The lawyer (novel)

John Grisham, 2008

The attorney (original title: The Associate ) is a novel of American author John Grisham , who in 2009 at Doubleday & Co was released. The German translation is by Bernhard Liesen and was also published by Heyne Verlag in 2009 .

content

Kyle McAvoy is a determined young student who is about to take his final law exam at Yale University . One evening he is followed by two suspicious figures on his way home from a basketball game and shortly afterwards he is taken to a man by the name of Bennie Wright. He initially pretends to be an FBI investigator, but then drops the mask and shows Kyle a video tape with recordings from the time Kyle studied at Duquesne University.

On this video he should see how one of his fellow students is raped in his apartment. The situation has never been clarified, but the existence of a cell phone recording was often mentioned during the investigations at the time. Kyle looks at how two of his fellow students have sex with the young woman, initially in agreement - but later under alcohol - and in the course of this they discover that she will eventually lose consciousness. Young Kyle watches this alleged rape scene from close range on his sofa.

Bennie Wright then blackmailed him. Kyle is scheduled to start working for him at the large New York law firm Scully & Pershing , where he gets information about a major case. At this point in time, all doors of justice are open to Kyle, although his bar exam is still to come, but the brilliant student would no doubt take this hurdle. So he joins Scully & Pershing and, after a sobering start in the league of great litigators, soon finds himself familiar with the case Wright had brought him up to date. This process concerns rights to an aircraft commissioned by the US military. The warring parties Trylon, on the one hand, and Barton, on the other, are engaged in a relentless battle after the deal is broken. Trylon is a client of S&P, possibly even the most important at the time.

Kyle's fellow students at the time are also being monitored by Wright's people. Most have already forgotten or suppressed the incident, so Kyle confides in Joey alone and forges a plan with him to find out more about his pursuers.

When Baxter Tate (one of the alleged rapists) begins to reflect on his past as part of an alcohol withdrawal, the latter decides to apologize to his previous victim and ask for forgiveness. Wright's men are believed to follow Tate because before he can meet the previous victim, he is murdered.

Now Kyle confides in his father and a lawyer and turns on the FBI. He's still seeing Wright at the same time. He is to be given the task of stealing documents from the digital database of the law firm S&P with the help of technical devices.

John McAvoy, Kyle's father, himself a lawyer in York, is meanwhile negotiating with the rape victim and negotiating a settlement. The FBI's plan to arrest Wright while handing over the documents fails before Kyle sees him one last time.

After the failed access, Kyle leaves the firm and New York and joins his father as a partner in the law firm McAvoy & McAvoy .

background

The story is based on a 2005 case in which a Las Vegas man, as part of his Alcoholics Anonymous program, wrote letters of apology to the people he believed he had molested while he was an alcoholic . One of these letters was to a woman who claimed in 1984 that an unknown man raped her at a University of Virginia fraternity party . However, at the time, both the university officials and the police ignored their allegations. With today's concessions from the man in hand, the woman called the police so that the man could be reported for the rape. Due to the usual bargaining between the prosecution and the defense during the plea , the man was sentenced to only 18 months in a settlement for a minor offense and was pardoned after six months. This case was extensively discussed in the press in Charlottesville , where author Grisham lives, and served as the backdrop for his 21st novel. In 2011 the victim filed a civil law suit against the perpetrator and published her own book about the crime and the consequences.

Reviews

Both the English and German-language critics agreed that the work had the usual technical skills of Grisham, but also unanimously criticized the weakness of the plot and the lack of character drawing.

The New York Times' Janet Maslin said: “Mr. Grisham so often writes similar books that the same things must be said of them. The Associate is true to form: it grabs the reader quickly, becomes impossible to put down, stays that way through most of its story, and then escalates into plotting so crazily far-fetched that it defies resolution. Kyle McAvoy is another of the two-dimensional yet terrifically likeable heroes who come to life on Mr. Grisham's pages only to evaporate later. It's easy to predict what choice Kyle will make at the end of the novel. It's impossible to imagine, let alone care, what his life will be like once the improbably wild furor surrounding this one lone law-firm recruit is over. "

("Mr. Grisham writes similar books so often that the same things have to be said about them. The lawyer follows the usual form: he quickly grabs the reader, unable to put the book back down, stays much of the story that way, and then escalates in a twist so crazy and far-fetched that it needs to be resolved. Kyle McAvoy is again one of those two-dimensional difficult-to-like heroes who only come to life on Mr. Grisham's side only to literally evaporate later. It is easy to predict what choice Kyle will make at the end of the novel. It's impossible to imagine what his life will be like later when this wild recruiting phase of this lonely law firm is over. ")

Richard Rayner of the Los Angeles Times put it like this: “Nobody goes to Grisham for style, and there's a sense here of a skilled craftsman cranking it out on autopilot. Nothing much happens, and when it happens, it's pretty predictable. Grisham's Kyle is cardboard-thin ( Scott Turow has a much defter hand with character), but Grisham is an effective lens through which we observe the intricacies of corporate law, an easily corruptible world governed, not by right and wrong, but by the concept of the billable hour. . . The Associate springs to angry life from time to time, but on the whole it's by the numbers, a plodding page turner. But it's still a page-turner: Many of Grisham's legions of fans will doubtless sign up for this latest ride, eager to see how Kyle McAvoy manages to get himself out of the hole. With ideals restored, Grisham ensures, making Kyle an appealing model for our troubled new time ".

("Nobody is like Grisham in style, and it feels like you're seeing a skilled handyman on autopilot. Not much happens - and when it does, it's pretty predictable. Grisham's Kyle is a cardboard mate (Scott Thurow has a much better hand with the description of the characters), but Grisham is an effective lens through which we can look at the intricacies of corporate law that rules an easily corruptible world, not by "right" or "wrong," but by the concept of a payday ... The Lawyer turns into an angry creature at times, but on the whole it's a simple fiction. But it is a fiction nonetheless: many of the crowd of Grisham fans will undoubtedly buy this final ride too, eager to see Kyle McAvoy's head himself With the remaining ideals, Grisham ensures that Kyle is seen as an appealing model for our crisis-ridden new times G".)

Washington Post's Patrick Anderson noted, “Grisham has long since proved his narrative talent. His plot is highly fanciful, and he makes it easy for us to keep flipping the pages to see if Kyle can find a way out of this mess. He mostly writes clean, workmanlike prose, but I have one stylistic complaint about the novel. It's important to Grisham not only that Kyle be seen as noble, but also that his tormentor be a rat. Thus, as Bennie spits out his nefarious demands, we're variously told that he speaks 'with a sneer,' with a 'smart-ass grin,' with a 'silly smirk.' Enough already; we get it ”.

("Grisham has long shown his storytelling talent. His storyline is quite imaginative, and he makes it easy for us to turn the pages to see if Kyle can find a way out of his problems. He writes mostly clean, businesslike prose, but a stylistic concern about the novel It is important for Grisham that not only Kyle be seen as the noble knight, but that his tormentor is a rat. Thus, as Bennie spat out his disgusting demands, we are variously told that with "a mocking smile," a "smart ass grin" or with a "stupid, smug grin" speaks. Enough; we understood long ago ".)

Newsday's Charles Taylor criticized Grisham drastically: “You don't need to be sadistic or foul-mouthed to write a good thriller, but you need exactly what Grisham lacks: a taste for cunning, meanness and grit. He sets up a big showdown only to walk away from it, and so the tension just dribbles off. Worse, Grisham's country-mouse attitude toward the big, bad city - where apartments rent for thousands of dollars a month and you can't find a good $ 3.99 blue-plate special at the local diner - is a drag. Who wants to reach for a thriller and wind up with Frank Capra ? "

("You don't have to be sadistic or rude to write a good thriller, but you have to have exactly what you miss in Grisham: a sense of cunning, meanness and cutting. He builds a big showdown to end up with So the tension drips away. Grisham's provincial attitude towards the big, bad city - where apartments cost thousands of dollars a month and you can't get a good menu of the day for $ 3.99 in the diner - is a fake who's looking for one Thriller and ends with Frank Capra? ")

In contrast, Lev Grossman from Time packed his criticism into initial praise and said that the novel “ticks along lightly and pleasantly - it's crafted and paced with the same signature glossy perfection that makes Grisham, book for book, probably the best-selling novelist in the world. It's just that it's not about anything. In fact it's amazing that anybody could put together a book that is this compulsively readable while at the same time being almost entirely devoid of substance of any kind. . . The Associate is as close to being about nothing as a book can be - it's a masterpiece of almost ghostly narrative minimalism, a book of names without characters, a book with plot points but no plot. There's something comforting about the meaningless hindbrain tension that the associate generates in the reader - empty tension, the kind where there's nothing genuine at stake. Comforting too is the cozy quaintness of Grisham's little world. It's supposed to be a scary place, in theory, full of brooding criminals and impossible choices, but it's really a relic of the American past, one as sentimental and archaic as a Norman Rockwell painting. . . The Associate is high-calorie comfort food, a thriller that doesn't actually thrill ".

(The novel “flows easily and pleasingly - it is solidly crafted with the same brilliant perfection that has made Grisham one of the world's most successful novelists with each of his books. Unfortunately, it is about nothing. In fact, it is It is amazing that anyone can put together a book that is read compulsively, while on the other hand it lacks substance. (...) The lawyer is close to being a book without content - it is a masterpiece of narrative minimalism, a book by name but without characters, a book with bits and pieces of plot but no actual plot. There is something comforting in the insignificant, retarded tension that The Advocate creates in the reader - an empty tension of the kind where nothing essential is at stake The strange curiosity of the little world of Grisham is also comforting: theoretically it should be a terrible place, full of dangerous criminals and impossible choices, but in reality it's a relic of the American past, as sentimental and archaic as a Norman Rockwell painting. (...) The lawyer is a high-calorie affluence meal, a suspense novel that is not even exciting ”.)

Joshua Rozenberg from The Observer finally came to the following verdict: “Suffice it to say that The Associate bears many similarities to The Firm , even down to the two dust jackets, which both show shadowy young lawyers on the run. Plagiarism ? No, because both books are by John Grisham. Those who believed, even for a moment, that I was suggesting impropriety will recognize this as the sort of false trail that Grisham uses to good effect. . . Though our hero believes himself to be in the clear, he goes along with the blackmailers' demands. The reader screams at him to call their bluff, but that would ruin the story. So we suspend our disbelief. Then, just as we have got used to the idea, he changes his mind and sets about trapping the blackmailers after all. And that's it. The ending is curiously flat ".

( Needless to say, The Lawyer has many similarities to The Firm , such as the two dusters that both represent shadowy young lawyers on the run. Plagiarism? No, as both books are by John Grisham. Those who believed, even for a moment, that I was suggesting something improper in this, will recognize the form of false traces that Grisham uses for a good effect. Although our hero is clear about himself, he goes to the demands of the Blackmailer. The reader himself would like to scream about their bluff , but that would ruin the story. And so we stick with our disbelief. Finally, once we got used to the idea, he changes his mind and leaves it Blackmailer escaped. And that's it. The ending is strangely flat ".)

The German-language criticism felt the weaknesses of the work even more strongly: "" The Lawyer "by John Grisham can only be recommended to a limited extent. If you want to look behind the scenes of a powerful law firm and find out about the working conditions, this novel will certainly be of great interest. However, anyone who expects a varied and exciting story will be bitterly disappointed here. John Grisham's style is unmistakable here too. He's still a really good writer, but this novel is his weakest in terms of content. I have seldom seen an ending that leaves so many questions unanswered ”. In particular, the poor conclusion of the novel is also criticized from other sources: “The tension is nowhere and the end is not an end. Everything ends, no somehow silts up. Resolution? There are none. The rape threat is handled by Kyle's father, incidentally. Who the blackmailers are and what assignment they are working on remains in the dark, as does the second spy ”.

In general, the reviewers seemed to lack that certain something in this book and so Martin Halter complained about the lack of real, comprehensible figures: "You can actually read through" Der Anwalt "quickly: The case is not overly complex, the figure constellation is clear (two friends and a beautiful Woman versus the rest of the world), the language as usual plain ("Dale was thirty, unmarried, and he had just begun to explore her reserved and complex nature"), the translation sloppy. So in the end nothing gets stuck, at most the question of who should play the lawyer in the inevitable film adaptation ”.

expenditure

John Grisham: The associate . Doubleday & Co, New York 2009, ISBN 978-0-385-51783-6 .
John Grisham: The Lawyer . Heyne, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-453-26615-5 .

Adaptations

Audio book

John Grisham: The Lawyer . Random House Audio, Cologne 2009. Voiced by Charles Brauer . ISBN 3837101320 . 6 CDs.

Web links

Review summary of The Lawyer on perlentaucher.de

Individual evidence

↑ On the correspondence and content that developed afterwards: Dear Rapist. Twenty years after her assault at a college party, Liz Seccuro received a letter of apology from her attacker. The correspondence that followed led her to pursue justice at last . In: The Guardian , April 30, 2011.

↑ Concord Monitor, February 8, 2009 ( Memento of the original from February 25, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.

↑ Liz Seccuro: Crash Into Me: A Survivor's Search for Justice . Bloomsbury 2011

↑ Rape victim forgave attacker after 20 years ... then pressed charges . In: Daily Mail , February 17, 2011.

^ Another Young Lawyer Is Served Up for Breakfast , The New York Times , Jan. 26, 2009.

^ The Associate 'by John Grisham . In: Los Angeles Times January 23, 2009

^ Past Sins, With Hell to Pay . in: Washington Post , January 26, 2009.

↑ Review: 'The Associate' by John Grisham . In: Newsday , February 7, 2009.

^ John Grisham's Charming Novel About Nothing. In: Time , January 24, 2009.

^ The Observer review. Now where have I read this before? , The Guardian / The Observer , January 25, 2009.

↑ Review of The Lawyer at: buchwurm.info

^ Review of Der Anwalt on: www.leser-welt.de

↑ Martin Halter: The most spectacular process of all time. "The Lawyer": Thriller writer John Grisham lets one of his legal hypersonic bombs crash again . In: Badische Zeitung , September 16, 2009.