The Testament
by John Grisham
(Click here)
Book Summary Information
Author: John GrishamEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1999-02-02
ISBN: 0385493800
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Doubleday
Book Reviews of The Testament
Book Review: A Huge Disappointment
Summary: 2 Stars
This was my first Grisham novel. Having heard so much about him from the movies made from his books and the huge amount of shelf space allotted his works, I expected something much better. I expected at least decent. This isn't.
First the good. The story is well plotted (if plodding) and ties up with no serious loose ends. The tie up may not be to your liking. I found it repulsive but I don't hold that against the novel. After all, it is a tie up.
The bad is pretty much the rest starting with the very poor lower level writing seemingly pitched to a 3rd grade (8 years old) reading comprehension level. We get sentences (mine, not Grisham's) sounding like "The lawyer walked up the hill. He saw far. He went down the hill. He told the other lawyers he saw far." Try that for over 300 pages.
All the characters are repulsive. The initial mover is nastier than Snidely Whiplash and just as unbelievable. The 'family' are a mash up of Euro and US trailer trash. The maybe hero (well he's most of the book) is lazy and incredibly stupid - although being a lawyer, he's fantastically wealthy or once was and may be again. The many rich trample over the common folks not minding the damage they do as they pass.
There is what I suppose is an angelic character in the book. She's a hippie dippy space case death cult witch. Able to exist where no other whites dare venture, she not only seems to exist without any earthly wants, but she can transport herself over many kilometers without touching down in any intervening areas.
This book has it all - from naked stone age superstitious natives to fantastic wealth to deplorable children and then you got Miss Space Case to the rescue as well. Me? I wish I'd never met any of them.
First Grisham book and 100% sure it's the LAST.
Summary of The Testament
Troy Phelan is a self-made billionaire, one of the richest men in the United States.??He is also eccentric, reclusive, confined to a wheelchair, and looking for a way to die.??His heirs, to no one's surprise--especially Troy's--are circling like vultures.Nate O'Riley is a high-octane Washington litigator who's lived too hard, too fast, for too long.??His second marriage in a shambles, and he is emerging from his fourth stay in rehab armed with little more than his fragile sobriety, good intentions, and resilient sense of humor.??Returning to the real world is always difficult, but this time it's going to be murder.
Rachel Lane is a young woman who chose to give her life to God, who walked away from the modern world with all its strivings and trappings and encumbrances, and went to live and work with a primitive tribe of Indians in the deepest jungles of Brazil.
In a story that mixes legal suspense with a remarkable adventure, their lives are forever altered by the startling secret of The Testament.
Troy Phelan, a 78-year-old eccentric and the 10th-richest man in America, is about to read his last will and testament, divvying up an estate worth $11 billion. Phelan's three ex-wives, their grasping spawn, a legion of lawyers, several psychiatrists, and a plethora of sound technicians wait breathlessly, all eyes glued to digital monitors as they watch the old man read his verdict. But Phelan shocks everyone with a bizarre, last-gasp attempt to redistribute the spoils, setting in motion a legal morality tale of a contested will, sin, and redemption.
Our hero, Nate O'Riley--a washed-up, alcoholic litigator with two ruined marriages in his wake and the IRS on his tail--is dispatched to the Brazilian wetlands in search of a mysterious heir named in the will. After a harrowing trip upriver to a remote settlement in the Pantanal, he encounters Rachel Lane, a pure-hearted missionary living with an indigenous tribe and carrying out "God's work." Rachel's grave dedication and kindness impress the jaded lawyer, so much that a nasty bout of dengue fever leads him to a vision that could change his life.
Back in the States, the legal proceedings drag on and Grisham has a high time with Phelan's money-hungry descendents, a regrettable bunch who squandered millions, married strippers, got druggy, and befriended the Mob. The youngest son, Ramble, is a multi-pierced, tattoo-covered malcontent with big dreams for his rock band, the Demon Monkeys. Will Nate get straight with Rachel's aid? Do the greedy heirs get theirs? What's the real legacy of a lifetime's work? The Testament is classic Grisham: a down-and-out lawyer, a lot of money, an action-packed pursuit, and the highest issues at stake. It's not just about great characters; it's about the question of what character is. --Rebekah Warren
United States Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in In Order: John Grisham
A Time to Killby John GRISHAM
Wynwood; Published: 1989; Hardcover; Book
The Firmby John Grisham
Doubleday; Published: 1991-02-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.00
Price in other shops:
The Pelican Briefby John Grisham
Doubleday; Published: 1992-03-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.99
The Clientby John Grisham
Doubleday; Published: 1993-02-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.33
Price in other shops:
The Chamberby John Grisham
Doubleday; Published: 1994-05-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops:
The Rainmakerby John Grisham
Doubleday; Published: 1995-04-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.23
Price in other shops:
The Runaway Juryby John Grisham
Doubleday; Published: 1996-05-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.33
Price in other shops:
The Partnerby John Grisham
Doubleday; Published: 1997-04-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.72
Price in other shops:
The Street Lawyerby John Grisham
Doubleday; Published: 1998-03-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.41
Price in other shops:
The Testamentby John Grisham
Doubleday; Published: 1999-02-02; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.98
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
The Clientby John Grisham
Delta; Published: 2005-04-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.98
Price in other shops:
The Chamberby John Grisham
Delta; Published: 2005-12-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.90
Price in other shops:
The Brokerby John Grisham
Delta; Published: 2006-09-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops:
The Runaway Juryby John Grisham
Delta; Published: 2006-04-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.08
Price in other shops:
The Summonsby John Grisham
Delta; Published: 2005-09-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.78
Price in other shops:
The Last Jurorby John Grisham
Delta; Published: 2006-04-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.00
Price in other shops:
The Rainmakerby John Grisham
Delta; Published: 2005-09-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.39
Price in other shops:
The Street Lawyerby John Grisham
Delta; Published: 2005-04-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.78
Price in other shops:
The Partnerby John Grisham
Delta; Published: 2005-04-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.95
Price in other shops:
The Brethrenby John Grisham
Delta; Published: 2005-12-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.93
Price in other shops: