The Street Lawyer
John Grisham
1998
Century
pp. 348
The Street Lawyer is a thriller about an affluent lawyer who is shaken by being in a sudden hostage situation. A large part of the book is about the thoughts and reflections of this protagonist and his questioning of what values to hold close to heart. Shifting away from the world of money and power, the protagonist chooses to shift to practicing street law and helping the homeless. This shift appears unreal but deeply relatable.
It crossed my mind that almost every middle class and upper class professional would have had such quest-for-meaning episodes in life. If I go by the story narrated by Grisham, most people don’t. But many do. And corporate houses have found a way to address these crises by offering sabbaticals and opportunities of working with the community. I like that the protagonist is not made larger than life and yet manages to stick to his new found values. What I didn’t like was the ending being open ended on most counts that could have easily been closed. For instance, what happened to the divorce case of our now poor lawyer. How did he manage to convince his parents to let go about grieving about their maverick son? It would have helped if some of the consequences of his decisions were presented in an epilogue.
The book is a good insight into the lives of big cities in US and probably other parts of the world. It is also in sharp contrast to the image that is presented in India through movies and televised series.
Although there was a simple story, one that began in the first hundred pages, and very few major twists and turns, it was a gripping read. I give credit to Grisham’s writing for being able to carry on the plot so beautifully. A good read.
John Grisham
1998
Century
pp. 348
The Street Lawyer is a thriller about an affluent lawyer who is shaken by being in a sudden hostage situation. A large part of the book is about the thoughts and reflections of this protagonist and his questioning of what values to hold close to heart. Shifting away from the world of money and power, the protagonist chooses to shift to practicing street law and helping the homeless. This shift appears unreal but deeply relatable.
It crossed my mind that almost every middle class and upper class professional would have had such quest-for-meaning episodes in life. If I go by the story narrated by Grisham, most people don’t. But many do. And corporate houses have found a way to address these crises by offering sabbaticals and opportunities of working with the community. I like that the protagonist is not made larger than life and yet manages to stick to his new found values. What I didn’t like was the ending being open ended on most counts that could have easily been closed. For instance, what happened to the divorce case of our now poor lawyer. How did he manage to convince his parents to let go about grieving about their maverick son? It would have helped if some of the consequences of his decisions were presented in an epilogue.
The book is a good insight into the lives of big cities in US and probably other parts of the world. It is also in sharp contrast to the image that is presented in India through movies and televised series.
Although there was a simple story, one that began in the first hundred pages, and very few major twists and turns, it was a gripping read. I give credit to Grisham’s writing for being able to carry on the plot so beautifully. A good read.