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Matthew's Reviews > A Time to Kill
A Time to Kill
by
by
Matthew's review
bookshelves: legal-drama, 2020, read-more-than-once, audio
Jan 08, 2013
bookshelves: legal-drama, 2020, read-more-than-once, audio
Read 2 times. Last read April 12, 2020 to April 21, 2020.
Original Mid-90s Star Only Review � 5 Stars
Re-Read in 2020 Review � 4 Stars
You will notice a drop in the stars above, but you can take that with a grain of salt. It is still a great book that will pull you in and not let go. If you are familiar with Grisham’s work, this is where it all began, and I think some consider it mainly downhill from here. Not necessarily a big downhill � but it sure does seem in some aspects like he was at the top of his game for his first few novels. He mentioned in his forward that this one almost did not get published, but the success of The Firm helped generate interest, and I am very glad it did.
This is not an easy book to read, but fiction based on hard truths never is. There is very graphic and shocking sexual assault and racism. So, while they add to a powerful story, some may find it difficult to read. Knowing this, be sure to proceed with caution!
The reason for the slight downturn in stars for me is that it just didn’t feel as smooth to me as I remembered. Maybe I was looking at an old favorite through rose-colored glassed before I re-read. The thought that kept going through my head, especially after reading the forward and seeing that it almost didn’t get published, is that it felt like it was a bit rough with a lot of coincidences, drawn out scenes followed by rushed scenes, etc. Nothing that was severe enough t ruin the experience, but enough that it was noticeable to me.
If you are a Grisham fan, it is likely that you already read this. If you are a Grisham fan and you haven’t read this, I am actually not really sure you can call yourself a Grisham fan! So, you should remedy that right away!
Re-Read in 2020 Review � 4 Stars
You will notice a drop in the stars above, but you can take that with a grain of salt. It is still a great book that will pull you in and not let go. If you are familiar with Grisham’s work, this is where it all began, and I think some consider it mainly downhill from here. Not necessarily a big downhill � but it sure does seem in some aspects like he was at the top of his game for his first few novels. He mentioned in his forward that this one almost did not get published, but the success of The Firm helped generate interest, and I am very glad it did.
This is not an easy book to read, but fiction based on hard truths never is. There is very graphic and shocking sexual assault and racism. So, while they add to a powerful story, some may find it difficult to read. Knowing this, be sure to proceed with caution!
The reason for the slight downturn in stars for me is that it just didn’t feel as smooth to me as I remembered. Maybe I was looking at an old favorite through rose-colored glassed before I re-read. The thought that kept going through my head, especially after reading the forward and seeing that it almost didn’t get published, is that it felt like it was a bit rough with a lot of coincidences, drawn out scenes followed by rushed scenes, etc. Nothing that was severe enough t ruin the experience, but enough that it was noticeable to me.
If you are a Grisham fan, it is likely that you already read this. If you are a Grisham fan and you haven’t read this, I am actually not really sure you can call yourself a Grisham fan! So, you should remedy that right away!
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
January 8, 2013
– Shelved
March 6, 2014
– Shelved as:
legal-drama
April 12, 2020
–
Started Reading
April 12, 2020
– Shelved as:
2020
April 12, 2020
– Shelved as:
read-more-than-once
April 12, 2020
– Shelved as:
audio
"
April 21, 2020
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-9 of 9 (9 new)
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Jason
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Apr 18, 2020 09:47PM
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leslie hamod wrote: "Great review Matthew! Great book!"Thanks, Leslie! :)
The Firm is still my favorite Grisham book but this story was very good too! Nice review, Matthew! :)
Brandice wrote: "The Firm is still my favorite Grisham book but this story was very good too! Nice review, Matthew! :)"Thanks, Brandice! Now that I have read so many of his, it is actually quite hard for me to say which of his is my favorite.
Good review! As a Grisham fan, I also agree that his books have gone downhill since his heyday in the 90s. Do you read his more recent books?
Raymond wrote: "Good review! As a Grisham fan, I also agree that his books have gone downhill since his heyday in the 90s. Do you read his more recent books?"Thanks, Raymond! Yes, I have tried to keep up with his recent books. There are a few here and there that I still haven't read - one day I hope to get to all of them!
Agree with the review. It’s a good book, and my first Grisham ( didn’t know it was his first book too! ), It just felt a little lacking in finesse.
Archana wrote: "Agree with the review. It’s a good book, and my first Grisham ( didn’t know it was his first book too! ), It just felt a little lacking in finesse."Thanks, Archana! Lacking in finesse is a great phrase to describe this book at times. I think that is what was missing from my memory of it. I often look at past reads I enjoyed through rose colored glasses.
Agreed! I remember loving this book, but it's rougher than I remember. It's also difficult to read that many n-words in 2024. Still, a must read for any Grisham fan!
