**Don't read this if you haven't read (and plan on reading) The Appeal!**
I have mixed feelings about this book! It was definitely NOT one of my favorites by John Grisham. I liked the "good" characters in this book, and I disliked the bad characters in this book. I think that was how we were supposed to feel, so that's why the end was upsetting!! I assumed the bankrupt underdogs would win! Isn't that how things are supposed to happen in fictional novels??? I guess I never knew how much I appreciated a happy ending!
I really didn't like Carl Trudeau, so I enjoyed seeing his interactions with his wife. Having a trophy wife can make you a little miserable and cost you a lot of money! Money, obviously, does not buy happiness.
I loved Wes and Mary Grace, which made the ending that much worse! They seemed like really good people, and they lost everything to fight the good fight. I really wanted them to get some sort of settlement so they could live the life they desired, which was so simple compared to Trudeau's!
I'm kind of torn over Fisk. He seemed like a good family guy who got into a not-so-great situation. He ended up selling himself short. As his partner said, "The Ron Fisk I remember had great respect for the law. Justice Fisk seems determined to change all of it." It was very sad about what happened to his son.
I reread most of Grisham's novels, but I probably won't reread this one. The ending kind of ruined the book for me.
Here are some questions for you!
What did YOU think of the book?
We've seen in different books and movies that political positions are often "bought," like Fisk and Senator Rudd. Do you think that really happens?
What do you think about suing? That's kind of a tricky question.... I think it probably depends on the case. Some people do get a little carried away, but there are definitely legitimate cases where there was gross negligence. Would you have sued in the case of Fisk's son?
What kind of judges would you prefer in the supreme courts? Someone who declares themselves conservative or liberal and always makes the predictable decision, or someone like Judge McCarthy who made her decisions based on the circumstances of each case?
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2 comments:
Oh. My. Goodness.
I just finished the book and I want to scream!
So to answer the questions...
1. I actually liked this book. I agree that it wasn't one of my favorite Grisham books, but it still kept my interest. I liked the development of the characters and how strongly my feelings and opinions formed about them. I hated Carl Trudeau and I wanted to push him over the edge of the deck of his mega-yacht at the end. I was secretly hoping he would jump, but obviously that didn't happen.
I thought a lot about my feelings about Ron Fisk. At first when his son was hurt, I was glad that he got to see how horrible those families felt when their loved ones were hurt or dead, but I was still sad that he would have to learn that through the experience of his son. Then I felt horrible for him. He was a good guy just trapped by a horrible company with their own agenda. Which made me hate Carl even more because he ruined this mans life. Then I was mad at Ron again because of his decision about Krane. But I still ache for him over his son.
I loved Wes and Mary Grace as well and I was so sad for them, their family, and for their clients by the result of the appeal. They lost everything and I agree with you Natalie...the life they desired was so much more simple than Carls. And then the last sentence of the book, "Now that he had 3 million, he wanted 6" made me so angry for that very reason!
2. I have wondered if political positions are often bought. I bet there is some "purchasing" out there, but I really hope that it's not as extreme as what happened in the book. Could you imagine if there actually were companies out there doing things like this?
3. I have mixed feelings about suing. I have worked in the medical insurance field for 6 years now, and I think I have changed my opinion because of that. I am sickened by the people who are out there looking to sue whoever they can. I can't even think about how much cheaper my medical insurance would be if there weren't such dishonest, money grubbing, sue-happy people out there. HOWEVER...if you have a legitimate reason to sue, I really think that you should. I think that I would sue in Fisk's son's case. I'm hesitant to type that, though. The only reason I would sue is because the result would have been different if they had the right CT scan. I have to ask, though...do you think that hospitals could afford more doctors and therefore be less busy (and therefore make less mistakes) if people were less sue-happy?
4. I think that when we vote, we generally vote for polititions/leaders/judges that are going to vote consistantly with what our values are, which is pretty much what Fisk did. The people voted him in based on what he stood for, and expected him to represent that on the bench. So I do want to give him credit for that. I think that the kind of judge that I want on the Supreme Court is one that implements the laws, not one who implements his own agenda. The scary thing is, is that we are seeing judges with agendas more and more and judges implementing the laws less and less. I am thinking of a case in Utah/Idaho that has been in the news lately of a judge that ruined a family's life by making a ruling on his agenda rather than a law...but that's another story for another day!
Great answers! I enjoyed reading them, and you did a good job writing them! As I was writing the questions, I kept thinking, "I don't know if I can answer that?!" Every situation can be so different. I think I would also sue in the case of Fisk's son because it seemed like such a big mistake! My friend just took her little 18 mo. old girl to the hospital because she hurt her leg. The doctor said she was fine and sent her home. A couple days later, the mom took the girl back in b/c she was still in pain. It turns out her leg was BROKEN! I don't think you should sue for this, but I think that the doctor should be held accountable in some way. I think that you're right-more doctors in hospitals would probably help some because they wouldn't have to rush.
I like your idea of pushing Carl off his mega-yacht. :)
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