me was the fact that the trial itself and the final revelation as to Banning’s motive was plausible but melodramatic – an anticlimactic, venal, and simple unadorned illustration of the nasty, ugly power of small minded and all too human traits such as xenophobia, jealousy, and racism.
THE RECKONING was a readable novel but its interest was primarily in the historical reality of the story, particularly the details of the Pacific war against the Japanese. It was definitely not gripping in the sense one normally applies the word to suspense thrillers or legal thrillers such as Grisham has written in the past. I’m afraid I can recommend it only to those anal readers who like to say that they’ve read everything a particular author has written.
Paul Weiss
October 22, 2018
Thanks a million to @doubledaybooks for this free review copy!
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I’m an old school Grisham fan. I absolutely adore all of his older titles, with my very favorite being The Testament. I will never forget listening to that book! His newest book is out on 10.23 and I’m so excited to share with you that The Reckoning not only brings us back to the Grisham of yesterday, but also adds in some absolutely fascinating WWII history about the Bataan Death March in the Philippines that I really had almost no knowledge of. This book sucked me in, kept me guessing, and had me reading about military history with a completely new level of interest.
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I wouldn’t classify this newest Grisham so much as a legal thriller as I would call it a grief-filled family mystery/drama with a LOT of legal plot. There were parts that weren’t perfect in my eyes and I wish some things had been done differently in the last quarter of the book, but overall this was a compelling 4 🌟 read for this Grisham fan (since high school!).
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If you or a friend or family member are also old school Grisham fans, or love reading about WWII, get your hands on a copy of this book!
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I’m an old school Grisham fan. I absolutely adore all of his older titles, with my very favorite being The Testament. I will never forget listening to that book! His newest book is out on 10.23 and I’m so excited to share with you that The Reckoning not only brings us back to the Grisham of yesterday, but also adds in some absolutely fascinating WWII history about the Bataan Death March in the Philippines that I really had almost no knowledge of. This book sucked me in, kept me guessing, and had me reading about military history with a completely new level of interest.
.
I wouldn’t classify this newest Grisham so much as a legal thriller as I would call it a grief-filled family mystery/drama with a LOT of legal plot. There were parts that weren’t perfect in my eyes and I wish some things had been done differently in the last quarter of the book, but overall this was a compelling 4 🌟 read for this Grisham fan (since high school!).
.
If you or a friend or family member are also old school Grisham fans, or love reading about WWII, get your hands on a copy of this book!
November 29, 2022
.... tragic .....
A very good Grisham book. However, this is not a crowd-pleaser book like his recent mystery books ie, The Rooster Bar or Camino Island. I'm so glad he wrote this book because I wish he has a follow-up for Sycamore Row.
The Reckoning is a dark DARK novel. Set in 1940s Mississippi of readers familiar Ford County. A story of a returning war hero, his family, murder, courtroom, and deaths. The consequence of the killing is as bad as you would imagine. His children's life and family afterward however is what really got me. Part of this book covers WW2 where Pete Banning was a POW in the Philippines. It was gruesome but not surprising as it is war.
It's a wonderful read (audio was awesome too) as sad as it was. SAD SAD SAD. My only wish was the mystery of it all was a different one.
A very good Grisham book. However, this is not a crowd-pleaser book like his recent mystery books ie, The Rooster Bar or Camino Island. I'm so glad he wrote this book because I wish he has a follow-up for Sycamore Row.
The Reckoning is a dark DARK novel. Set in 1940s Mississippi of readers familiar Ford County. A story of a returning war hero, his family, murder, courtroom, and deaths. The consequence of the killing is as bad as you would imagine. His children's life and family afterward however is what really got me. Part of this book covers WW2 where Pete Banning was a POW in the Philippines. It was gruesome but not surprising as it is war.
It's a wonderful read (audio was awesome too) as sad as it was. SAD SAD SAD. My only wish was the mystery of it all was a different one.
November 19, 2018
Without doubt, this is one of the saddest and most haunting books I've read in a while (close to downright depressing, in fact). What's more, about a third of it was so unsettling that insofar as possible, I skimmed through it. It is written matter-of-factly, without emotion - but the emotion comes through loud and clear nonetheless. Did I love it? In many ways, no; but in the overall scheme of things, it's pretty darned awesome.
Let me clarify. The depressing part came near the end, when facts not previously in evidence were revealed (let's just say that O Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" came to mind). The unsettling part came in the middle, when details of the World War II military life of Pete Banning, one of the main characters, was outlined in all-too-vivid detail. If there's anything in this world I'd rather not read about, see, or listen to, it's the horrors of war. And the entire middle section of this book, Titled "The Boneyard," lays it all out. Yes, it's a very important part of the story - but had I known it was coming I'd have left sneaker tracks on the sidewalk running the other way.
That said, what a story it is. Set in small-town Clanton, Mississippi, after World War II has ended and Pete, thought to have been killed, returns home to his extensive cotton farm as a decorated hero. His wife, Liza, is in a mental institution - at Pete's orders - and their son and daughter are grown. In 1946, at the age of 43, Pete is about to do something virtually unthinkable, especially for a man of his stature; commit a cold-blooded murder. He freely admits to his guilt; what he refuses to admit, though, is his motive. He will, he insists, go to his death - a very real possibility if he's convicted by a jury - with his secret intact. His long-time family lawyer, nor his sister Flora, who lives on the farm, nor his children will ever hear the reason behind his action - at least never from his lips.
From that point on, much of the narrative focuses on Pete's family background and what and how his children are doing, all of which takes place in a deep-South setting in which "coloreds" handle menial tasks and are not allowed to sit on the front porch of any home nor anywhere in a courtroom except the balcony. And of course, let's not forget the section that details what happened to him in the war when he was part of the historic Bataan Death March in the Philippines. Even though I didn't want to read it, I can't imagine the research it took to pull all that together. In the final section, "The Betrayal," readers, along with Pete's two children - find out what really happened.
Let me clarify. The depressing part came near the end, when facts not previously in evidence were revealed (let's just say that O Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" came to mind). The unsettling part came in the middle, when details of the World War II military life of Pete Banning, one of the main characters, was outlined in all-too-vivid detail. If there's anything in this world I'd rather not read about, see, or listen to, it's the horrors of war. And the entire middle section of this book, Titled "The Boneyard," lays it all out. Yes, it's a very important part of the story - but had I known it was coming I'd have left sneaker tracks on the sidewalk running the other way.
That said, what a story it is. Set in small-town Clanton, Mississippi, after World War II has ended and Pete, thought to have been killed, returns home to his extensive cotton farm as a decorated hero. His wife, Liza, is in a mental institution - at Pete's orders - and their son and daughter are grown. In 1946, at the age of 43, Pete is about to do something virtually unthinkable, especially for a man of his stature; commit a cold-blooded murder. He freely admits to his guilt; what he refuses to admit, though, is his motive. He will, he insists, go to his death - a very real possibility if he's convicted by a jury - with his secret intact. His long-time family lawyer, nor his sister Flora, who lives on the farm, nor his children will ever hear the reason behind his action - at least never from his lips.
From that point on, much of the narrative focuses on Pete's family background and what and how his children are doing, all of which takes place in a deep-South setting in which "coloreds" handle menial tasks and are not allowed to sit on the front porch of any home nor anywhere in a courtroom except the balcony. And of course, let's not forget the section that details what happened to him in the war when he was part of the historic Bataan Death March in the Philippines. Even though I didn't want to read it, I can't imagine the research it took to pull all that together. In the final section, "The Betrayal," readers, along with Pete's two children - find out what really happened.
November 1, 2022
4,5 ⭐
Llevaba unos cinco o seis años sin leer nada de John Grisham. Fui lectora suya durante mucho tiempo, pero llegó un momento en el que me resultaba repetitivo y dejé de leerlo. Este libro me llamó la atención y lo anoté como posible. Tras leer una reseña de un amigo por aquí me decidí a leerlo. Digamos que me he reconciliado con el autor.
Pete Banning era el hijo predilecto de Clanton, Mississippi. Héroe condecorado de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, patriarca de una notoria familia, granjero, padre, vecino y miembro incondicional de la iglesia metodista. Una mañana de octubre de 1946 se levantó temprano, condujo hasta la ciudad y allí cometió un asombroso crimen. Las únicas palabras que Pete pronunció ante el sheriff, sus abogados, el jurado, el juez y su familia fueron: «No tengo nada que decir». No temía a la muerte y estaba dispuesto a llevarse sus razones a la tumba. Hasta aquí lo que nos dice la sinopsis.
Mis impresiones
Es una novela muy diferente de lo que suele hacer Grisham. Tiene parte de thriller legal, pero lo importante no son los juicios. El acento lo pone en la historia del protagonista y en el contexto.
Se lee fácil. El estilo y el ritmo son los habituales en el autor. Engancha y las páginas pasan sin sentir.
Me ha sorprendido la dureza de la trama, una dureza que se mantiene de principio a fin. Ambientada en Clanton, Mississippi, desde 1946 hasta 1950, está dividida en tres partes.
En la primera "Asesinato", nos narra como Pete Banning, decide asesinar al pastor metodista de su localidad. Tras el asesinato vendrán la detención y el juicio.
En la segunda parte "Campo de huesos", vamos a conocer la vida del protagonista, sus aspiraciones juveniles, su matrimonio y su movilización en Filipinas durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Grisham nos narra los acontecimientos de la marcha de la muerte de Bataan. Reconozco que, pese a todo lo que se ha escrito sobre el tema, lo conocía solo de pasada. El autor lo cuenta en toda su dureza y consigue poner los pelos de punta.
En la tercera, "Traición", vamos a conocer los motivos que Pete Banning tenía para cometer el crimen, así como las consecuencias para su familia.
Me ha gustado mucho la ambientación en ese Mississippi rural de los años cuarenta del pasado siglo. Refleja a la perfección el tema de los prejuicios raciales. Clanton es una localidad en la que casi nunca se ha cometido un crimen. En palabras de sus policías, alguna pelea y el linchamiento de un chico negro, pero claro eso no cuenta, no era ilegal colgar a un chico de color en esa época. Por muy sabido que lo tengamos leerlo así de crudo te deja helada.
Con respecto a los personajes, están bien trazados. No he conseguido empatizar con el protagonista. Por mucho que sufriera en la guerra, su intransigencia, su incapacidad de perdonar y sobre todo el desapego con el que contempla las consecuencias que sus actos les va a acarrear a sus hijos, ha hecho que me cayera antipático de principio a fin. Eso no significa que no sea un buen personaje. Está muy conseguido, de los mejores que ha creado este autor.
El final, bien y coherente con el resto de la trama.
En conclusión, una novela atípica de Grisham que me ha reconciliado con el autor. Recomendable.
Llevaba unos cinco o seis años sin leer nada de John Grisham. Fui lectora suya durante mucho tiempo, pero llegó un momento en el que me resultaba repetitivo y dejé de leerlo. Este libro me llamó la atención y lo anoté como posible. Tras leer una reseña de un amigo por aquí me decidí a leerlo. Digamos que me he reconciliado con el autor.
Pete Banning era el hijo predilecto de Clanton, Mississippi. Héroe condecorado de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, patriarca de una notoria familia, granjero, padre, vecino y miembro incondicional de la iglesia metodista. Una mañana de octubre de 1946 se levantó temprano, condujo hasta la ciudad y allí cometió un asombroso crimen. Las únicas palabras que Pete pronunció ante el sheriff, sus abogados, el jurado, el juez y su familia fueron: «No tengo nada que decir». No temía a la muerte y estaba dispuesto a llevarse sus razones a la tumba. Hasta aquí lo que nos dice la sinopsis.
Mis impresiones
Es una novela muy diferente de lo que suele hacer Grisham. Tiene parte de thriller legal, pero lo importante no son los juicios. El acento lo pone en la historia del protagonista y en el contexto.
Se lee fácil. El estilo y el ritmo son los habituales en el autor. Engancha y las páginas pasan sin sentir.
Me ha sorprendido la dureza de la trama, una dureza que se mantiene de principio a fin. Ambientada en Clanton, Mississippi, desde 1946 hasta 1950, está dividida en tres partes.
En la primera "Asesinato", nos narra como Pete Banning, decide asesinar al pastor metodista de su localidad. Tras el asesinato vendrán la detención y el juicio.
En la segunda parte "Campo de huesos", vamos a conocer la vida del protagonista, sus aspiraciones juveniles, su matrimonio y su movilización en Filipinas durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Grisham nos narra los acontecimientos de la marcha de la muerte de Bataan. Reconozco que, pese a todo lo que se ha escrito sobre el tema, lo conocía solo de pasada. El autor lo cuenta en toda su dureza y consigue poner los pelos de punta.
En la tercera, "Traición", vamos a conocer los motivos que Pete Banning tenía para cometer el crimen, así como las consecuencias para su familia.
Me ha gustado mucho la ambientación en ese Mississippi rural de los años cuarenta del pasado siglo. Refleja a la perfección el tema de los prejuicios raciales. Clanton es una localidad en la que casi nunca se ha cometido un crimen. En palabras de sus policías, alguna pelea y el linchamiento de un chico negro, pero claro eso no cuenta, no era ilegal colgar a un chico de color en esa época. Por muy sabido que lo tengamos leerlo así de crudo te deja helada.
Con respecto a los personajes, están bien trazados. No he conseguido empatizar con el protagonista. Por mucho que sufriera en la guerra, su intransigencia, su incapacidad de perdonar y sobre todo el desapego con el que contempla las consecuencias que sus actos les va a acarrear a sus hijos, ha hecho que me cayera antipático de principio a fin. Eso no significa que no sea un buen personaje. Está muy conseguido, de los mejores que ha creado este autor.
El final, bien y coherente con el resto de la trama.
En conclusión, una novela atípica de Grisham que me ha reconciliado con el autor. Recomendable.
October 27, 2019
3.5 stars.
A Southern Gothic tragedy about the decline and disgrace of a prominent and respected family who own a valuable plantation in rural Mississippi.
The time is the 1940s and the racial divide affects the social standing and legal justice for the Blacks. There are harsher penalties for blacks than for white citizens charged with crimes. The vast number of executions in the district have been carried out on blacks and the death penalty of a wealthy white man has been unknown. Judges and all white juries are the rule, and the wealth to afford the best defense lawyers is a deciding factor. We get a chilling description of botched hangings and electrocutions.
Pete Banning was a highly respected family man, a successful farmer, and war hero. One day he enters the Methodist church which his family attended, and shoots their beloved and popular minister. The mystery and suspense lie in his motive for such a bizarre crime. He refuses to explain his reason to anyone: not his family, not to the judge, jury, his lawyer or the governor. The first section of the book deals with legal maneuvering and the trial.
The second part of the book focuses on Pete’s horrific experiences in the Pacific during WW2. I found this to be the strongest part of the book. Grisham writes vividly showing superb ability to describe the indescribable tortures, illnesses, and death. We follow Pete during the Bataan Death March, the deprivation and suffering in a Japanese POW camp, in one of the overcrowded, filthy ships carrying prisoners to Japan for slave labor and finally as a guerrilla fighter in the Philippine jungle. Pete was classified missing and believed dead for 3 years. He returns home to an overjoyed wife, sister,and two children after being hospitalized for war wounds and the after effects of dysentery and malaria. The happiness doesn’t last long. He commits his wife to a mental institution and the grown children are forbidden to visit. Then he murders the minister.
The third section of the book shows Pete’s children, now attending college, tied up in a wrongful death suit filed on behalf of the minister’s widow. As the family fortune declines, there are several more tragedies. Surely things will be turned around to provide a happier ending. Suspense which sustained the story is finally resolved when the motive for the murder is finally revealed.
I felt the book was longer than necessary. All the legal appeals were informative but caused the plot to move at a snail’s pace. The WW2 flashbacks were the most powerful part of the story for me and which could have been a separate novel. The structure bothered me at first, starting out at the family in their present time (1940s), then flashbacks to WW2 events, and finally a continuation of the character's story. Overall I concluded this format worked well. Definitely not a happy, relaxing read. but it was compelling.
A Southern Gothic tragedy about the decline and disgrace of a prominent and respected family who own a valuable plantation in rural Mississippi.
The time is the 1940s and the racial divide affects the social standing and legal justice for the Blacks. There are harsher penalties for blacks than for white citizens charged with crimes. The vast number of executions in the district have been carried out on blacks and the death penalty of a wealthy white man has been unknown. Judges and all white juries are the rule, and the wealth to afford the best defense lawyers is a deciding factor. We get a chilling description of botched hangings and electrocutions.
Pete Banning was a highly respected family man, a successful farmer, and war hero. One day he enters the Methodist church which his family attended, and shoots their beloved and popular minister. The mystery and suspense lie in his motive for such a bizarre crime. He refuses to explain his reason to anyone: not his family, not to the judge, jury, his lawyer or the governor. The first section of the book deals with legal maneuvering and the trial.
The second part of the book focuses on Pete’s horrific experiences in the Pacific during WW2. I found this to be the strongest part of the book. Grisham writes vividly showing superb ability to describe the indescribable tortures, illnesses, and death. We follow Pete during the Bataan Death March, the deprivation and suffering in a Japanese POW camp, in one of the overcrowded, filthy ships carrying prisoners to Japan for slave labor and finally as a guerrilla fighter in the Philippine jungle. Pete was classified missing and believed dead for 3 years. He returns home to an overjoyed wife, sister,and two children after being hospitalized for war wounds and the after effects of dysentery and malaria. The happiness doesn’t last long. He commits his wife to a mental institution and the grown children are forbidden to visit. Then he murders the minister.
The third section of the book shows Pete’s children, now attending college, tied up in a wrongful death suit filed on behalf of the minister’s widow. As the family fortune declines, there are several more tragedies. Surely things will be turned around to provide a happier ending. Suspense which sustained the story is finally resolved when the motive for the murder is finally revealed.
I felt the book was longer than necessary. All the legal appeals were informative but caused the plot to move at a snail’s pace. The WW2 flashbacks were the most powerful part of the story for me and which could have been a separate novel. The structure bothered me at first, starting out at the family in their present time (1940s), then flashbacks to WW2 events, and finally a continuation of the character's story. Overall I concluded this format worked well. Definitely not a happy, relaxing read. but it was compelling.
July 2, 2025
Поне се чете бързо тази книга, но аз определено приключвам с "новото" творчество на Гришъм. Втора ужасяващо слаба изцепка след "Бар Петлите".
Загадката уж се поддържа до последно, не че не можеш да се сетиш каква е де. Защото в този пореден създаден на конвейр продукт има само насипна история, далеч от добрите романи, каквито авторът умееше да пише. Почти съм уверен, че всичко, а може би дори и идеята, е плод единствено на усилията на Ghost writer/s.
Военните години на главния герой във Филипините са описани скучно и суховато, изобщо целият текст страда от това, персонажите са зле скърпени, еднопластови, а мотивацията и поведението им зверски куцат.
Самата история е разказана по-добре в Уикипедия, да не говорим за шедьовъра "Цар плъх" за концлагера Чанги на Клавел:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataan_...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Не става!
Загадката уж се поддържа до последно, не че не можеш да се сетиш каква е де. Защото в този пореден създаден на конвейр продукт има само насипна история, далеч от добрите романи, каквито авторът умееше да пише. Почти съм уверен, че всичко, а може би дори и идеята, е плод единствено на усилията на Ghost writer/s.
Военните години на главния герой във Филипините са описани скучно и суховато, изобщо целият текст страда от това, персонажите са зле скърпени, еднопластови, а мотивацията и поведението им зверски куцат.
Самата история е разказана по-добре в Уикипедия, да не говорим за шедьовъра "Цар плъх" за концлагера Чанги на Клавел:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataan_...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Не става!
March 9, 2019
3.5 stars.
Family secrets and lies, secrets and lies. That's what is at the heart of the plot here and I had no idea that the truth would be what it was. The book starts out with a cold-blooded, premeditated murder of a local pastor in Ford County, MS, a frequent setting in Grisham books. We know who did it--Pete Banning, a local WWII hero-- but not why, and Pete isn't saying. He's not denying the act, but not offering any explanation either, not to his lawyer, his sister, or his children. There is speculation and guesswork, but as the reveal so adeptly illustrates, speculation and guesswork just make more family problems. Just talk to each other, be open, and for goodness sake don't lie. I know, right? If only life were that simple and people actually followed that advice.
I would say that this might have been one of the more forgettable Grisham novels if not for Part 2, where we are taken to the war hero's experiences as a participant in the Battle of Bataan and subsequent stint as a prisoner of war in the Philippines. The book turned into straight up historical fiction then, told through Pete's sufferings and survival tactics.
Banning's family members had stories of their own but none so fascinating as Pete's. Even so, if there is a follow up in the making, I'll definitely read more about these characters.
Family secrets and lies, secrets and lies. That's what is at the heart of the plot here and I had no idea that the truth would be what it was. The book starts out with a cold-blooded, premeditated murder of a local pastor in Ford County, MS, a frequent setting in Grisham books. We know who did it--Pete Banning, a local WWII hero-- but not why, and Pete isn't saying. He's not denying the act, but not offering any explanation either, not to his lawyer, his sister, or his children. There is speculation and guesswork, but as the reveal so adeptly illustrates, speculation and guesswork just make more family problems. Just talk to each other, be open, and for goodness sake don't lie. I know, right? If only life were that simple and people actually followed that advice.
I would say that this might have been one of the more forgettable Grisham novels if not for Part 2, where we are taken to the war hero's experiences as a participant in the Battle of Bataan and subsequent stint as a prisoner of war in the Philippines. The book turned into straight up historical fiction then, told through Pete's sufferings and survival tactics.
Banning's family members had stories of their own but none so fascinating as Pete's. Even so, if there is a follow up in the making, I'll definitely read more about these characters.
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