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Audio CD Description This addictive tale of a young lawyer defending a black Vietnam war hero who kills the white druggies who raped his child in tiny Clanton, Mississippi, is John Grisham's first novel, and his favorite of his first six. He polished it for three years and every detail shines like pebbles at the bottom of a swift, sunlit stream. Grisham is a born legal storyteller and his dialogue is pitch perfect. The plot turns with jeweled precision. Carl Lee Hailey gets an M-16 from the Chicago hoodlum he'd saved at Da Nang, wastes the rapists on the courthouse steps, then turns to attorney Jake Brigance, who needs a conspicuous win to boost his career. Folks want to give Carl Lee a second medal, but how can they ignore premeditated execution? The town is split, revealing its social structure. Blacks note that a white man shooting a black rapist would be acquitted; the KKK starts a new Clanton chapter; the NAACP, the ambitious local reverend, a snobby, Harvard-infested big local firm, and others try to outmaneuver Jake and his brilliant, disbarred drunk of an ex-law partner. Jake hits the books and the bottle himself. Crosses burn, people die, crowds chant "Free Carl Lee!" and "Fry Carl Lee!" in the antiphony of America's classical tragedy. Because he's lived in Oxford, Mississippi, Grisham gets compared to Faulkner, but he's really got the lean style and fierce folk moralism of John Steinbeck. --Tim Appelo

Customer Reviews The difference between Law and Justice Grisham has written a very thought provoking book dealing with two completely different subjects-namely Law and Justice.A lawyer once told me that the public often confuses Law and Justice.In simple terms ,Law is what the government makes and is written in the "books".Justice is what results from a court of the people.In this book,there is no doubt that the father killed the two who performed such horrible acts on his daughter.It was also evident that he felt that justice would not be done.No doubt,the foundation of a society is its Laws and Justice.Along with these concepts ,in a free society,the people must have faith that their trust in the system is going to be well founded. When this trust is no longer warranted because of abuses;society fails.In this story we see a different thing.It is not a matter of "taking the Law into one's own hand";this is a case of "taking Justice in one's own hands." Several reviewers have commented on whether the book or the movie is better.I have to go with the movie.Other examples of this,in my opinion would be 'Mississippi Burning',and especially 'Gone With the Wind'.'Tora,Tora,Tora','The Bridge on the River Kwai','High Noon',also come to mind.As a matter of fact,I am hard pressed to think of a book that beats the movie.I guess that's because of all the sound and visual effects that film makers have at their disposal to add to the story. As I am writing this review,it's interesting to note that a trial is just getting underway of Edgar Ray Killen in the murder of 3 civil rights activists which took place 41 years ago in Mississippi.Once again, will Justice be done and more important will Justice be seen to be done. This book and movie is one of the best "trial"stories I've come across. Good solid book Surprisingly good, considering my first introduction to Grisham was "The Pelican Brief" (which I rate a 1). This is Grisham's first novel, and rather well done. The story is about a young lawyer's defense of a black man who kills his young daughter's rapists. I'm not a lawyer myself, but the technical parts sounded good to me. Characters are okay, ending satisfies. Not a totally gripping tale, but a good solid book. Better than the movie!!!! I loved the movie and the book is even better. A Time to Kill gives you a powerful look at family, NAACP, KKK, and politics. Jake Brigance defends a client(Carl Lee)who has killed the 2 men that raped his little girl. Jake must over come one major problem, Carl Lee is black and the men he killed were white. To make this problem worse the case will be tried in Clayton, Mississippi. A HEAVILY white County. This is one Grisham's best.