Anatomy of a Murder (G.K. Hall Large Print Perennial Bestseller Collection) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Robert Traver (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1996 | Series: G.K. Hall Large Print Perennial Bestseller Collection

A gripping tale of deceit, murder and a sensational trial, this courtroom classic is unmatched in its authenticity and vivid portrayls of its setting, events, and characters. Irresistibly absorbing, it has set the standard for all courtroom dramas to come.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

12 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Robert Traver is the pseudonym of a former Michigan Supreme Court justice. He is the author of Trout Madness, People Versus Kirk, and Laughing Whitefish, among other works. He lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 687 pages
• Publisher: G K Hall & Co (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0783816669
• ISBN-13: 978-0783816661
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,498,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Combines great writing and suspense with a unique setting., June 4, 2003

By 

Greg (Alpena, MI) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Anatomy of a Murder (Paperback)

This book is based on a true murder case which happened in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula about fifty years ago. The last half of the story is almost entirely courtroom drama and is second to none for suspense in this genre. Not only do we get excellent character development and an exciting story, but also a nice sense of place, as Traver lived in the U.P. much of his life. Additionally, this book contains the most eloquent use of the modern English language I've ever read, particularly the character Parnell's quotes. Highly recommended to fans of courtroom drama or classic literature.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Traver's most famous work parllels the quality of the movie., January 5, 2000

By 

Ed Maxell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anatomy of a Murder (Paperback)

Once in a while, there is a book that I become obsessed with finishing; Robert traver's Anatomy of a Murder is such a book. He perfectly describes each and every delicate procedure undertaken by the book's hero, Paul Biegler, in order to successfully defend a muder charge.

Law is a thing which is immensely hard to understand, yet Traver has a way of explaining it in way that does not bore the reader and does not entirely detract from the story. Traver also has an interesting way of describing a character so that the reader can see them, but doesn't detail much of their physical features.

The best parts of the book (obviously) take place in the courtroom, where the reader will find themselves constantly changing their opinion between Manion's guilt. The part in which Biegler cross-examines the Prosecution's psychiatrist is one of the best chapters I've ever read in a book.

The only two problems with the book is that there is never any resolution with Mary Pilant, and it takes a while to get to the courtroom scenes.

However, if you are looking for a great courtroom drama, and a good read, this is one of the top in its field.

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book That Sets The Standard For "Legal Thrillers", March 27, 2002

By 

Paul Dana (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anatomy of a Murder (Paperback)

Many contemporary readers seem to find this novel "dated" or "trite." With all due respect, I find this type of thinking analogous to those who say the same about Bronte's "Jane Eyre," never taking the time to realize that she -- like Travers in this instance -- was breaking new ground, setting the standard for successive (and in all too many instances lesser) writers to equal and exceed, if only they could.

In "Anatomy," there is never a question that army Lt. Manion is responsible for the death of tavern owner Barney Quill in a relatively remote "upper peninsula" Michigan locale. Witnesses to the shooting death are hardly in short supply; add to that the fact that Manion himself readily admits to the homicide. What is at issue -- and which, frankly, may remain at issue even after the last page is turned -- is the question of Manion's culpability; was his killing of Quill justified, in the strictest legal sense, or was it otherwise?

Travers leaves that question dangling in the minds of his reader, diverting our attention, rather, to the practice of criminal law and trial strategies; his protagonist, recently-deposed County Prosecutor Paul ('Polly') Biegler, faces an uphill battle against not only his successful rival, Mitch Lodwick, but a high-powered deputy from the state attorney-general's office (from 'downstate' in Flint, Michigan) who promptly emerges as his true antagonist. Relative issues of guilt vs. innocence quickly take a backseat to questions of "gamesmanship" in the trial as Biegler fights to introduce evidence that the prosecution fights equally hard to suppress. "Truth" quickly becomes a secondary issue -- if an issue at all.

Nor are Biegler's problems confined simply to the courtroom; he finds himself entertaining a hearty dislike for his client -- as would most people as well as, one suspects, the man's own wife --even as he finds himself compelled to 'coach' his client through a recounting of the events leading up to the death of Quill (while always remaining within the American Bar Association's canons of conduct) which may or may not provide an "affirmative defense."

Travers chooses to recount his narrative through the first-person, and wisely so. Biegler's account is delivered in a somewhat wry, and at times whimsical, voice that is nonetheless passionate in its love for -- and belief in -- the law and the way it is practiced in the courtroom.

"Anatomy Of A Murder" emerges -- and today, almost 50 years later, remains -- as a classic novel of the American legal process. Anyone who thinks to term this novel as "dated" or "trite" need only to look to the fact that the book is still in publication, and readily available, as opposed to far too many of its "successors" . . .