The Last Juror was written by John Grisham in 2004. It is his 18th novel written. I read a lot of nonfiction so a break into a fictional story is always a breath of fresh of air. But diving into a book from an experienced novelist like Grisham is particularly refreshing.
This is the first novel from Grisham based in Ford County, Mississippi since his first novel ever written, A Time to Kill which was published in 1989.
I enjoyed this book a lot and finished the 355 pages in a handful of sittings. It’s one of those books where it’s difficult to stop because at every stopping point there’s some sort of cliffhanger that keeps you reading. You expect something like that from such a great writer. It’s amazing to read a Stephen King or John Grisham and spend half the time enjoying the book and the other half marveling at their literary capabilities.
The plot of the story is an interesting one. It is based around a 23-year old college dropout that purchases a failing newspaper and the story that goes with his maturation as a small business owner and only provider of news in a small town. I wonder if the name “John Grisham” weren’t attached to this book if a publisher would ever give it a second glance. The plot doesn’t scream thriller, but when you’re a talented writer anything can become an entertaining journey. A name goes a long way when you’ve shown the sort of success Grisham has shown.
Like I said, I enjoyed the story. It kept me engaged. I was interested. I never felt bored or dragged along. I was always interested in what was going to come next. That said, I don’ think everyone would enjoy this book. I could easily see most readers becoming bored with the story. Some readers may feel the story is particularly slow through stretches in the middle. With reading so much nonfiction, I’ve become so used to reading through slow or dry parts of books. It’s hard to say if this is truly a page-turning fiction or if my perception has been skewed.
If someone is going to read one book a year, find another more acclaimed book. There are so many phenomenal books out there, options are endless. If anything, read Grisham’s first couple books. I haven’t read his first books (yet), but I imagine they are great given how many novels and movies have followed.
I wouldn’t read this book a second time but I’m glad I read it once. It was an interesting and engaging story to me. I look forward to reading some of Grisham’s earlier novels as time goes by.
After writing this my curiosity took me to the internet to see how others felt about this book. Obviously, feelings about a book will vary wildly depending on the source, but what I found is this novel is generally well received. Of the 3 dozen or so novels Grisham has written this is often rated as one of his better books.
Maybe my fiction-good-book-radar isn’t as messed up as I thought it was.
No Coincidences 