Sycamore Row

by John Grisham

Remember Grisham’s great novel, A Time to Kill? Well, his lawyer/hero, Jake Brigance, is back in Grisham’s latest offering.

Jake Brigance is known for his courtroom victory in the racially-charged trial of Carl Lee Hailey. Three years later, Jake still isn’t making money and now has a new assignment: to carry out the wishes of the newly deceased Seth Hubbard.

Hubbard had been battling lung cancer when he hanged himself. Yes, that’s right, he hanged himself. If you read this novel, you will think that he “hung” himself. That usage is incorrect. And, yes, it bugged me every single time that I read it. Moving on. . .

Before Seth hanged himself, he wrote a new will. The new will leaves nothing to his estranged children and grandchildren and almost everything to Lettie Lang, his maid for the last 3 years. And did I mention that Seth is white, and Lettie is black? Because they are.

So, of course, this upsets Seth’s kids, and it is up to Jake to defend the most recent will in court.

OMG, this novel is so overblown and poorly written. It is way too long and way too repetitive. Also, it is so very predictable. I now remember why I stopped reading Grisham’s work a long time ago. It’s just not that good anymore.

2/28/14