106 used & new from £0.01
See All Buying Options
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
A Painted House
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

A Painted House (Hardcover)

by John Grisham (Author) "The hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same days ..." (more)
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (149 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


99 used from £0.01 7 collectible from £0.59
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 5 used & new from £0.01
Paperback (New edition) £7.99 £5.77 658 used & new from £0.01
Audio Download (Unabridged) £26.84 £14.09
or £3.99 with new Audible.co.uk membership.
Audio Download (Abridged) £16.99 £8.92
or £3.99 with new Audible.co.uk membership.
Mass Market Paperback 13 used & new from £0.03
ExpandShow more editions and formats

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Bleachers

Bleachers

by John Grisham
2.6 out of 5 stars (47)  £4.48
The Brethren

The Brethren

by John Grisham
3.2 out of 5 stars (101)  £5.96
The Summons

The Summons

by John Grisham
3.0 out of 5 stars (50)  £5.74
The Testament

The Testament

by John Grisham
3.5 out of 5 stars (123)  £5.84
Skipping Christmas

Skipping Christmas

by John Grisham
4.2 out of 5 stars (70)  £4.48
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Doubleday Books; First Edition edition (Feb 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 038550120X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385501200
  • Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 16.3 x 4.1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (149 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,614,762 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

This is the paperback edition of A Painted House which is publishing in December 2001. The hardback edition, which published in February 2001, is currently available. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

The hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same day. It was a Wednesday, early in September 1952. The Cardinals were five games behind the Dodgers with two weeks to go, and the season looked hopeless. The cotton, however, was waist-high to my father, almost over my head, and he and my grandfather could be heard before supper whispering words that were seldom heard. It could be a "good crop". Thus begins the new novel from John Grisham, a story inspired by his own childhood in rural Arkansas. The narrator is a farm boy named Luke Chandler, age seven, who lives in the cotton fields with his parents and grandparents in a little house that's never been painted. The Chandlers farm eighty acres that they rent, not own, and when the cotton is ready they hire a truckload of Mexicans and a family from the Ozarks to help harvest it. For six weeks they pick cotton, battling the heat, the rain, the fatigue, and sometimes, each other. As the weeks pass Luke sees and hears things no seven year old could possibly be prepared for, and finds himself keeping secrets that not only threaten the crop but will change the lives of the Chandlers forever. "A Painted House" is a moving story of one boy's journey from innocence to experience. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
The hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same days. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
john grisham
poverty
suspense
shirley i smith
love of books
crime
belief
arkansas

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A Painted House
75% buy the item featured on this page:
A Painted House 3.6 out of 5 stars (149)
Skipping Christmas
7% buy
Skipping Christmas 4.2 out of 5 stars (70)
£4.48
The Partner
6% buy
The Partner 4.5 out of 5 stars (49)
£5.84
The Rainmaker
6% buy
The Rainmaker 4.5 out of 5 stars (36)
£5.76
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

149 Reviews
5 star:
 (59)
4 star:
 (30)
3 star:
 (23)
2 star:
 (14)
1 star:
 (23)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (149 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, 19 Sep 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: A Painted House (Paperback)
Having read quite a few of John Grisham's books in the past I was beginning to find the whole lawyer thing quite tired and boring. When I purchased "A Painted House" I thought I'd give him one more go and then give him up for a lost cause. However I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could not find a lawyer anywhere in in sight! The book is written with tenderness and insight into the hardships of the lives of cotton farmers many years ago. Although it would not fall into the category of your usual "gripping" novel, I just couldn't put this book down and finished it in a weekend. I would imagine that if someone still enjoyed John Grisham's usual style they would be bitterly dissapointed with this book but if you feel the need for something different and more mellow, this book is definitely for you.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Seriously Goord Read., 4 Feb 2001
This review is from: A Painted House (Hardcover)
This book marks something of a departure for John Grisham. All of his previous books have dealt in some way with the law. "A Painted House", does not, but tells the tale of a 7 year old boy growing up in rural Arkansas in the early 1950's. It is, as the blurb in the front cover explains, in many ways autobiographical, reflecting Grisham's own childhood.

At first I was unsure if I was going to enjoy this book, I feared that a story about a young boy growing up on a farm during the cotton-picking season might bore me. I needn't have worried. Although this story differs from the author's previous novels, and the pace is slower, it is none the less an amazing read. With a murderous fight, a 17 year old girl running away with a knife wielding Mexican and an illegitimate child chucked in for good measure, this book is far from boring. Add in the claustrophobic atmosphere of a small town, where every body knows every body else's business and the interminable tension of a family under strain to harvest their crop before the weather breaks; and what you get is a real page turner.

What is most interesting about this book though, is that it tells the tale of a boy growing up. Whilst not exactly chronicling his journey from boyhood to manhood, it shows us how he becomes more self-aware. Aware of the world outside, his small town, of the change in technology as the TV and phone become more commonplace and begin to intrude even into little towns like Black Oak. In this way, it seems to me, that the book is also a microcosm, reflecting how American and indeed the Western world changed as the consumer society took over from the bleak war years and the fading ripples of the Great Depression.

This book is seriously good. If you liked John Grisham's books before or even if you've never read one, read this, you will not be disappointed.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Nostalgic Charmer.., 21 Nov 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: A Painted House (Paperback)
If you are looking for a legal battle with judges' witnesses and juries forget it.
A clear departures from John Grisham's Court Room /Lawyer Thrillers, A Painted House is a gem of a read. And in my opinion undeniably one of his best! But then I think that of all Grisham Books.
The hero, Luke Chandler is only seven years old, but can he tell a story. . Snippets of his life during the cotton-picking season in the early fifties in Arkansas are not soon forgotten. Luke introduces us to the field hands who arrive to help pick the cotton that is waist high. 'The Mexicans' and 'The Hill Folk', bring a lot of tension, (not to mention a murder) to this hard working family of Farmers.
The fact that the Chandlers' are avid Cardinal Baseball fans just adds enjoyment to this delightful nostalgic story of a bygone era.
A Painted House is simply one of the most dead on target depictions of Southern rural life in the fifties, poignant sensitive and thought provoking. It brought back fond memories of a simpler life style. One we would have a hard time returning after a taste of the highly sophisticated electronic equipment we now have now found necessary. If you want to escape and enjoy a good read, take my advice and read this with the thought in mind that this is how life used to be for many Americans. Not bad, not bad at all.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic American novel, an unexpected delight
I haven't read any of Grisham's legal thrillers as they're not really the kind of thing I normally enjoy, but I picked this up because I'd heard it was different and it seemed... Read more
Published 10 days ago by Phil O'Sofa

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful
I loved it - Grisham's portrayal of a very poor farming family who have a name and status to maintain is tremendous. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Simon May

3.0 out of 5 stars Maybe needs a second coat
I noted that this book was inspired by Grishman's own childhood in rural Arkansas plus was not one of his usual lawyer/courtroom novels. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jonathan Clark

5.0 out of 5 stars John Grisham's finest book
I am a huge John Grisham fan, and someone bought this book for me. I started reading it, and by chapter 3, i thought it wasnt for me. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Emma L. Gillingha

1.0 out of 5 stars Boring and pointless
I just finished this book and what an anti-climax. There is basically no story here. Recommend you give this book a miss.
Published 9 months ago by E. Garcia

5.0 out of 5 stars A surprise
I wasn't sure at first what this book was going to like.
However, I was pleasantly surprised.
Nothing like his normal books, but it did keep me intrigued and reading... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Paul

1.0 out of 5 stars An insomniacs dream
I'll keep this short. It took me 3 months to get through this one. I so wished it would pick up. I kept thinking soon something will happen, but it didn't. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Michael Heppell

1.0 out of 5 stars The most boring book ever
I would give it minus 5 stars if I only could. The worst, most boring book I have ever read. Do not buy it - it looks like someone else has written this book and Grisham just gave... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Marzena Boczek

5.0 out of 5 stars His best
I read A Painted House not knowing that it was not another legal thriller. I love most of Grisham's legal thrillers, despite them all being pretty much the same story with... Read more
Published 19 months ago by DJ Darroch-thompson

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
I have read a few Grisham legal novels which aren't really my thing. This is far better in my opinion and shows that he is a very skilled writer. Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2008 by love reading

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject










i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.