I’ll start by saying I’ve never
been a huge Grisham fan. I do not generally find lawyer stories amusing, and
they are kind of his specialty. His stories tend to be a bit dark and sad.
Since I read primarily to be entertained, his style and mine do not mesh well.
That said, I really enjoyed The
Litigators. I was highly entertained. It starts with a young lawyer, David
Zinc, working for an enormous firm in Chicago. As he goes to work the first day
of the story, the usual dread of another day in the salt mine is just too much.
As he steps out of the elevator on his floor he suddenly knows he just can’t do
it anymore. He turns around and dives through the closing doors behind him,
sits on the elevator car floor giggling, rides ninety-odd floors down and runs
for freedom.
Now there is a scene millions of
us would love to be a part of. During his insane run, he stumbles into the
struggling firm of Finley and Figg.
The escapades of the Finley and
Figg gang are quite entertaining, and David’s maturation process is as well.
This is one Grisham novel where everybody lives happily ever after.
Grisham fans may be less than
keen on this book. But, I recommend it – probably for the same reasons his
usual readers won’t.
The Litigators is funny, but there are some lessons to be learned here. When something is too good to be true, it usually is and that it's possible to be too greedy. Also, that despite good efforts, it's not always possible to change people--as Zinc tries to bring positive change to Finley and Figg. We also learn that not all companies are sleazy and that some do own up to the damages caused by their product. You will also fall in love with unlikely hero, David Zinc, who learns more working for Finley and Figg than he ever did at Harvard Law.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. You make very good points here. I agree with them all. Especially that Zinc learns more at F&F than at Harvard - much of it, things that Harvard wouldn't consider appropriate for students. Education is important; Experience is vital!
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