The Burden of Proof [Mass Market Paperback]

Scott Turow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1991

Turow's acclaimed second novel, which topped international bestseller lists, is now available in trade paperback. Sandy Stern, the brilliant defense attorney from Presumed Innocent, faces an event so emotionally shattering that no part of his life is left untouched. It reveals a family caught in a maelstrom of hidden crimes, shocking secrets, and warring passions.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Criminal defense lawyer Alejandro "Sandy" Stern copes with his wife's suicide, his three grown children and a government investigation of his brother-in-law's successful brokerage house. "Turow develops a complex, satisfying plot, steeped in law and finance, that turns perhaps too often on coincidence but remains utterly faithful to its deeply probed characters," said PW. $200,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Warner Books Mass Market, First printing edition (June 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446360589
• ISBN-13: 978-0446360586
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1.1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,025,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's more like a novel than a typical mystery., December 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Burden of Proof (Mass Market Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book, but people looking for a typical terse, thrilling courtroom or legal thriller may find that this one is deeper than what is typical for this genre.

This book is more like a novel with very developed, deep characters, who have very complicated issues, all of which are essential to the story. It's a novel about the lead character, Sandy Stern, who happens to be a lawyer, and who does get entangled in a legal mess as the result of his wife's suicide, but the legal tangle and it's solution is not really the point. The major theme of the novel seems to be that appearances are deceiving, that people within the same family often work at cross purposes, and that even what seems to be direct communication can be totally misinterpreted. Sandy Stern is deceptive and deceiving, and so are all his family, friends and aquaintances. As he uncovers secret after secret he realizes how his life and everyone in it is largely a reflection of his own behavior.

Turow is a much better and deeper writer than others in the "legal thriller" genre he's lumped in with.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's The Journey That Matters, Not The Destination, May 7, 2006

By 

Robert Derenthal "bucherwurm" (California United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Burden of Proof (Mass Market Paperback)

Scott Turow writes literature. Like John La Carre, the joy of reading his works lies in the journey through the book. Characters come alive; scenes are rich with description. Though not stream of consciousness novels, we are able to witness the thoughts of the actors, and discern their emotions as well as their understanding of life. In reading the "Burden of Proof " I often forgot that I was reading a mystery. To many readers that may be seen as a novelistic flaw, but to me it was a source of pleasure.

Sandy Stern has to cope with losing his wife who has committed suicide. How does a middle aged man make his way through this tragedy? How does a reserved, formal lawyer re-enter the world as a single man? How does he manage to legally represent his adventuresome, risk taking brother-in-law? These are a few of the challenges he faces.

Yes it is a mystery; a double one in fact. One sub-plot involves the federal investigation of his brother-in-law for some questionable futures trading. Some readers may find this less interesting than the typical legal thriller where the protagonist is faced with defending a suspected murderer (as in Turow's "Presumed Innocent"). The other sub-plot concerns a medical mystery surrounding the death of Stern's wife.

This is not a book for lovers of heart pounding, action thrillers. It is a story where you savor the quality of the writing; where you enjoy the development of the characters, and where you take pleasure in the scenes and setting of the story.

One complaint I've come across in reviews of various books is the comment that the author could have told the same story in less than half the actual pages. Turow could have written this novel in half the actual 570 pages, but then we would have missed the beauty of the story as he wanted to tell it. One reviewer of this book indicated that Turow was trying to show his knowledge of the dictionary. That puzzles me; I didn't have to look up a single word, and I'm sure you won't have to either.

If you like both fine writing, and a good story Turow can't be beat.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST novel I have ever read!, January 27, 2000

By 

Mike Dowling (West Palm Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Burden of Proof (Mass Market Paperback)

Scott Turrow took me on a trip that was amazing. One hundred pages before the end of the book I put it down and figured out the ending. It turned out that I "figured out" exactly what Sandy Stern did, but both of us were wrong. This book is the model for legal thrillers. I've read the book three times. I'm upset with myself for lending it out and not getting it back. I need to order another copy from amazon.com because I discover an entirely new dimension every time I read it. Enjoy...