Two new books!
Hi friends,
I was not able to publish a new post during the past month primarily because I started reading two new books written by Mr. John Grisham. The first book is titled "The Reckoning" and the second one is titled "Gray Mountain". I am sure that many of you might have already read either one or both of the above mentioned books. This is the first time I am reading both these books and hence wanted to explain to my readers about what piqued my interest in both these books. I have completed reading the first book-"The Reckoning" while the second book is a work in progress. Hence, I shall write about "The Reckoning" first which will be followed by "Gray Mountain" in the subsequent post.
The story is based in Clanton, Mississippi, USA in the 1940's and it's plot revolves around the actions of Pete Banning. Pete was a decorated World War II hero and the patriarch of a prominent family in the Ford county. The entire county was shook to the core when one day Pete walked into the church and calmly shot and killed the Reverend Dexter Bill. The one other thing that baffled the residents of Ford county other than the murder itself was the statement of Pete Banning regarding the crime he committed. Thus, the murder of Reverend Bill became the most unforgettable crime the county had ever known.
The book is expertly written by Mr. Grisham so as to not reveal the twist until the very end. There are subtle hints in one or two places about the big twist at the end but the plot is crafted in such a way that it directs the readers attention away from those hints. If you are expecting a thrilling court room drama similar to Mr. Grisham's other works, then the reader will feel a bit unsatisfied upon reading the entire story. The book serves as a brilliant illustration of how war leads not only to loss of human lives but also how scarred the life of a war hero can be, particularly with respect to relationships. The story also provides a realistic view of the sufferings that families go through due to senseless acts of violence which is illustrated by hardships that the son, daughter and sister of Pete go through due to the crime committed by their father/brother and on the other end of the scale we have the Bell family which is devastated by the loss of their father/husband. The book also demonstrates how people tend to take advantage of a vulnerable family.
The critical set of chapters that made this book memorable for me were the chapters that describe about World War II and in particular, "The Bataan Death March". I loved the attention to detail the author was able to provide through his extensive research about this subject by referring to other books. The name of the books which the author has referred regarding World War II have been provided for the readers at the end of the book. In all, this is an expertly written book that has a memorable opening sequence and a twist to remember at the end but I believe this book shall be remembered for it's tense, gripping and realistic portrayal about World War II rather than for it's melancholic plot.
If you wish to read this book, please find the link below (for the Indian subcontinent only) to purchase it,
See you soon with another book explored 😉
-Thejas
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