John Grisham - The Summons

Pros: Plot is somewhat interesting. Easy/quick to read.
Cons: Plot is overly simplistic. Character development. Choppy writing style. Author could do better.

Ray Atlee is on the rebound. After his wife suddenly departs for greener (as in more moneyed) pastures, Ray is settling into a new routine as a law professor at the University of Virginia. Now a bachelor once again, the 43-year old relishes spending time ...

Pros: Strong character development and believable story
Cons: A little slow compared to some of his work

John Grisham has returned to his roots. I've always thought that his best novel was the first one he wrote: "A Time to Kill." While many of his other books were initially more famous (The Firm, The Client, etc.), "A Time to Kill" was a much more...

Pros: Suspenseful, entertaining, John Grisham is Back!
Cons: The ending.

As a huge John Grisham fan I have been anxiously awaiting release of The Summons. February is always my favorite month because I can count on a new release from John Grisham and I certainly wasn't disappointed this time.

I got a rare...

Pros: Good plot, quick and easy read that was hard to put down
Cons: A little slow at the start

I'm a huge John Grisham fan. He's the only author whose books I buy the minute they come out in hardcover. I've been increasingly disappointed in his latest offerings, however, including a completely going away from his legal thriller genre in The...

Pros: Some suspense and a couple twists
Cons: repetitive, boring, predictable, and an overall uninteresting book

I was disappointed after reading John Girsham's, The Summons, in one sitting. Many times I wanted to put the book right down, but kept on deciding not to. After I finally forced myself through it, I was pretty upset at why I started reading it in the ...

Pros: John Grisham trying to write a more literary legal thriller....
Cons: and failing massively.

Much like in his novel A Painted House, Grisham is attempting to do more literary style techniques w ...

Pros: easy to read, good character description and development
Cons: predictable, simplistic plot

A lot of people criticize John Grisham for writing “formulaic” books. Specifically, they say that Grisham’s books over time have become very predictable and stale, because he sticks to the same writing formula time and time again. I have resisted this...

Pros: Return To Clanton, Mississippi! Interesting plot with exciting ending.
Cons: Nothing in depth, not legal in the sense of Grisham's other works.

I'm beginning to enjoy Clanton, Mississippi. Some of John Grisham's novels return to the old south, using Ford County and the county seat, Clanton as the back drop for his writing. While I enjoyed the description and continuation of the Clanton saga, ...

Pros: Moderately entertaining
Cons: Not a story interesting enough to be told. Shallow topic, no reader sympathy with protagonist.

The Summons was the first Grisham novel I've ever read. I was expecting great things, based on what I'd heard, and the wonderful movies I'd seen. The book did keep me entertained for a while...I must say, however, that The Summons completely let me...

Pros: Character developement, suspense, page-turner.
Cons: none

The Summons, John Grisham's latest book, lives up to his reputation. It is the story of Ray Atlee, a college law professor in Charlottesville, Virginia who has received a summons from his father. His father is a retired judge in Clanton,...

Pros: Suspense, edge-of-your-seat action
Cons: I was left wondering if there would be a part two

I've been a John Grisham fan for quite some time. I've read all of his books with the exception of Skipping Christmas and A Painted House (which I plan to sometime this year). Until recently, I was disappointed in Grisham's writing sty ...

Pros: None really
Cons: Dull drab story telling, too slow, too little to offer

Introduction One of my favorite authors in the popcorn fiction category is John Grisham. He specializes in novels dealing with lawyers and most of his novels are thrillers with lawyers on the run. So when I got a chance to read The Summons, I ...

Pros: It's only 341 pages.
Cons: Boring, boring, boring.

John Grisham penned many spectacular books which dazzled readers with plot twists, legal drama, and suspense. If that is what you are looking for, don't bother with this book. Sneakily, the title implies that this is yet another brilliant legal...

Pros: An easy, quick read.
Cons: Be prepared for anti-climatic scenes.

A little bit of money always changes things.

When Ray Atlee, the main character in John Grisham's The Summons , stumbles upon twenty boxes stuffed with cash, he reflects, "Three millions bucks...all mine. I was rich. I was greedy. I...

Pros: A fascinating mystery with a surprise ending and a character who learns from it all.
Cons: It didn't last long enough.

I'm always a little sad when I finish a good book, and my reading of The Summons was exactly that. I started off reading it only when walking on a treadmill at the fitness center. I even left the book in the car each day after walking so I'd be sure to...