A Civil Action [Hardcover]

Jonathan Harr (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0394563492 | ISBN-13: 978-0394563497 | Publication Date: August 29, 1995 | Edition: 1st

Two of the nation's largest corporations stand accused of causing the deaths of children. Representing the bereaved parents, the unlikeliest of heroes emerges: a young, flamboyant Porsche-driving lawyer who hopes to win millions of dollars and ends up nearly losing everything -- including his sanity.

A Civil Action is the searing, compelling tale of a legal system gone awry -- one in which greed and power fight an unending struggle against justice. Yet it is also the story of how one man can ultimately make a difference. With an unstoppable narrative power reminiscent of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, A Civil Action is an unforgettable reading experience that leaves the reader both shocked and enlightened.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Every element of great drama--tragic deaths, titanic greed, a flawed hero--already existed in Jonathan Harr's A Civil Action. John Shea's reading provides the finishing touch: a great voice. Shea, an Obie Award-winning stage actor, is probably best known for his roles in a handful of films in the '80s, including Missing and Windy City. His smooth, disciplined reading guides us through some of the book's heavy traffic--lots of medical information, many characters with complex backgrounds, multiple carcinogenic chemicals--without for a second allowing us to get lost in those details. We never forget we're heading toward one of modern journalism's great clashes of good and evil, and even if we know in advance which side wins, the narrative path to that conclusion is always riveting. (Running time: 4 hours, 4 cassettes) --Lou Schuler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

This tale of a somewhat quixotic quest by an idealistic young lawyer concerns his efforts to secure damages from two corporate giants, Beatrice Foods and W.R. Grace, for allegedly polluting the water in Woburn, Mass., a Boston suburb, with carcinogens. Jan Schlichtmann had hoped that a victory would send a message to the boardrooms of America and felt that the cluster of leukemia victims in Woburn (the disease had claimed the lives of at least six children) guaranteed his success. But he reckoned without certain developments: first, the case went to a federal court, a less sympathetic venue for damage suits than state courts; second, the trial judge appears to have been unsympathetic to his case; third, at least one of the defense witnesses lied; four, defense attorneys evidently failed to deliver all relevant documents to Schlichtmann's team. The case against Beatrice was thrown out, and the plaintiffs accepted a settlement of $8 million from Grace. Personally bankrupt, Schlichtmann considered himself a failure. Former New England Monthly staffer Harr has told the story expertly, although more exhaustively than most readers may wish. Author tour; movie rights to Disney.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 500 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1st edition (August 29, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394563492
• ISBN-13: 978-0394563497
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (357 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Justice?, June 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: A Civil Action (Paperback)

This book is a depressing lesson in the ways that our judicial system don't work. An adverserial system of justice, by its very nature, leads not to an inquiry into the truth but instead to a polarized system where each side is fighting for its own side and disinterested in the merits of its opposition.

While this book was, in many ways, a real downer, it was also a fascinating chronicle of litigation. I was immediately drawn in my the families' tragedies, Schlichtmann's flawed but good-hearted optimism, and the interaction between the lawyers and the judge. As Schlichtmann swirled deeper into debt, I found it impossible not to feel a growing sense of desparation along with him. The ending is bitterly disappointing, but in many ways the families eventually got what they wanted with subsequent EPA actions and criminal prosecutions.

My husband and I are both attorneys. Last year, he was involved in a case in which the outcome was simply criminal. I felt I could relate in a deeper sense to the drama in A Civil Action after experiencing such a travesty of justice firsthand. We have to work within the confines of the flawed legal system that exists now, but we must accept that it is far from perfect. Judges and juries--as humans--get things wrong all the time. This book, in gripping prose, demonstrates this basic fact of life in all too vivid of detail.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Injustice prevails, May 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: A Civil Action (Paperback)

I know a person who worked for Grace Corp.,one of its defense subsidiaries in Woburn, who was told they had been extensively investigated by the Justice Dept and FBI to work there.When this person requested their record with these agencies, both branches refused to provide copies or access to it.

This person was forced to sign an agreement with the U.S. government not to file bankruptcy in the future or lose the job and all benefits.

In 1995 when this book came out the person's medical records disappeared and the person became a victim of financial and character assassination, as if forcing the individual to violate this agreement and file bankruptcy anyway because they had no choice. Later, individuals alleging business linkage to this Grace subsidiary in Woburn and family or friendship ties to the FBI branches in Boston and surrounding areas began an intimidation campaign against this person.

This person had worked as a safety and/or environmental person with Grace corp, and been ousted under hostile and questionable circumstances and later blackballed in work references.Today the person is homeless and joblessand has been ruined in almost every way imaginable.Jan Schlictmann paid a price but this individual paid a higher one.

32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Broader questions, August 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A Civil Action (Hardcover)

This case is fundamentally about responsibility. Corporations by design exist to conduct business with a much higher degree of protection than that afforded to a private citizen. Even if a company is found guilty of anything, the fines imposed are absorbed by laying off workers and the legal fees ultimately passed back to the customer. If an employee observes questionable activity in the company they risk alienation from peers, blocked career growth, or even termination by 'making waves' in the organization. If an outside agency like EPA comes in, they must counterweigh potential layoffs to any fines they might impose. A hidden sleeping giant in regulating corporation responsibility might be insurers of the business, who stand to lose large sums of money in liability cases. In examining this case, one might wonder if there is a relationship between environmental pollution and the ultimate handling of the cleanup. If companies pollute and the EPA ultimately comes in, dispenses funds to orchestrate the cleanup, and remediation contractors are called in, don't the contractors for EPA have a ready business source? Could some of the biggest polluters be friendly to the cleanup companies with which the EPA contracts?