The Reckoning: A Novel

If I were a writer and knew that I would have to give up money if I didn't have a "book" on my publisher's desk by a date certain, and time was up, this is the kind of load of crap I would dish up. What passes for a plot is meaningless: the whole book is fleshed out with WW II history that needn't be narrated as fiction, and arcane minutiae of criminal and civil procedure that couldn't be more boring and, moreover, is woefully inaccurate. I actually felt that I'd been tricked into reading this steamer by being bamboozled by Grisham's reputation, on which I can't comment. BORING!!!!!!

I have always enjoyed John Grisham's novels. This one is a disappointment. First of all I did NOT like the ending at all. I know that's about me and not about the book but I still didn't like it. More than that I didn't like wasting my time thumbing through page after page after page of completely useless narrative. There is a vastly long section at the center of the book where he is writing about the mothers mental problems and the sons law school career that are a complete waste of time. It's obvious that the publishers are paying him by the page or by the word. The result is a huge amount of unnecessary text that doesn't really contribute to the story, that is very useful in putting me to sleep. This is not the first time this is happened. I have found it happening more and more frequently with other authors.

This is a disjointed, dislikable book - a soap opera with some courtroom window dressing and the Bataan Death March thrown in for no apparent reason except alleged depth of feeling. The mystery of the main character is that he won't talk - a sort of misguided Clint Eastwood Man With No Name anti-hero. Not talking can work on the screen but does tend to drag on on the page. The wife does a bad thing while her husband is slogging around in the Philippines, although it isn't clear what that is until the end. Consequences ensue. The hero kills somebody else. The generations-old family farm is lost to a shyster lawyer. Almost everybody dies. Who knew what? When did they know it? Who was wrong? In the end, who cares? I can't believe I read the whole thing.

I was really eager to read this book, and hated it. Long long descriptive passages about mundane things. So much dramatic build up about nothing. The war parts are appreciated but the rest was a waste of time witn unsympathetic characters. Time to find a new fave author.

If you wish to spend at least 1/3 of the book getting a histoty lesson on Gen McAuthor and Japan's takeover of the Philippenes then you may enjoy the book. I skipped over the large majority of this section. The book also drug on and on in other parts. I wanted to enjoy a thriller like the authors earlier books, not a sad, tedious and boring book like this one. this will be my last book by this author.

This was a bad read. Too much information on mostly known history. Agree, not enough character development on some people. Way too much detail before "secret" was FINALLY revealed in last 10 pages!!

A lot of long arduous filler to finally reveal nothing of surprise. Dont believe the hype. This is not his best work. I feel more like the victim of a con job than a satisfied fan.

I read all of Mr. Grisham's novels and look forward to each release with anticipation. But none before have held my interest as much as The Reckoning. My uncle through marriage is a survivor of the Bataan Death March. He never spoke of his experiences. Not a history buff, I had no understanding of the atrocaties of this war. This novel was spellbinding from start to finish.

I've been a Grisham fan seemingly forever, although his latest books have not been as good as the original novels such as "The Firm".However, nothing prepared me for this utter load of rubbish! The storyline is incredibly weak, the characters are boring & the ending left me completely devoid of emotion, save a feeling of bewilderment that Grisham's pursuit of money should convince him to turn out such a sorry tale.Take a couple of years off John, have a good vacation & then decide whether or not it's time to retire.

Out of three sections only the second section was anywhere near grisham’s High standards. A meandering section 1 took us nowhere and took about five times too long doing it just as section three with a very predictable and disappointing ending. In the end the only reason I finished the book was in expectation of a twist that would prove worth it - it wasn’t. Shame as having read and enjoyed all his other books I was really underwhelmed.

The worst Grisham novel I have ever read SO far as the plot is concerned it might as well have been a short (very short) story The gruesome execution scene was totally unnecessary and the long chapters on the war against the Japanese totally redundant Having been a Grisham "fan" for many years this was without doubt in my opinion the most unsatisfactory novel of all and a complete waste of time I carried on reading hoping there would be an improvement and some twist in the plot to make the effort worthwhile If it were possible I would not even have given this book one star

This is the best John Grisham book I have read in recent years. I go further in saying that this is possibly the best book by any writer I have read recently. Grisham's previous couple of novels have been way below his high standard. But not this one.The first part covers the slaying of the local minister by Pete, head of an old southern family of cotton planters. with the reason for the killing never disclosed . I was hooked after a couple of pages. Why did he do it and why won't he put up a defence.. The second part is his experience in the Pacific theatre of WW11 including the hellish Bataan death march. This is a different subject for Mr. G and it is thoroughly researched, skilfully written and gripping. Some other reviewers find this section too long and far too gruesome . To them I say that it happened and like the Nazi concentration camps should not be forgotten. Thank you John Grisham for reminding us of man's inhumanity to man and the grit and courage of those who survived.The third section is the next generation and the aftermath of the murder trial . Again beautifully written and holding me to the last page.

Whilst I’m a Grisham fan I found this a gloomy read; I carried on with it to the end just to see how it finally panned out, and it never cheered up for me.Partway through the main character and war hero takes part in the Bataan death march as a Japanese P.o.W. This took place in April 1942 and, at the end of it, he is treated for a head injury with antibiotics. Antibiotics in a Japanese PoW camp in 1942? I wouldn’t have thought so... At the end of the book the author quotes some military books from which he built up this part of the action and another anomaly is his mention of the Lewes bomb. To explain, Lt Jock Lewes was a member of the L.R.D.G in the western desert in 1942 and devised the explosive device which bore his name. This was generally a canvas bag with some plastic explosive, thermite and diesel oil with a detonator, the aim being to lay it on the wing of an enemy aircraft over the fuel tank where the subsequent explosion would destroy the plane.In the book this has become a metal box with a magnetic strip designed to stick to the Zero fighters which were the special target.Somehow, these bombs were supposedly being produced in quantity in Manila, a city in fact reeling under a recent and brutal occupation by the Japanese. In the story these magnetic bombs were supplied to our hero and did the trick. Just one point, though, is that Zero aeroplanes were made of non-magnetic, non-stick aluminium.Finally Mr Grisham states that in early 1943 the Japanese were in control of the South Pacific and were a threat to Australia. Er- no they weren’t. This is like saying that the Battle of Hastings took place in 1067, and I’m surprised that a highly educated author like Mr Grisham should write this as, about America’s biggest war, I would have thought that the basic facts were ingrained in most Americans. Following Pearl Harbour, Dec 1941, air-power was the key, and the Japanese ran riot in the Pacific in the first half of 1942, and did indeed threaten Australia. This came to an abrupt halt in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 42, when of their three carriers employed one was sunk, one severely damaged, and the third lost almost its entire air-wing. A month later, June 42 at Midway, they lost their whole fleet of four carriers together with every aircraft and 40% of the fleet’s highly skilled aircraft handlers. They had also lost the battle of Guadalcanal by April 43 and were definitely on the back foot, their striking power mostly lying on the bed of the Pacific. The Japanese were quite unable to produce replacements for their catastrophic losses whereas the Americans in 1942 were commissioning a big fleet carrier every other month together with a smaller light carrier every six weeks. In the drive through the Gilbert Islands later that year the Americans fleet comprised eighteen aircraft carriers and the Japanese navy was about to be fed through the shredder. I regard John Grisham as a master of legal detail, but I think his foray into military history on this occasion was perhaps a step too far.