For the first time since "A Time to Kill", Grisham returns to Ford County, Mississippi - a place rich in colourful characters and dark family secrets. This time he tells the story of a dying judge who leaves his dissolute sons three million dollars in used bank notes.
The Summons
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Special Offer until June 30, 2013: Receive an additional £5 promotional Gift Certificate, when you trade-in at least £10 worth of books. Learn more. |
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Amazon Review
An intelligent, low-key thriller, The Summons continues John Grisham's exploration of the common decencies of a strain of American commercial story-telling in literature and film that we often link to the work of Frank Capra or O Henry. He is not afraid of parable or of setting up situations that are at once archetypal and attractively specific. This is a tale of two brothers--one is righteous, more or less, and one is not--and a question of their inheritance. Ancient Mississippi judge Atlee summons his two sons to his deathbed, but dies before he can explain himself, leaving Ray, who arrives on time unlike his drunkard brother Forest with the difficult problem of the three million dollars in used notes which are lying around the house in shoe-boxes. Ray worries about his father's posthumous reputation, about the Inland Revenue Service and about how quickly Forrest could drink himself to death with unlimited funds.
Grisham is very acute indeed on how the best of intentions lead Ray not to any significant crime or atrocity but to quietly unconscionable behaviour. And then he realises he is being followed... Grisham can build suspense out of remarkably little and has a real gift for understanding the quiet anxieties of an ordinary man. --Roz Kaveney
Review
All of Clanton, Mississippi, came out to pay their respects to the late Judge Atlee. Even though he had been ousted from office nearly 10 years previously he was held in high esteem by his legal colleagues and all those he helped either through the courts or through his endless charity. His two sons, Ray, a Professor of Law and Forrest, a dissolute alcoholic and substance abuser, are the only heirs. Following a summons from their father a week earlier, Ray arrives in Clanton first to discover his father already dead from cancer in the family home. Before his brother arrives he makes the bewildering discovery of $3million in cash, carefully packed away in boxes in a side cabinet. Unwilling to tell Forrest of his discovery in case he squanders his share on drugs and alcohol, Ray begins a journey to discover its origin. Thus begins a tale of tawdry casinos, intimidation and crooked tort lawyers. A return to the legal settings after his diversion in "The Painted House", this is an easy read, and pleasant enough, addressing both the moral dilemmas involved in such a discovery and the difficult relationships that can exist within a family.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
It came by mail, regular postage, the old-fashioned way since the Judge was almost eighty and distrusted modern devices. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
It came by mail, regular postage, the old-fashioned way since the Judge was almost eighty and distrusted modern devices. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I am a massive John Grisham fan having read every one of his books. I waited with anticipation for this book, and was very disappointed. The characters are very difficult to relate to and the plot is very weak. It is not a page turner like other Grisham novels and I read the book in one sitting.
Finding 3 million dollars in your dead fathers house is a good idea, but Grisham does not really develop the plot. The book is basically about what to do with it. Keep it, or give some to the brother who incidently is a drug addict and the money could destroy him? Yawn. There are so many possibilities for the plot, but they are under developed and the ending is rubbish. There is no action and fast pace like previous Grisham novels. Disappointing, but I recommend all other John Grisham titles!!
Finding 3 million dollars in your dead fathers house is a good idea, but Grisham does not really develop the plot. The book is basically about what to do with it. Keep it, or give some to the brother who incidently is a drug addict and the money could destroy him? Yawn. There are so many possibilities for the plot, but they are under developed and the ending is rubbish. There is no action and fast pace like previous Grisham novels. Disappointing, but I recommend all other John Grisham titles!!
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By O. Doyle
Format:Paperback
I really didn't enjoy this book as much as I have the other Grisham books. It just didn't seem to have the old Grisham oomph that his earlier books had and to be brutal was a bit boring and predictable. With his other books I could not wait to get back to find out what happened next.....not this one. I only finished it because it felt like a mission. Very disappointing.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Lazy, tired writing. The central characters lack of a life, of friends, his pale watercolour existence, reflects it seems to me, Grisham's state of mind. "Must churn out another book," appears to be his modus operandi in writing this. It is listless, the professor's reactions seem odd for a man of his intelligence, trawling up and down the country obsessively dragging the money around with him is patently odd. Would he really be petrified of the taxes on the money, given the resultant number would still be huge? Ultimately he had to declare it to his brother anyway so why all the contrived fuss? Grisham's novels typically have to bend to the unlikely improbable human reaction to move the plot on; this story took it to a new extreme.
But, it was readable, even at low ebb Grisham can still get the reader turning pages. Unfortunately at the end of this one only shrugs ones shoulders and moves on. Where's the pace, the energy of the early books I wonder. Is Grisham written out and should he take a sabbatical himself. I think there are clues in the novel; the professor is on the edge of a sabbatical, there is a book that he needs to write but it's only a chore to him. I suspect Grisham is right there with him. Take a break John, and come back refreshed and stronger
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I had always been a fan of John Grishams books, looking forward to when the next would emerge. However, his last few books have for me lost his initial enthusiasm and in all honesty I found this latest offering dull. I was excited as I read the cover of the book, he appeared to be resurrecting characters originally introduced in 'A time to kill'. However the characters lacked depth, the plot was non-existant, and the ending predictable. After this final dissappointing effort, I think I am unlikely to try any of his future releases.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I chose this book as I was in the mood for a good story and the storyline on the cover appealed. I relied - mistakenly it now seems - on the good name of jg and the reviews quoted on the cover.
I was very disappointed. There was, I'd admit, some sense of time and place but really, beyond that, I found it lacked pace and was not exactly gripping. I gave it 2 stars as I did finish it - mainly I skipped lots of paragraphs in an effort to get ahead in the hope of being gripped further on.
I was very disappointed. There was, I'd admit, some sense of time and place but really, beyond that, I found it lacked pace and was not exactly gripping. I gave it 2 stars as I did finish it - mainly I skipped lots of paragraphs in an effort to get ahead in the hope of being gripped further on.
This was very disappointing as I felt it was a good story let down in the telling - not a crime in itself but somehow made worse when chosen as a book by a very successful writer. I'm not sure if I should give jg a second chance by trying another...
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Christine L
HALL OF FAME
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a good story and a welcome return to Clanton and the setting of A Time To Kill. But when I compare those two books this latest one feels even more disappointing. In A Time To Kill Grisham created a memorable story with characters that are still fresh in my mind. Most of all, he set a very high standard of writing that he's failed to live up to with his latest book.
The Summons lacks all the charm and details that made A Time To Kill such a good read. It starts off slowly and opens a lot of possibilities that are never explored to their full potential.
I applaud Grisham in his choice of villain. I found it quite obvious relatively early on, but there's a web of fascinating facts to go through and a row of suspects to be discarded before we find out who the bad guy is.
This is one of Grisham's worst books to date and the only reason I read it so quickly was that the magic of A Time To Kill made me want to find out if we'd get to catch up with any of the other characters from that story, other than Harry Rex and Judge Atlee.
Loyal Grisham fans such as myself will buy this book no matter what I write here. I'll also buy his next book because I know what he can produce. But if you've never read a John Grisham book in your life you're much better off trying A Time To Kill, The Client, The Partner or The Runaway Jury.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
...Grisham seems to be starting to disdain the legal money-grabbing subterfuge that he perfected in The Firm - by far and away his most satisfying thriller - for a fairly tame series of stories which seem to just run out of steam. Like The Brethren before it, The Summons has a neat, intriguing premise - the reader expects several layers of deception and twist-turning but in the end is let down by what seem like trite, and hurried final chapters. I was disappointed, to be honest. Yes, he's developing a more refined prose style, but i think he's doing it at the expense of people like me who buy his new books on the strength of books like The Firm and their ilk. Yes, it's good, but it's not enough when you've initiated what is a plot-driven novel, to tack on a literary fiction ending. I think I've bought my last Grisham in hardback.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 788 reviews
2.7 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not great. Not bad.
This is the first John Grisham novel I have read. It started well enough, I liked the characters and his dialogue. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Alan Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Summons J Grisham
I am a dedicated Grisham fan and must now have all his books, good and solid crime/law stories which are easy to follow, with interesting twists as well
Published 4 months ago by Pandora34
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Summons by John Grisham
I'm only 39% way through but I'm enjoying the story, and with larger print size, can read it more easily
Published 5 months ago by Mr. Malcolm Bowman
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not a good Grisham thriller
Ok for sitting at the pool as you would not miss much if you were distracted or not fully focused
Published 5 months ago by Is this a Film review or a Product Review
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Summons For Grishamites Only
John Grisham's 'The Summons' is in that kind of 'middle territory' of evaluation: it's not a great novel, nor a great story, and the plot is dubious, but it's not a bad novel... Read more
Published 5 months ago by T. T. Rogers
2.0 out of 5 stars
Would be 1 star, but I did finish it in the end.
Picked up this book after a break from John Grisham book over the last few years, was disappointed and found myself wondering if I was thinking of his past books as I remember past... Read more
Published 8 months ago by N3TM4N
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very Disappointing
I did not enjoy the plot or the writing style. I have read many of John grisham's books and I thoroughly enjoyed them with favourites like The Runaway Jury which I have re-read... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mr George Topping
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fast read
The Summons draws me in. I feel the excitement as if I am the novel's hero. I feel his fear. The suspense keeps the pages turning, like the book is underneath a high-speed... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Roger Weston
3.0 out of 5 stars
Readable but frustrating and disappointing
This Grisham can't really be described as a legal thriller - rather it's a novel whose characters just happen to be lawyers, and it's really a failed sort of mystery. Read more
Published on 6 May 2011 by J. R. Johnson-Rollings
3.0 out of 5 stars
good story
the story actually begins on page 1, rather than on page 60 like in others of his books (waffle waffle) and the conclusion certainly surprised me. Read more
Published on 1 May 2011 by diane
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
