A review by kandicez
Gray Mountain by John Grisham
4.0
I used to read Grisham novels the second they came out. I loved them. I would see the announcement of one coming up and count the days. Playing for Pizza. Not since, have I looked forward to one of his so I’ve missed quite a few. This one was just sitting on the shelf at the library as I was walking out. I don’t even know why I picked it up, but I’m glad I did.
This was not a great book. I’ll be the first to admit that. I loved this book for personal reasons and I don’t apologize for it because if we don’t love books for personal reasons a lot less books would be popular! I grew up in West Virginia in coal mining country. This book is based in Virginia, but coal mining is coal mining. Grisham used this book as a platform to reveal the travesty of strip mining and I grew up with deep mining, but again, mining is mining. Each has equal consequences to the people doing the mining and the people that live in the areas where the mining is happening. I’d be the first to admit that strip mining is more devastating to the land, but both ruin men.
I listened to the audio and it was like listening to someone describe the mountains where I spent my childhood. We see these mountains through the eyes of a New York lawyer so they are described in exquisite detail and my heart pined for home. It pined until the description got to the spoiled water, orange sinks and tubs and constant coughing and hacking of the miners and eventually their families.
If you have no interest or personal connection to coal mining this is probably not the book for you. Grisham’s story telling skills feel as if they have degenerated into a form letter format. Big City lawyer helps little guy and finds purpose in the law. Blah blah blah... But for me, this particular form letter was a winner.
This was not a great book. I’ll be the first to admit that. I loved this book for personal reasons and I don’t apologize for it because if we don’t love books for personal reasons a lot less books would be popular! I grew up in West Virginia in coal mining country. This book is based in Virginia, but coal mining is coal mining. Grisham used this book as a platform to reveal the travesty of strip mining and I grew up with deep mining, but again, mining is mining. Each has equal consequences to the people doing the mining and the people that live in the areas where the mining is happening. I’d be the first to admit that strip mining is more devastating to the land, but both ruin men.
I listened to the audio and it was like listening to someone describe the mountains where I spent my childhood. We see these mountains through the eyes of a New York lawyer so they are described in exquisite detail and my heart pined for home. It pined until the description got to the spoiled water, orange sinks and tubs and constant coughing and hacking of the miners and eventually their families.
If you have no interest or personal connection to coal mining this is probably not the book for you. Grisham’s story telling skills feel as if they have degenerated into a form letter format. Big City lawyer helps little guy and finds purpose in the law. Blah blah blah... But for me, this particular form letter was a winner.