The Appeal

I like John Grisham’s books. Most of them, at least. They belt along at a terrific pace – sometimes a little too terrific, which leaves them superficial and unengaging – with relatable characters and interesting plots. And a fair bit of background detail about the law. But I’ve never until now read one that’s something more than just an entertaining read. I don’t really remember them.

The Rainmaker took on healthcare in the US. (‘So this is how the uninsured die.’)  A Time to Kill offered some bitter, uncomfortable truths about of racism under its trial plotline. But I’ve never read a story as savage as this in its illustration, and condemnation, of the steps a giant corporation will take to defeat an appeal against its conviction for malpractice and negligence. 

Because if it accepts the conviction and pays the fine – a mere blip of a few million against the billions it earns – then its reputation will be tarnished and its stock price, and earnings, will drop. It’s part of the skill of the narrative that the reader can understand this. Not condone it. Understand it.

It’s obvious where Grisham’s sympathies lie here; he’s never had anything but a jaundiced view of the depths to which the law can sink. That he’s managed to wrap his indignation at such mendacity within a page-turner of a summer holiday read is truly impressive. 

This is one Grisham story I won’t forget.