A Civil Action
by Jonathan Harr
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jonathan HarrEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1996-08-27
ISBN: 0679772677
Number of pages: 502
Publisher: Vintage
Book Reviews of A Civil Action
Book Review: I would hire Jan Schlictmann in a minute!
Summary: 5 Stars
After watching the movie a couple of times, I was glued to the story and was so thankful that somebody donated a book to the thrift shop so I can read it. It's amazingly detailed, researched, and thoroughly a fascinating read. I am almost done. The movie had done justice to this incredible story of greed, indifference, and violations against a community scarred forever. The case was not just about the loss of children and even adults to acute leukemia but the book details the story further about the permanent effects of the chemical poisoning that affected the wells in the small community. Woburn had no idea of the damage until it was too late. There are many victims and villains in this case. I admire Jan Schlictmann who went broke trying this case. He used and hired every possible expert, tests, and experiments in studying the land, soil, water, the victims and their families that costs millions of dollars. I admired the lawyers who despite the case's heavy costs kept going when the money was running low or out. I was surprised that some of the victims like Anne Anderson who lost her beloved son, Jimmy, didn't give Jan much credit. He was going after the companies at a heavy cost of financial burden. His partners wanted a settlement to end this but Jan kept going like the energizger bunny. It wasn't about money and I think Anne should have realized that eventually. I can't imagine losing a child and the book clearly explains the details of how the families struggled, fought, and searched for answers. I admire the families' quest for the truth. I never thought Jan treated the families with a patronizing habit. He kept them informed everyday with daily transcripts copied and sent by courier to the involved families at another expensive cost.
He kept pushing for an admittance of guilt. Something she wanted like the other families, nobody could have imagined the expense and costs of proving the case in court to a jury. I would love somebody like Jan Schlictmann who pushed costs and expense aside to find out the truth in this investigation. The families weren't looking for money. They were looking for somebody to admit their guilt in the loss of their children's lives and hoped that action would include cleaning up the contaminated wells that impacted so many of the residents' lives. The book is excellent in detailing how the contamination started with a weird smell, taste in the water, and expands. This book is a keeper on my shelf. This book is truly awe-inspiring in finding justice.
Summary of A Civil Action
"The legal thriller of the decade." --Cleveland Plain DealerNow a Major Motion Picture!
In this true story of an epic courtroom showdown, two of the nation's largest corporations stand accused of causing the deaths of children. Representing the bereaved parents, the unlikeliest of heroes emerges: a young, flamboyant Porsche-driving lawyer who hopes to win millions of dollars and ends up nearly losing everything, including his sanity. A searing, compelling tale of a legal system gone awry--one in which greed and power fight an unending struggle against justice--A Civil Action is also the story of how one determined man can ultimately make a difference. With an unstoppable narrative power, it is an unforgettable reading experience.
In America, when somebody does you wrong, you take 'em to court. W. R. Grace and Beatrice Foods had been dumping a cancer-causing industrial solvent into the water table of Woburn, Massachusetts, for years; in 1981, the families of eight leukemia victims sued. However, A Civil Action demonstrates powerfully that--even with the families' hotshot lawyers and the evidence on their side--justice is elusive, particularly when it involves malfeasance by megacorporations. Much of the legal infighting can cause the eyes to glaze. But the story is saved by great characters: the flawed, flamboyant Jan Schlichtmann and his group of bulldogs for the prosecution; Jerome Facher, the enigmatic lawyer for Beatrice, who proves to be more than a match; John J. Riley, the duplicitous, porcine tannery owner; and a host of others. It's impossible not to feel the drama of this methodical book, impossible not to grieve for the parents who lost children, and impossible not to share Schlichtmann's desperation as he runs out of money. A Civil Action reads like one long advertisement for a few well-placed Molotov cocktails. (But that wouldn't make for a very long book, now would it?)
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