Tough going
|
I'm going to side with the majority on this one, and sum up The Innocent Man as tough going and ultimately disapointing.
The outing of a lazy and corrupt law and judicial system is a noble cause that offers some interesting insight, but the prose is laborious and at times makes for tortous reading.
I stuck with it because I wanted to give Grisham the benefit of the doubt - his other works warrant that honour - but I could quite easily have shelved this one with a good chunk left unread.
It isn't classic Grisham that we all know and love - it was never going to be given the real-life subject matter - but you still expect a great deal better.
|
|
passion play
|
First let's applaud Grisham for using his stature and name to devote considerable energy to write some wrongs in the American criminal justice system. Even more so as his first foray into non fiction some 18 stories later.
As a Grisham virgin, perhaps that's what was so attractive about The Innocent Man but herein lies the ultimate dilemma. It is undoubtedly a fascinating story of misjustice, mostly well told and vivid with a conclusion that is emotional and sobering. There's the simple small town American life trod all over with prejudice,fear and dogma, mixed with the volatile machinations of quick fix retribution law enforcers. And that's just Grisham fighting the endemic misjustice that has haunted the death penaltly.
Williamson and Fritz's lazy convictions at the heart of this book give Grisham his hook to launch a mini tyrade. It does the trick as ultimately it will prompt you into at least a glance at the real case archives on the internet and the real lives of real people still living this nightmare.
So back to the dilemma with this book. Mass market equals mass awareness but doubtless some disappointed Grisham fans. Despite the cover quote it doesn't have the feel of a legal thriller. You could argue it feels like any basic trawl from any basic hack looking for a break, littering the discount book shop bargain bins. Yes it is better than that but often Grisham adopts such a basic approach and language to make you wonder. It's also marred by a clear and too personal agenda to discredit the prosecutors at any cost. A little more objectivism would have helped the cause.
A worthy cause no doubt but it will surprise and disappoint the Grisham fans in equal measure.
|
|
Out of his comfort zone
|
This seems to be an admirable research file for a next novel. As a research file it has lots of incidents, lots of characters, but it lacks cohesion and narrative to make it interesting.
|
|
|
Riveting story marred by so-so prose and huge bias
|
John Grisham chose a good subject for his first foray into non-fiction. He tells the story of two men who, by sheer misfortune and the inadequacies of the judicial system are robbed of twelve years of their lives for crimes they did not commit. The facts of this story offer a powerful reminder of the devastation caused by the amount of human error and bureaucratisation intrinsic in any legal process.
Unfotunately Grisham chooses not to focus on these facts. It is clear from the beginning of the book that he has a strong agenda to discredit and humiliate all those involved with the prosecution of this case. His tone is belittling and accusatory throughout, and he leaves no opportunity unused to expose the prosecution and local police as back-country hicks with no regard for justice or fairness. The facts tell us that mistakes were made. The facts tell us that the incompetence and indifference of the legal apparatus in the county in which the story takes place is to blame for the wrongful conviction of two men. We do not need John Grisham's petulant efforts to reinforce this by making cheap shots and slanderous statements about his protagonists. It completely undermines his credibility as a reporter and the fidelity of this book. The first thing I did when I finished it was visit the website of the Grisham's main villain (DA Bill Peterson) because Grisham's account seemed so full of sensationalism and ulterior motives.
When he is not ridiculing the prosecution Grisham unfortunately spends a lot of time on unnecessary details that simply slow down the plot and induce the reader to skip large chunks at a time. To know that the hero of the book (the "Innocent Man") was mentally unstable and required medication is important to understanding the context of the story, to know about each and every drug he was ever prescribed and each and every appointment he ever had with a psychiatrist is not. Grisham generally falls victim to this overly methodological storytelling, seemingly feeling that writing non-fiction mandates one to list every available tidbit of information in chronogical order.
Still, this is a very powerful story that will turn the pages for itself, and despite the stylistic criticisms above the book is readable, but clearly not Grisham's best prose. 3 stars.
|
|
|
more like a case study
|
I thought this book would be written like a fiction book eventhough i knew it was a non fiction. It was hard to keep reading and perservere because i felt there was no suspense. The story was shocking and it was interesting to see how this actually happened but i found it a very long slog to read it.
It will definately not be recommended from me. Stick to fiction writing because this read more like a case study than a exciting story and it could of been vastly improved.
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada