The Appeal by John Grisham
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Book Summary Author: John Grisham Edition: Hardcover Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published) Published: 2008-01-29 ISBN: 0385515049 Number of pages: 368 Publisher: Doubleday |
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Book Reviews of the The Appeal
Customer Review: Water that burns
Summary: 5 Stars
Attorneys have no particular compulsion to bring a case to closure if they are collecting for billable hours. Juries, on the other hand, are paid a pittance, and need to reach a decision in order to go home. I have served on juries, and I know the drill. Some jurors are more dominant and persuasive than others. Decisions are based on negotiation and compromise. In the present story, the trial has lasted 71 days, and the jury has deliberated for 42 hours. They are not in complete agreement, but that is not required in a civil case. A verdict has been reached, and ten jurors are willing to sign it. But that is not the end, because the case will now wind through THE APPEAL.
So, the protagonists -
On the one side there is Carl Trudeau, a ruthless corporate executive in New York City who is willing to advance himself over the broken bodies of others. He will manipulate, lie, hide behind shells, and use fair means or foul to get his way. His obsession is money. He has no real friends. When you run with jackals, any sign of weakness can get you pulled down, and the pack will feed on your carcass.
On the other side is Mary Grace Payton, who grew up in the Bowmore, Mississippi, area and is seeking justice for the residents of the town. She and her husband Wes, a married team of attorneys, have given up everything to handle the case. It is expensive. There is office staff, and there are expert witnesses. It has cost $400,000 of borrowed money.
The case involves Krane Chemical Company, controlled by Trudeau, accused of polluting the water supply of Bowmore, leading to illnesses and deaths. The water is unfit for washing cars, and there are claims that it will burn if used on a fire. Various people are drawn into the fray. The scent of money attracts various maggots and vultures. There are business interests on one side, and there are tort attorneys on the other. The case will create a precedent. The case is being watched on Wall Street.
It is more than just an appeal, it is also about an election to the Mississippi Supreme Court (all judges in Mississippi are elected). The problem with the election of judges has been spelled out in detail in a recent article by retired U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (Parade magazine, Feb. 24, 2008). There are vested interests trying to influence the election. A large part of the book deals with campaign financing, sham PACs, campaign dirty tricks, etc. Such tactics are real, but fictional names and circumstances are used. It is a good analysis of politics. Money talks.
The end of the story may be disagreeable to some people, but that is the way things sometimes go. I might have wished for something different. There is the Stone family who carry grudges (I had hoped for a gunshot). However, it is a well written story, even if some people go unpunished, but there are different forms of punishment. Sometimes victory can leave you with a mouth full of ashes.
On a side note, under the present governor, a former lobbyist, the Mississippi legislature recently enacted tort reform legislation that limits liability in civil cases. It is a contentious issue. There are arguements on both sides. I would note that a Mississippi attorney was recently sentenced to prison for conspiring to submit fraudulent claims in a product liability case (doesn't that sound like a character in the novel?). Maybe you have to live in the state to understand some aspects of the novel.
Reality is sometimes stranger than fiction. In a recent Mississippi Supreme Court decision, an associate justice, writing a minority opinion stated, "Much of what has been written by the majority in the instant case would be dismissed as mere gobbledygook but for the fact that it is being promulgated by a venerable institution in our democracy, the Mississippi Supreme Court. This majority decision erodes that veneration. Contrary to the majority's misapprehension, which defies reason and common sense, Section 23-15-855 of the Mississippi Code is unambiguous and should be construed as written." The case related to a decision by the Governor which had been challenged by the Mississippi Attorney General. It was a political issue with the majority siding with the governor to overturn a lower court decision.
In breaking news, the Bush administration's proposed FY2009 budget includes a 20.8 percent reduction in the budget for the U.S. Geological Survey's Toxic Substances Hydrology Program (a significant issue considering the case in the novel).