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wpsageant
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# Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 03:18 pm
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My wife and I are lawyers and Grisham fans. Very disappointed in the ending of The Appeal. It violated the covenant which authors impliedly enter into with readers which is to give a good entertaining story. A part of that is to bring closure or conclusion. Did we read the book to find out that life is not always fair, that corporate greed triumphs over ordinary people? I feel cheated.
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pigmusic
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# Posted: Thu Jul 3, 2008 10:55 am
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I too was disappointed. It was as if JG let someone else write the ending. JG is my favorite fiction writer and I am a conservative Southern Baptist minister. Go figure. It's probably because I am from north MS and went to Southern Miss and know many of the locations he writes about.
Did you notice the similarities between the campaign of the conservative nobody candidate for MS judge and the liberal nobody candidate for president in our real world? BHO has been able to beat down the Clinton machine as if he has a huge entity backing him. If I were a conspiracy nut I might be online talking to people I don't know about it.....wait a minute!
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crinkle
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# Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 09:32 pm
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I am unaware of any covenant between author and reader regarding happy endings. One expects a story to be good if it's been recommended to them, or it's by an author that they enjoy, but art is owned by the artist, and observed by the rest. I hated the ending to King of Torts, but i certainly don't feel cheated. (The rest of the book was incredible, stressful, and suspenseful) I just think he ended it badly.
Don't get me wrong. I love reading as an escape, and great stories with happy endings are wonderful, but you two, being lawyers, should know better than to read law related books for happy endings or for resolve.
I was raised by a lawyer, married one too, and the one thing i've learned from them is that most of their own personal war stories are wholly boring and end less than pleasantly.
Anyway, we're talking about fiction, so i'll sit on the fence with you until i read it.
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jesuschrist
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# Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 04:24 pm
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Maybe this is a little sick, but on the last page of the Appeal, Carl T. is looking up at the "towers" and to his office. Could this story have been set shortly before 9/11? Despite the terrible evil that was intended, could some justice have occured?
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robplu5559
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northstar
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# Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:29 pm
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I agree with the disappointed ones. Almost bought it for my grand daughter and daughter but it sure was not a Christnas Book
I quit reading King with Pet Cemetary, Will take a long time to read another Grisham. I don't need such horrid endings. If you have not read it don't unless you want to worry about the people you come to love in novels. Yes reality, but most want fantasy, enough reality in daily life.
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Noni
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# Posted: Tue Oct 6, 2009 11:09 am
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I am pages away from finishing The Appeal and had a feeling it wasn't going to end well. I had to google it when I got to work today to confirm. Reading about Fisk's son was disturbing and I almost stopped, thinking it wasn't going to get any better. I will finish it tonight.
It's been a good read but I was hoping for a different ending (not necessarily a happy ending). I'm sure Grisham didn't intend it, but I couldn't help with thinking about Obama while reading this story.
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mplaner
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# Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:20 pm
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Grisham writes an interesting, sorted, believable tale. In typical Grisham fashion he builds, and builds, and the climax of the book is the part about Fisk's son. The writers intent is to have the reader on the edge of his/her seat and the lesson that Fisk learns because of his injured son is dead on with what you are hoping for..., until you realize the dark side - Fisk is not a bad guy but he's a victim and a wimp. Although he finally realizes his awful position and understands that he's wronged people, just like Trudeau he lets his ego remain in the way of doing the right thing. The reader realizes this, is let down, and then - after all that interesting build and fall, Grisham stops writing. I think he intentionally pissed all of us off.
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