Helpful Score: 27
I was not a fan of this book although I know many people that have enjoyed it. I sincerely hope it finds a home with someone who will appreciate it more than I did. It is slower moving than most of Grisham's novels.
Helpful Score: 15
I usually am not a big fan of John Grisham, only because I don't really like legal thrillers. This, however, is completely different from anything else that I have seen written by him. It kind of reminded me of both Huck Finn and Grapes of Wrath. It is definately one of the best books I have ever read. I have recommended this book to all of my friends and family because it really did surprise me by being such a great book!
Helpful Score: 10
John Grisham is a master of writing legal dramas so I wondered wondered how good he would be out of that format. He did not disappointment. The setting for A Painted House is a poor cotton farm in Arkansas in the 1950's. The story is told from the perspective of a 7 year old boy, Luke. The characters are very clearly developed. Luke encounters much at such a young age; his story is mesmerizing. In writing this books, Grisham clearly shows he is a versatile writer. It is a book you won't be able to put down.
Helpful Score: 7
I enjoyed this book simply for the fact that the descriptions were so vivid, and it was a easy read. The story of the seasonal farmers is very interesting, and the perspective of the child was an interesting view.
Helpful Score: 4
Honestly, I could not wait for this book to end. It was SOOOOOOO slow from start to finish. BORING is the only way to describe it... I would not recommend. I'm a big Grisham fan and admire him for trying to depart from the legal stories but this just didn't work for me.
Helpful Score: 3
I really enjoyed reading this John Grisham. Loads of surprises and it's told from the point of view of a 7 year old boy. Different and enjoyable.
Helpful Score: 3
This is a great book set in Ark. around 1950.Deals with growing up on a farm,trying to make a living.loved it
Helpful Score: 3
A great book! Not at all what I expected from a John Grisham novel, but I really enjoyed the change of pace. Note: If you've seen the 'made-for-tv' movie based on this book, don't worry - the book is much better!
Helpful Score: 3
I found this book to be a very great read. the details of every thought was well established and easy to catch on to. Grisham's expression of his life as a child and the way things were in that time was wonderful.
Helpful Score: 2
A welcome change from courtroom drama. It is wonderfully written, as is any John Grisham book, yet done in an entirely different style. An enjoyable easy read.
This was a good story that Grisham took too long tell. The book progresses very slowly and ends with a lot of unanswered questions and unresolved struggles with many of the auxiliary characters which made the story feel incomplete. I would not recommend the book.
Helpful Score: 2
To quote a friend: "A couple hundred pages about picking cotton - and I couldn't put it down!" Yep, that exactly. This book shows Grisham can write more than just his courtroom dramas (which are generally excellent, as well)!
Helpful Score: 2
Second time I've read this. This time my 14 year-old and I read it together. Good read. Sure am glad I don't have to pick cotton in the south!
Helpful Score: 2
Being a John Grisham novel, this story was off the beaten path of his usual fare of Law and the Justice System but a well written story and interesting nonetheless.
Helpful Score: 2
Wonderful ... nice to know Grisham CAN write about life outside the courtroom.
Helpful Score: 2
WoNdErFuL wOnDeRfUl WONDERFUL BOOK!!! Loved it!!!
Helpful Score: 2
This book was excellently written, just as I expected. It is a clean, non-violent, non-expletive look at the cotton farms in their prime. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Helpful Score: 2
This is a fantastic book. It is the only book I have ever read by Grisham, but I have been told it is very different from his other works. What I like most about this book is that it is an adult novel told through the eyes of a young boy.
Helpful Score: 2
What a fabulous book! It was so different from Grisham's usual law thrillers, but what a wonderful story he told! It was through the eyes of a 7 yr.old boy in the early 50's on a cotton farm in Arkansas. One of the best I've EVER read!
Helpful Score: 2
Not a typical Grisham-style book, but still a good read.
Helpful Score: 2
Enjoyed this book. Something about it reminds me of something John Steinbeck might write.
Helpful Score: 2
A neat story. Definitely not what you'll expect. Follow this family through their ups and downs.
Helpful Score: 2
I've been caught a million times boo-hooing like a baby while watching a movie. Very rarely do I actually cry when reading a book. I'm so glad I finished this book while by myself because I sobbed like I'd lost my best friend. It was a wonderful book and I loved each and every moment of it.
Helpful Score: 2
nice story - hadn't read this author in a while and was surprised it was a different kind of story from the usual legal lawyer type books - story about southern family
Helpful Score: 2
Different than Grisham's usual books, but I really enjoyed the story through the eyes of a 7 year old. The world can look quite different.
Helpful Score: 1
Wonderful! way out of character for Grisham. Even if you absolutely hate Grisham's legal thrillers, you should give this one a try. It's Grisham at his best as far as I'm concerned!
Helpful Score: 1
its been awhile since I've read a Grisham book and this one had been sitting on a shelf for awhile. I picked it up the other day and HAVE NOT put it down! Excellent book, great writing and characters. I found this book very different than his past efforts and I thoroughly enjoyed it
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this novel. Grisham can tell a great story. Much different, but just as good, as his legal thrillers!!!
Helpful Score: 1
Not your typical grisham book, but very good. Set in the 1950s during hard times, grisham tells an excellent story of the hard times of life on a rural farm.
Helpful Score: 1
"THE KIND OF BOOK YOU READ SLOWLY BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT IT TO END...JOHN GRISHAM TAKES COMMAND OF THIS LITERARY CATEGORY JUST AS FORCEFULLY AS HE DID LEGAL THRILLERS WITH THE FIRM... NEVER LET IT BE SAID THIS MAN DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO SPIN A GOOD YARN." ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Helpful Score: 1
Really great book. Finished it in about a week.
Helpful Score: 1
Different from his other works. Where are the attorneys & evil money grubbers?? Still a good book and it reads fairly quickly.
Helpful Score: 1
This John Grisham book is a bestseller...but a real departure from his normal courtroom novel. It takes place in 1950's in the Arkansas delta on a poor farm that relies heavily on migrant workers. I really enjoyed this book.
Helpful Score: 1
I really loved this book when I first started reading it. I couldn't wait to get back to it and read more about this southern farming family during the Korean war. It is written The story is told through a 7 year old boy's persepctive and it is funny, sweet, frightening, charming and sad. After a few chapters though it got really, really violent and graphic and I became a little repelled by it. I myself don't care for violence, blood, gore or any of that stuff but it may not bother most people. I don't normally read Grisham for that reason but since this book is a totally different type than his usual stories, I decided to try it. And I truly did enjoy it, kept my attention to the end.
Helpful Score: 1
What a great storyteller John Grisham is!! You never want this book to end. The story itself is a classic tale about a young boy, living on an Arkansas farm with his family, in 1952 and two dangerous migrant workers that are hired by his father. The boy sees some things that could ruin lives, so what can he do? It's certainly worthy of finding out by reading this book!
Helpful Score: 1
This is unlike any other John Grisham books. It is not a legal thriller, but it is very good.
Helpful Score: 1
A great book. Such a departure for Grisham. This book has so much heart and soul and is written beautifully.
Helpful Score: 1
This exceptional novel tells the tale of seven year-old Luke Chandler, a farm boy from rural Arkansas. His family picks cotton for a living, and this year, 1952, seems like it will be the perfect harvest, bringing more money so that Luke's family can buy their land. But Luke's sterile existence is broken apart when he witnesses a killing and a murder, he learns things that he would rather have not known, and grows up because of it. People who are used to reading Grisham's legal thrillers might not be kept interested because of its slower pace, but they might be interested in the fact that this book is based on actual events from Grisham's childhood. We can identify with Luke as he is put in a position that adults wouldn't want to be put into, let alone a child.
Helpful Score: 1
I LOVED this book..had a little time getting into it as it is not the type book i regularly read, but once i got deep in it i was sorry to have it end and wish i could learn more about this fictional family.
Helpful Score: 1
This was a good book, certainly different from other grisham books. At first I was reading without feeling for the book, seemed like a story told a thousand times before. I still feel that way after reading the entire book, but it was a good story and it gave a good picture of rural Arkansas in the 1950's. Alot of secrets that a young boy had to keep. Worth reading if you do not have a giagantic TBR or you are looking for a lazy day read.
Helpful Score: 1
A young boy watches two groups of migrant workers come to work his father's cotton crops. And two very dangerous,deadly men came with them.
A brutal murder and a wanton ,lovely young girl awaken forbidden passions.
A very,very good read. I really enjoyed it,and did not want it to end.
A brutal murder and a wanton ,lovely young girl awaken forbidden passions.
A very,very good read. I really enjoyed it,and did not want it to end.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed this book. It was interesting to step into the shoes of a young boy who was dealing with a far from idyllic lifestyle on a farm. It made me think that my life wasn't so bad in comparison. A different kind of novel moving away from the typical courtroom drama.
Helpful Score: 1
a page turner..fine dialogue..great read
Helpful Score: 1
"The kind of book you read slowly because you don't want it to end...John Grisham takes command of this literary category just as forcefully as he did legal thrillers with The Firm...Never let it be said this man doesn't know how to spin a good yarn.
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers-and two very dangerous men- cam through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born...and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives- and change his family and his town forever....
"Characters that no reader will forget...prose as clean and strong as any Grisham has yet laid down...and a drop-dead evocation of a time and place that mark this novel as a classic slice of Americana."
"Some of the finest dialogue of his career...Ever detail rings clear and true, and nothing is wasted."
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers-and two very dangerous men- cam through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born...and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives- and change his family and his town forever....
"Characters that no reader will forget...prose as clean and strong as any Grisham has yet laid down...and a drop-dead evocation of a time and place that mark this novel as a classic slice of Americana."
"Some of the finest dialogue of his career...Ever detail rings clear and true, and nothing is wasted."
Helpful Score: 1
I couldn't put it down - it's that kind of book.
Helpful Score: 1
A great read by John Grisham that you dont have to have any insight to "lawyer language" like other books- I would highly suggest.
Helpful Score: 1
Just loved this story! It drew me back to when I was a young kid, in the early 50's. Grisham certainly has an excellent knowledge of Major League Baseball, too! Lots of fun, with a few unpleasant events woven through.
Helpful Score: 1
Grisham did a fine job of creating the narrator's voice in this novel. So many sentiments that little Luke uttered truly put the reader in mind of ideas that a 7 year old farm boy might truly have. I would have to say that it was this, not necessarily the story, that kept me reading through to the end.
Helpful Score: 1
wonderfully written. terrific descriptive writing. i really enjoyed this one...even the 3rd time.
Helpful Score: 1
A departure for Grisham but a worthy one. Inspried by his own childhood in rural Arkansas, the narrator is a farm boy named Luke Chandler, age 7, who lives in the cotton fields with his parents and grandparents in a little how that's never been pained. Their rented 80 acre farm requires them to hire a truckload of Mexicans and a family from the Ozarks to help harvest the cotton. For 6 weeks, battling the heat, rain, fatigue and sometimes each other. Luke sees thinks and finds himself keeping secrets that not only threaten the crop, but will change the lives of the Chandlers forever.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed reading A Painted House because of its slow-paced look at life in 1952 Black Oak, Arkansas. The story is told through the eyes of seven year old Luke Chandler. The story takes place during six weeks of the Chandler's fall cotton crop. When young Luke witnesses a murder, secrets abound. The style of the novel is like Steinbeck with its deliberate pace and ability to evoke a simpler time and place.
Great book, i couldnt put it down after reading a few chapters. 1st book i have read of John Grisham. More to come.
Very different from the usual Grisham - and very, very good!
Interesting memoir of child living with his parents and grandparents, rural Arkansas circa 1952
Good book. The first Grisham novel I've read that wasn't a legal thriller. The character development is good and left me wondering how things turned out for the young boy and his family when I finished the novel.
A definite departure from his legal books, but extremely well written.
it's been quite some time since I read the book, but I enjoyed it very much. It was a definite departure from John Grisham's usual story line and I preferred it to his past books.
A beautiful comming-of-age story of a young boy and his family living on an Arkansas cotton farm in the 1950s. Grisham is out of the "court room," and at his best!
I didn't think it was one of his best, but it did evoke rural Arkansas in the 50's and the characters were certainly colorful
Very enjoyable read about a young boy living on a cotton farm in rural Arkansas in the early 50s. He narrates various events of that harvest season that change his life. Grisham's characters are so real and believable!
One of the best Grisham books.
Different than most Grisham novels. Not your typical courtroom drama, but a good read none-the-less.
Gresham explores the inner thoughts and lives of a poor farm family in 1952 as seen through the eyes of a seven year old boy.
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers--and two very dangerous men--cam through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world.
Interesting story. Very different from Grisham's usual novels.
A different kind of Grisham, but still as compelling as his legal thrillers.
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventy year, two groups of migrant workers -- and two very dangerous men -- came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born . . . and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives -- and change his family and his town forever . . .
NY Times Best seller - Classic slice of America set in 1952 Arkansas.
a good read. but then again, i think all john grisham books are a good read.
This book will draw you in once started. The characters are well developed as Grisham unfolds a story that allows us to experience a different lifestyle.
Grisham sure knows how to wreck an ending. I really was enjoying this book. It is a story about a family who runs a cotton farm in Arkansas. It takes place in the 50s. The story is told through the eyes of a 7 year old boy. They hire Mexicans and hill people to help them harvest their cotton crop in the fall. So, Lukes father and grandfather go into town and choose several Mexicans and a family of hill people to help them. The hill people set up camp in their front yard. The Mexicans live in their barn. As the harvest kicks into full swing and these diverse people start working together in the fields, Luke is exposed to a pretty harsh life and witnesses things that may haunt him forever. Murder, illegitimate birth, poverty is reality here. There are just too many loose ends that never get resolved at the end of this book. Its as if Grisham ran out of time and had to end the story as is. Or maybe it got too long and he had to end it as is. I was really let down
thorough and well written as always
Excellent read, Gresham's great writing style and this book is one of his bests.
This is not Grisham's usual thriller but it is still a good read.
John Grisham is always a good read.
Grisham is always a good story teller, and this one is no exception. It's a refreshing departure from his standard plot lines. MOST enjoyable.
John Grisham's tale of a farm family and their dealings with two migrant worker groups who come to the Arkansas Delta to work their cotton fields.
Wonderful John Grisham book
Very entertaining!
New book, had already read. Grisham is terriffic as always.
One of his best in my opinion
An interesting book, but definitely different from Grisham's other books
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers - and two very dangerous men - came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born...and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives - and change his family and his town forever.
This book was a fantastic piece of work by John Grisham. It steps away from the world of lawyers and those out to get them, and into the world of cotton, poverty and difference.
great story. you cant put it down.
Loved it! Interesting to read a book written in a 7 year old's perspective.
Cotton and baseball fill the life of seven-year-old Luke Chandler, but in the harvest season of 1952, his world is transformed by a series of secrets. The promise of 80 acres of a good crop necessitates the hiring of Mexican migrant workers and the Sproul family from the Ozarks to help pick the cotton. As narrator, Luke provides a child's-eye view of innocence, wonder, and confusion that is also rich with hopes for his beloved St. Louis Cardinals and overwhelmed by row after row of cotton. Grisham creates a powerfully touching family story.
Very exciting book. Not a legal thriller like the rest of Grisham's books. this is an insightful, thought provoking novel.
A Painted House is a moving story of one boy,s jpurney from innocense
to experience
to experience
Another great book by Grisham! An interesting story...the characters seem so real you wonder what happens to them when the story is over.
This is not your typical John Grisham book. When I started reading it, I didn't know anything about it. By the end, I was crying because it so moved me. I truly enjoyed this book. It's written from the perspective of a young boy who doesn't completely understand everything that's going on around him. I really enjoyed that aspect of the story because it's so different from so many other books out there, expecially other John Grisham books.
A book you hate to see end.
A change of pace for Grisham. This novel has many unexpected turns.
The best writing John Grisham has ever done. A thrilling story full of strong characters and wonderful detail about cotton picking, families, and life in America in the early 50's. Far superior to his legal stories.
I loved this book. It is not the usual John Grisham book. It was quite different.
A wonderful novel in which you can't help feel the characters beguiling story of family, love, survival, and innocence lost.
It was a departure from his usual legal thriller. I thought it was enchanting.
I enjoyed this book immensely. Great character development, especially the main character. Told from the perspective of a 7 year old boy in 1952.
This was a change of pace for John Grisham - it was a very enjoyable read.
Really Enjoyed! Very different from his other books. I grew up on a farm and we did hire persons like this. Everyone will enjoy!
I loved this book. It has a certain Steinbeck feel to it. It takes you back to a time when prejudices for all classes of people were at their peek in this country. Worthwhile read.
A departure from this author's courtroom, lawyer novels. A story of a young boy's growing up in the 1950s Arkansas Delta.
I have never read a John Grisham book that I did not like. This was the first of his books I read that had no lawyers nor courtrooms.
It is the story of a little boy and his family and their world in a time gone by - though not that long ago since it took place during my lifetime. His characters are so real, as always, and the book is easy to read and hard to put down. I could not bear to leave the people I met in A Painted House. I feel as if I know them.
It is the story of a little boy and his family and their world in a time gone by - though not that long ago since it took place during my lifetime. His characters are so real, as always, and the book is easy to read and hard to put down. I could not bear to leave the people I met in A Painted House. I feel as if I know them.
This is the first John Grisham book that I've read simply because I was never interested in his legal thrillers. This is a complete contrast to those story lines and I LOVED it! One of the best books I've read in a while!
The great details not only about the area and the surroundings, but the characters themselves are people you'll love, hate and never forget..
The great details not only about the area and the surroundings, but the characters themselves are people you'll love, hate and never forget..
Not Grisham's usual courtroom procedural, but quite possibly his best work. The ring of truth asserts itself as Grisham describes a biographical boyhood in the deep South. A worthy read, and most likely his best contribution to literature ever.
A very different Grisham book for me. I enjoyed it, but it was truly a different story than ever told.
Not typical Grisham, reminded me a little of A TIME TO KILL, which was less formulaic than his others. Not for you if you want another gripping courtroom story. I loved it and have read it twice. In fact, I may read it again now.
great book by a great author
I really didn't know if I would like this book as it's been a long time since I'd read a John Grisham novel. I was not disappointed. It starts out a little slow but soon engulfs you in all the intriqueing details of life as a cotton farmer in Arkansas back in the 50's. I loved hearing things from the perspective of a 7 year old, albeit a very wise 7 year old! The book is a comfortable read with lots of laughs as well as heartache and pain. Just a good overall story!
This is one great book until we get to the end then it just putters to a stop and leaves a lot of things up in the air. I have always-ed hoped for a sequel but I better not hold my breath.
This was an enjoyable quick read. Not particularly meaty but I do enjoy books which offer a voyeuristic view at times and situations which I will never personally experience. Perfect beach book.
Interesting book. It's different because it's written about a young boy who seems much older and wiser than his years. It's much different than any other Grisham book I've read. Worth checking out.
An easy read with human insight that only Grisham can impart.
Good book, Girsham step out of the courts and into a really nice novel.
This was an enjoyable read; the 7-year-old main character Luke is engaging and thoroughly believable, and I was totally hooked on the misadventures of his cotton-farming family. As a transplanted Yankee myself, I liked his take on life in the South, and the simpler times of the 50s.
I would have given it five stars, but I found the ending left loose ends unwrapped, and left me vaguely dissatisfied.
I would have given it five stars, but I found the ending left loose ends unwrapped, and left me vaguely dissatisfied.
Great book!! Not his usual legal stories.. Although, I love those too.
Great book, very interesting. A great look into life in rural Arkansas in the 1950s.
I usually love John Grisham, but this wasn't one of my favorites. I read it and finished it through, but I wouldn't have been sad if this was a book of his that I hadn't read. Not his normal stuff.
I love all of John Grisham's books, but this one was very good. About secrets and growing up.
As an avid reader of Grisham, I sought out this book as the last one left that I had not read. It was not the typical legal thriller that he usually writes, but it was brilliant none the less! The pace was a little slower. A Painted House is told through the eyes of 7 year of Luke Chandler who lives with his grandparents and parents on a cotton farm in Missouri. Throughout the book he struggles with everything from povertysexreligionfamilylovecommitmentprejudiceand yes (true to Grisham style) Murder! A great book all the way around.
Not your expected Grisham book.
I thought this was a terrific read. The story is told from the point of view of a seven-year-old boy in Arkansas. It was believable and spell-binding. Loved it!
Great story about a 7 year old Arkansas boy and life on a cotton farm.
Great reading.
Great reading.
I never thought I would like Grisham's books about lawyers. I decided to read this because it was a departure from that. This book kept my interest and had a really good plot.
Grisham awesome as always, great read
A story of rural 1950's Arkansas as told by a seven year old boy. The reader is transported to
the rigors of every day farm life, from picking cotton to the much anticipated trip into town.
This is a book that is hard to put down as very page has something that adds to the story.
A true American classic.
the rigors of every day farm life, from picking cotton to the much anticipated trip into town.
This is a book that is hard to put down as very page has something that adds to the story.
A true American classic.
Until that September of 1952 Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers -- and two very dangerous men -- came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world.
This is a great story. this author can write so well, I love to read anything he writes.
Ever since he published The Firm in 1991, John Grisham has remained the undisputed champ of the legal thriller. With A Painted House, however, he strikes out in a new direction. As the author is quick to note, this novel includes "not a single lawyer, dead or alive," and readers will search in vain for the kind of lowlife machinations that have been his stock-in-trade. Instead, Grisham has delivered a quieter, more contemplative story, set in rural Arkansas in 1952. It's harvest time on the Chandler farm, and the family has hired a crew of migrant Mexicans and "hill people" to pick 80 acres of cotton. A certain camaraderie pervades this bucolic dream team. But it's backbreaking work, particularly for the 7-year-old narrator, Luke: "I would pick cotton, tearing the fluffy bolls from the stalks at a steady pace, stuffing them into the heavy sack, afraid to look down the row and be reminded of how endless it was, afraid to slow down because someone would notice."
A thriller authored by the writer who has yet to have an uninteresting book, and this is no exception.
very well written, feels like you are really there at the scene
Really did not like this book. Not a normal Grisham at all.
You won't want to put it down and you don't want it to end.
I have always been a John Grisham fan, but this book proved he could write in a different genre. I really liked this book, which took me back to a familiar time in my childhood.
Not one of Grisham's best book's but it is good. About sharecropers in the 50's.
A book about a young boy in rural Arkansas, and the events of one summer. I found it to be interesting, but not the page-turner that his other books have been.
This is not your typical Grisham novel. It's just as gripping but the characters compel you to keep reading instead of the drama. Plus, there's not a lawyer in sight.
It veers away from John's Grisham's normal type of story but it still kept me hooked until the end.
What's not to like about a Grisham book? Excellent!
First time I read anything by John Grisham. I liked it so much i went and bought a few of his books. This one is a little different, has nothing to do with lawyers and courthouses like his books usually do.
An interesting account of growing up in the south.Family and farm life as told by a young boy..Grisham at his best...
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers and two very dangerous men came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. As young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives -- and change his family and his town forever.
Another one of Grisham's books that you can't put down!
I'm not a big fan of John Grisham but I loved this book!
"Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers--and two very dangerous men--came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born...and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives--and change his family and his town forever..."
Interesting characters, with a storyline of small town life mixed with gossip and suspicion.
This book shows that Grisham can cover other subjects than the law. Great character development.
Not quite the usual Grisham, but excellent all the same.
This Grisham was quite different from others I have read. I enjoyed
the different direction this one took on. I guess I liked it because
i can relate to the setting of the book. It kept me wondering if that darn house would ever get painted!!!
Earl H., Meldrim, Ga.
the different direction this one took on. I guess I liked it because
i can relate to the setting of the book. It kept me wondering if that darn house would ever get painted!!!
Earl H., Meldrim, Ga.
This is definitely not the typical Grisham suspense novel. It is a lovely book with no judges or crooked lawyers. By the end, I was crying because it so moved me. I truly enjoyed this book.
It's written from the perspective of a young boy who doesn't completely understand everything that's going on around him. I really enjoyed that aspect of the story because it's so different from so many other books out there, expecially other John Grisham books.
The boy is seven year-old Luke Chandler, the son of an Arkansas family renting and farming in 1952 Arkansas. To say Luke "grows up" between the covers would be an understatement. Luke tells us a story of cotton pickers that will have you feeling every possible emotion, right along with young Luke.
The murder is brutal, the times are brutal but the story is delivered in gentle prose wih no sentimentality to cloud the writing. Well worth reading.
It's written from the perspective of a young boy who doesn't completely understand everything that's going on around him. I really enjoyed that aspect of the story because it's so different from so many other books out there, expecially other John Grisham books.
The boy is seven year-old Luke Chandler, the son of an Arkansas family renting and farming in 1952 Arkansas. To say Luke "grows up" between the covers would be an understatement. Luke tells us a story of cotton pickers that will have you feeling every possible emotion, right along with young Luke.
The murder is brutal, the times are brutal but the story is delivered in gentle prose wih no sentimentality to cloud the writing. Well worth reading.
This is a great book with good characters. I have read it several times, it was so good. Not the typical Grisham book.
Typical Grisham book, excellent!!
Grisham delivers in this great book
If you of someone you know were raised in the deep South, you have to read this book. Not what you'd expect from Grisham's other works.
Excellent characters, all round good book
I enjoyed this book very much!
Your standard John Grisham fare - good summer book.
Until that September of 1952, Luck Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers--and two very dangerous men--came thruough the ARkansaas Delta to work the Chandler cotton Farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born....and someone has begun furtively painting th ebare clapboards of th eChandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives---and change his family and town forever.
Wonderful story. Not the typical John Grisham, just a great story.
Very interesting. I love John Grisham and this was out of the norm from the types of books I read by him but I liked it.
My first Grisham book. Intersting read. Kind of slow at first.
Definitely one of the better John Grisham books.
A very excellent book. I enjoyed reading it!
great read...good characters
This should not be under the category of mystery suspense. It's a great story ... very well told.
Not your usual John Grisham. A great read as it follows a few months in the life of a seven year old boy. Couldn't put it down.
Luke Chandler has never told a lie or kept a secret until September of 1952. At the age of seven, his town experiences a brutal murder and somebody has been painting his house white.
I am not a Grisham fan, but this one is a great book.
WOW!!! Not your typical Grisham.
Ever since he published The Firm in 1991, John Grisham has remained the undisputed champ of the
legal thriller. With A Painted House, however, he strikes out in a new direction. As the author
is quick to note, this novel includes "not a single lawyer, dead or alive," and readers will
search in vain for the kind of lowlife machinations that have been his stock-in-trade. Instead,
Grisham has delivered a quieter, more contemplative story, set in rural Arkansas in 1952. It's
harvest time on the Chandler farm, and the family has hired a crew of migrant Mexicans and "hill
people" to pick 80 acres of cotton. A certain camaraderie pervades this bucolic dream team. But
it's backbreaking work, particularly for the 7-year-old narrator, Luke: "I would pick cotton,
tearing the fluffy bolls from the stalks at a steady pace, stuffing them into the heavy sack,
afraid to look down the row and be reminded of how endless it was, afraid to slow down because
someone would notice."
What's more, tensions begin to simmer between the Mexicans and the hill people, one of whom has
a penchant for bare-knuckles brawling. This leads to a brutal murder, which young Luke has the
bad luck to witness. At this point--with secrets, lies, and at least one knife fight in the
offing--the plot begins to take on that familiar, Grisham-style momentum. Still, such matters
ultimately take a back seat in A Painted House to the author's evocation of time and place. This
is, after all, the scene of his boyhood, and Grisham waxes nostalgic without ever succumbing to
deep-fried sentimentality. Meanwhile, his account of Luke's Baptist upbringing occasions some
sly (and telling) humor:
I'd been taught in Sunday school from the day I could walk that lying would send you
straight to hell. No detours. No second chances. Straight into the fiery pit, where Satan was
waiting with the likes of Hitler and Judas Iscariot and General Grant. Thou shalt not bear false
witness, which, of course, didn't sound exactly like a strict prohibition against lying, but
that was the way the Baptists interpreted it.
Whether Grisham will continue along these lines, or revert to the judicial shark tank for his
next book, is anybody's guess. But A Painted House suggests that he's perfectly capable of
telling an involving story with nary a subpoena in sight.
legal thriller. With A Painted House, however, he strikes out in a new direction. As the author
is quick to note, this novel includes "not a single lawyer, dead or alive," and readers will
search in vain for the kind of lowlife machinations that have been his stock-in-trade. Instead,
Grisham has delivered a quieter, more contemplative story, set in rural Arkansas in 1952. It's
harvest time on the Chandler farm, and the family has hired a crew of migrant Mexicans and "hill
people" to pick 80 acres of cotton. A certain camaraderie pervades this bucolic dream team. But
it's backbreaking work, particularly for the 7-year-old narrator, Luke: "I would pick cotton,
tearing the fluffy bolls from the stalks at a steady pace, stuffing them into the heavy sack,
afraid to look down the row and be reminded of how endless it was, afraid to slow down because
someone would notice."
What's more, tensions begin to simmer between the Mexicans and the hill people, one of whom has
a penchant for bare-knuckles brawling. This leads to a brutal murder, which young Luke has the
bad luck to witness. At this point--with secrets, lies, and at least one knife fight in the
offing--the plot begins to take on that familiar, Grisham-style momentum. Still, such matters
ultimately take a back seat in A Painted House to the author's evocation of time and place. This
is, after all, the scene of his boyhood, and Grisham waxes nostalgic without ever succumbing to
deep-fried sentimentality. Meanwhile, his account of Luke's Baptist upbringing occasions some
sly (and telling) humor:
I'd been taught in Sunday school from the day I could walk that lying would send you
straight to hell. No detours. No second chances. Straight into the fiery pit, where Satan was
waiting with the likes of Hitler and Judas Iscariot and General Grant. Thou shalt not bear false
witness, which, of course, didn't sound exactly like a strict prohibition against lying, but
that was the way the Baptists interpreted it.
Whether Grisham will continue along these lines, or revert to the judicial shark tank for his
next book, is anybody's guess. But A Painted House suggests that he's perfectly capable of
telling an involving story with nary a subpoena in sight.
A good read for a rainy day. John Grisham is one of my favortie authors!!!
An interesting departure from Grisham's typical legal thrillers.
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers-and two very dangerous men-came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke\'s world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born...and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives-and change his family and his town forever..........
I LOVED IT!!
I LOVED IT!!
An excellent tale with unforgettable characters. Although it is not related to crime or law, an excellent writing I couldn't put down.
Brand new, excellent read, stayed up all night
This story was inpsired by John Grisham's own childhood in rural Arkansas.
very different from grisham's normal work. no lawyers, but still very interesting.
Great book; this is a departure from what you normally would expect from John Grisham. I can relate to the characters having grown up in the fifties.
Excellent! Out of Grisham's normal, but was great!
The hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same day. It was Wednesday, early in September 1952. The Cardinals were five games behind the Dodgers with three weeks to go, and the deason looked hopeless. The cotten, however, was waist-high to my father, over my head, and he and grandfather could be heard before supper whispering words that were seldom heard. It could be a "good crop."
I actually read this first, in a magazine, can't remember, maybe Oxford American? Anyway they printed a chapter a month - it was fun reading it that way.
Quite different than Grisham's usual novels and a good book.
Quite different than Grisham's usual novels and a good book.
Excellent story but leaves you hanging...when's the sequel?
This is one of my favorite books ever. It is nothing like any other Grisham books, so if you don't like his other books give this one a try anyway. I have recommended it to my family and friends, and they have all loved it.
I was not into this book at all. I like all of Grisham's books but this one was not his best work. I was disappointed.
I only made it through this book because it was by John Grisham. Otherwise, I really did not like it.
In my opinion, the best Grisham book I have ever read! Excellent!
An interesting read. Shows John Grisham can write a good story not involving law or lawyers.
I loved this book. It was an interesting change from John Grishams usual writings.
Great story about a boy growing up in depression era Arkansas. Very entertaining.
Being from the city my entire life, I thoroughly enjoyed this book for its insight into life on a farm in the country through the eyes of a young boy. That it was set in a period back in history was even more intriguing. Anything but idyllic, A Painted House is brutally real as it tells the story of a poor farming family and how their fate is tied to the land and weather.
A friend of mine recommended this book as their very favorite book. I found it boring. I wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't been curious about what would make this his favorite book! It was very slow and I wanted to know what happened to every one afterward. It left me hanging.
A different but very good story from John Grisham.
somewhat of a disappointment compared to his other works
Narrated by seven year old farm boy Luke Chandler. The hill people and the Mexicans arrived on Wednesday early in September 1952. The Cardinals were five games behind the Dodgers with three weeks to go, and the season looked hopeless.
The cotton however, was waist high to a man and there was question of wether the crop would be good this year.
As weeks pass Luke sees and hears things no seven year old could possibly be prepared for, and finds himself keeping secrets that not only threaten the crop but will change the lives of the Chandler family forever.
The cotton however, was waist high to a man and there was question of wether the crop would be good this year.
As weeks pass Luke sees and hears things no seven year old could possibly be prepared for, and finds himself keeping secrets that not only threaten the crop but will change the lives of the Chandler family forever.
A story of a little boy growing up in the Deep South.
This was one of the least enjoyable books I've read. I haven't read much from John Grisham, and after this, I don't know that I will. I just kept waiting for it to end.
One of the best books I have ever read. Grisham takes you on an adventure which must surely be representative of his childhood. Part coming-of-age, part suspense-thriller; all touching and personal.
For me this is reflects a situation similar to my childhood in cotton fields in Oklahoma. It tugs at my heart and my chain of memories that live at the edge of my awareness of growing up.
Haunting, loving, terrorizing.
For me this is reflects a situation similar to my childhood in cotton fields in Oklahoma. It tugs at my heart and my chain of memories that live at the edge of my awareness of growing up.
Haunting, loving, terrorizing.
Excellent book. Much different from your typical Grisham mystery. Makes you appreciative of all the things you have.
Normally do not like Grisham's genre. This was one of the best books I have ever read! It was about a cotton farming family in the fifties. Full of even suspense~ it was great. I wish Grisham would write more like these!
Different from his other books, odd and a bit slow but a good read
Not what I expected from John Grisham, I enjoyed the book. although it was at times slow.
I have loved all of Grisham's books and once again I was not disappointed, although this is definitely not a typical Grisham book. I truly enjoyed this book. Grisham had you feeling for the little boy and brought to light the social and cultural differences in our world.
One of my favorite John Grisham books. The characters are so well laid out. Lots of mystery and intrigue.
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers and two very dangerous men came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives and change his family and his town forever.
Another John Grisham thriller.
Another John Grisham thriller.
I loved this book and it stuck with me for a long time after I finished reading it.
Couldn't put this book down!
4 stars!465 pages. It is 1952. Story told by 7 year old Luke.He lives on a cotton farm in Arkansas.As Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives, and change his family forever and his town forever. This is such a very different novel for Grisham and he writes it and handles it masterfully! I was so glad I read this book!
I loved this book, I wish Grisham would write more along this genre rather than court room dramas.
It took me three days to read. Nice perspective from a young boy with some surprises throughout. About a cotton-picking farmer family and what is involved when hired hands are on the property.
A new direction than his usual lawyers but very good just the same. A story of rural Arkansas with migrant workers and hill people, a murder and a young boy that witnessed it.
Not for me. A real Yawn!
set in rural Depression era
excellent for I felt as if I were there with the characters in the 50's and 60's. Well written for an author that normally does legal stories.
Embarrassed to admit that this is the only John Grisham I've ever read. I thought it was good. This is not his usual lawyer or courtroom type of book. This book takes place in 1952, and tells the story of one summer on a farm in Arkansas, and how the migrant farm workers that come to stay and help affect a young boy.
In 1952 Luke Chandler, 7-yr old, unravels secrets in his town that could shatter lives. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip & suspicion, a young woman ignites forbidden passion, & someone is painting the Chandlers farmhouse.
This was a slow moving book, but compelling and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened to the characters.
This was a slow moving book, but compelling and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened to the characters.
Until that Sept. of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer his 7th year, two groups of migrant workers and two very dangerous men came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the rundown structure in gleaming white. And as young LUke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives and change his fmaily and his town forever.
A great book. Not the usual Grisham "lawyer" thriller. Refreshing change.
I bought this book on a Friday. I have 4 children. I finished it on Saturday.
Very pleasing coming of age story full of local mystery...I loved this quiet book.
I personally am not a great fan of Grisham, but this is truely a good book. A main selection of the doubleday book club and literary guild as well as the mystery guild.
Grisham Is a excellent story teller and this book which is different from his lawyer themed books. A story of a young boy growing up on the cotton fields of Arkansas. It is full of exceitment and conflicts. It shows that even Grisham can make any story facinating.
I love this book! John grisham show us he can write about more than just courtrooms. This was a real page turner for me.
Not a typical John Grisham book. More thoughtful. A good story.
Until that Sept of 1952, Luke had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the summer of his 70th year 2 groups of migrant workers came through to work the farm. Mysteries are flooding his world. Luke watches his world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives and changes his family and his town forever...
I recommend this book to anyone
wonderful book...great departure from the legal/suspense genre for Grisham.
A little bit too sweet for my taste...
Great read! It is a totally different style from his usual books.
This book is different than other Grisham books, but a very good read.
I loved this book, I think they should make a movie of it.
This is the first book I read from John Grisham that was not a story about lawyers and the legal system. It was fair. I prefer his legal novels though.
Excellent story, even if you are looking for his law-related tales. Graet to see Mr. Grisham expanding horizons. Give it a try!
good writing - not much of a beginning or end but all middle.
A very different Grisham -- I thoroughly enjoyed it.
A lot different then his normal storyline, but an easy read.
Great book, kept me interested.
It is a different type of story for John Grisham and one I really enjoyed! It is much more about family and relationships.
Experience life on a farm through the eyes of a young boy. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. See a different side of Grisham's writing. You won't be disappointed.
very different from usual. hard to put down.
Wonderful story. Grisham proves he is a master of the written word, and it doesn't have to be related to big business. I loved it.
The beginning is slow to start - but once this book starts, it keeps you drawn in with the colorful language and descriptions!
This story is told from the perspective of a seven-year-old boy who lives on a cotton farm down South. I really enjoyed this book!
This story is told from the perspective of a seven-year-old boy who lives on a cotton farm down South. I really enjoyed this book!
This wasn't a typical John Grisham mystery / lawyer book.
Different from Grisham's usual books, but interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat all through it.
Until that Sept. of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers, and two very dangerous men, came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Lukes' world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautful young woman ignities forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born and someone has began furtively painting the bare clapboards of the chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakeingly, bathing the round down structure in gleaming white. And as young LUke waches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives, and change his family and his town forever.
A very un Grisham-like book. The tale of a summer in the life of a little boy on a poor farm. Refreshing!
Until that September in 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of mugrant workers--and two very dangerous men--came throught the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions, A fatherless baby is born,,, and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Like watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives--and change his family and his town forever...
couldn't put it down
Until that sept of 1952. Luke had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers and two very dangerous men came through the Ark. Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm.
OK, not wonderful, not dreadful. Thought A TIME TO KILL was much better, at least in terms of writing skills. At least this isn't one of his cookie-cutter books.
In true John Grisham style. If you are already a fan, this book will keep you as a fan. On the other hand if you have never read one of his books before, this is definitely a good first to choose.
If you like books by John Grisham you'll like this.
Really out of genre for Grisham! Think "Grapes of Wrath" but slightly less depressing. I'm not a huge fan of Grisham in general, but his writing here really works. I was drawn in. Has the feeling of a "To Kill a Mockingbird."
A step back into a simpler time in America, during a long and hot summer of 1952. Characters that come to life, fine prose, and a story you won't forget.
I enjoyed this book very much!
Murder, mystery, and affairs from a little boy's point of view on an Arkansas cotton farm. Pleasant change from Grisham's usual legal stuff.
Super Super Book
first time i have read him as a author, found it fast moving
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers -- and two very dangerous men -- came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. â A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born . . . and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives -- and change his family and his town forever. . .
This is the second book I have read by John Grisham. I thought he only wrote laywer thrillers but I was mistaken. I enjoyed the book a lot but I found it very hard to believe that Luke was only seven years old. I have 2 great grandsons that are almost 6 and I can't believe that they would be thinking or doing all the things that Luke did. Not even in a year from now! Luke was sitting at he table one night eating his supper and someone mentioned Tally and he thought he was so in love with her he couldn't even eat. Come on! At seven years old????? I did feel like I really got to know the rest of the characters and the struggles they all went through. I would recommend it as a good read.
This book was just ok for me. Others in my book club liked it a lot. Maybe Grisham should stick to writing lawyer books.
Excellent Book...
Excellent book
Different from other Grisham novels.
John Grisham books are always worth reading.
Enjoyed this book... kept my interest all the way through.
A nice break from writing about the law.
Somewhat sad tale from the view of poverty. Good book though.
From cover:
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers and two very dangerous men came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Lukes world.
A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born ... and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives and change his family and his town forever....
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers and two very dangerous men came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Lukes world.
A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born ... and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives and change his family and his town forever....
Amazon.com: "Ever since he published The Firm in 1991, John Grisham has remained the undisputed champ of the legal thriller. With A Painted House, however, he strikes out in a new direction. As the author is quick to note, this novel includes "not a single lawyer, dead or alive," and readers will search in vain for the kind of lowlife machinations that have been his stock-in-trade. Instead, Grisham has delivered a quieter, more contemplative story, set in rural Arkansas in 1952. It's harvest time on the Chandler farm, and the family has hired a crew of migrant Mexicans and "hill people" to pick 80 acres of cotton. A certain camaraderie pervades this bucolic dream team. But it's backbreaking work, particularly for the 7-year-old narrator, Luke: "I would pick cotton, tearing the fluffy bolls from the stalks at a steady pace, stuffing them into the heavy sack, afraid to look down the row and be reminded of how endless it was, afraid to slow down because someone would notice."
What's more, tensions begin to simmer between the Mexicans and the hill people, one of whom has a penchant for bare-knuckles brawling. This leads to a brutal murder, which young Luke has the bad luck to witness. At this point--with secrets, lies, and at least one knife fight in the offing--the plot begins to take on that familiar, Grisham-style momentum. Still, such matters ultimately take a back seat in A Painted House to the author's evocation of time and place. This is, after all, the scene of his boyhood, and Grisham waxes nostalgic without ever succumbing to deep-fried sentimentality. Meanwhile, his account of Luke's Baptist upbringing occasions some sly (and telling) humor:
I'd been taught in Sunday school from the day I could walk that lying would send you straight to hell. No detours. No second chances. Straight into the fiery pit, where Satan was waiting with the likes of Hitler and Judas Iscariot and General Grant. Thou shalt not bear false witness, which, of course, didn't sound exactly like a strict prohibition against lying, but that was the way the Baptists interpreted it.
Whether Grisham will continue along these lines, or revert to the judicial shark tank for his next book, is anybody's guess. But A Painted House suggests that he's perfectly capable of telling an involving story with nary a subpoena in sight." --James Marcus
From Publishers Weekly: "Who needs lawyers? Not Grisham, in his captivating new novel...Here there are hardscrabble farmers instead, and dirt-poor itinerant workers and a seven-year-old boy who grows up fast in a story as rich in conflict and incident as any previous Grisham and as nuanced as his very best. It's September 1952 in rural Arkansas when young narrator Luke Chandler notes that "the hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same day." These folk are in Black Oak for the annual harvest of the cotton grown on the 80 acres that the Chandlers rent. The three generations of the Chandler family treat their workers more kindly than most farmers do, including engaging in the local obsession--playing baseball--with them, but serious trouble arises among the harvesters nonetheless. Most of it centers around Hank Spruill, a giant hillbilly with an equally massive temper, who one night in town beats a man dead and who throughout the book rubs up against a knife-wielding Mexican who is dating Hank's 17-year-old sister on the sly, leading to another murder. In fact, there's a mess of trouble in Luke's life, from worries about his uncle Ricky fighting in Korea to concerns about the nearby Latcher family and its illegitimate newborn baby, who may be Ricky's son. And then there are the constant fears about the weather, as much a character in this novel as any human, from the tornado that storms past the farm to the downpours that eventually flood the fields, ruining the crop and washing Luke and his family into a new life.Grisham admirers know that this author's writing has evolved with nearly every book, from the simple mechanics that made The Firm click to the manifestations of grace that made The Testament such a fine novel of spiritual reckoning. The mechanics are still visible here--as a nosy, spying boy, Luke serves as a nearly omnipresent eye to spur the novel along its course--but so, too, are characters that no reader will forget, prose as clean and strong as any Grisham has yet laid down and a drop-dead evocation of a time and place that mark this novel as a classic slice of Americana. Agent, David Gernert. (One-day laydown, Feb. 6)FORECAST: Will Grisham's fans miss the lawyers? Not hardly. This is a Grisham novel all the way, despite its surface departures from the legal thrillers, and it will be received as such, justifying the 2.8-million first printing." Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
What's more, tensions begin to simmer between the Mexicans and the hill people, one of whom has a penchant for bare-knuckles brawling. This leads to a brutal murder, which young Luke has the bad luck to witness. At this point--with secrets, lies, and at least one knife fight in the offing--the plot begins to take on that familiar, Grisham-style momentum. Still, such matters ultimately take a back seat in A Painted House to the author's evocation of time and place. This is, after all, the scene of his boyhood, and Grisham waxes nostalgic without ever succumbing to deep-fried sentimentality. Meanwhile, his account of Luke's Baptist upbringing occasions some sly (and telling) humor:
I'd been taught in Sunday school from the day I could walk that lying would send you straight to hell. No detours. No second chances. Straight into the fiery pit, where Satan was waiting with the likes of Hitler and Judas Iscariot and General Grant. Thou shalt not bear false witness, which, of course, didn't sound exactly like a strict prohibition against lying, but that was the way the Baptists interpreted it.
Whether Grisham will continue along these lines, or revert to the judicial shark tank for his next book, is anybody's guess. But A Painted House suggests that he's perfectly capable of telling an involving story with nary a subpoena in sight." --James Marcus
From Publishers Weekly: "Who needs lawyers? Not Grisham, in his captivating new novel...Here there are hardscrabble farmers instead, and dirt-poor itinerant workers and a seven-year-old boy who grows up fast in a story as rich in conflict and incident as any previous Grisham and as nuanced as his very best. It's September 1952 in rural Arkansas when young narrator Luke Chandler notes that "the hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same day." These folk are in Black Oak for the annual harvest of the cotton grown on the 80 acres that the Chandlers rent. The three generations of the Chandler family treat their workers more kindly than most farmers do, including engaging in the local obsession--playing baseball--with them, but serious trouble arises among the harvesters nonetheless. Most of it centers around Hank Spruill, a giant hillbilly with an equally massive temper, who one night in town beats a man dead and who throughout the book rubs up against a knife-wielding Mexican who is dating Hank's 17-year-old sister on the sly, leading to another murder. In fact, there's a mess of trouble in Luke's life, from worries about his uncle Ricky fighting in Korea to concerns about the nearby Latcher family and its illegitimate newborn baby, who may be Ricky's son. And then there are the constant fears about the weather, as much a character in this novel as any human, from the tornado that storms past the farm to the downpours that eventually flood the fields, ruining the crop and washing Luke and his family into a new life.Grisham admirers know that this author's writing has evolved with nearly every book, from the simple mechanics that made The Firm click to the manifestations of grace that made The Testament such a fine novel of spiritual reckoning. The mechanics are still visible here--as a nosy, spying boy, Luke serves as a nearly omnipresent eye to spur the novel along its course--but so, too, are characters that no reader will forget, prose as clean and strong as any Grisham has yet laid down and a drop-dead evocation of a time and place that mark this novel as a classic slice of Americana. Agent, David Gernert. (One-day laydown, Feb. 6)FORECAST: Will Grisham's fans miss the lawyers? Not hardly. This is a Grisham novel all the way, despite its surface departures from the legal thrillers, and it will be received as such, justifying the 2.8-million first printing." Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
A departure from Grisham's usual faire. Great read!
a Grisham story about an Arkansas farm boy and the results of farm life in a tough though loving setting on his parents and grandparenmts hardscrabble farm with Grisham conflicts from without the farm adding up to great reading
Very engaging page turner, just waiting for the next book to continue the charachters and their stories....
John Grisham always writes good mystery novels
John Grisham is about as good a storyteller as we've got in the United States these days...The plots and subplots twine. The pages turn. The characters take on their own lives. And at times, as the cotton bolls glisten in the sun, you can't help thinking of other coming-of-age novels from the South "Huckleberry Finn or To Kill A Mockingbird...... The New York Times Book Review
You HAVE to read this book! Loved it!
This was a great read.
Another in the long line of Grisham legal thrillers. Takes place in 1952, in the Arkansas Delta, around the cotton farm of Luke Chandler. Good dialogue, good sense of Americana.
Not one of his best
Amazing book. Yes, off the beaten track for Grisham, but just a fabulous read. I see others have reviewed it negatively as having 'no plot, or too slow'. That is a shame, because the whole book is the story, it is not slow at all. rather it covers so many of life's nuances and is interwoven perfectly told by a very knowing 7 year old boy. It introduces poverty, abundance, neighborliness, scandal, human desire, violence, heartbreak, the gamble of farming, the hard work of a 1950's Arkansas family, church going, the importance of team work and gardening. These simple themes meant life or death in the 50's. Starvation or getting through the winter. The book was about secrets, human strength, and human ugliness. The bad apple in the bunch and what can come of uncontrolled anger, and jealously. The love of the grandparents, the interworking's of the family, although almost understated, it spoke loudly. Their love for Luke was boundless. Each page was filled with the struggle of Luke's family and his neighbors, and highlighted by such events as a nickel to spend on a coke. Simple, but this book was riveting. I wish it had a sequel. Top work from Grisham, and a well deserved 5 stars.
Until that September of 1952, luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers-and two very dangerous men-came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A fatherless baby is born..and someone has been furtively begun painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives-and change his family and town forever....
Im not much of a baseball fan, so parts of the book were not intresting to me.
NOT GRISHAMS USUAL STUFF
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie but in the long hot summer of his 7th year two groups of migrant workers and two very dangerous men came into the Arkansas delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspension. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born and someone has begun painting the bare clap boards of the Chandler farm house. Slowly bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives and change his family forever.
Book is missing dust jacket (just so you know). One of Grisham's best books. A more personal story than any of the others.
The hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same day. It was Wednesday, ealy in September 1952. The Cardinals were five games behind the Dodgers withe three weeks to go, and the season looked hopeless. The cotton, however, was waist-high to my father over my head, and he and my grandfather could be heard before supper whispering words that were seldom heard. It could be a "good crop" From the back cover.
new book, never read
