Customer Reviews

Indiana Rules of Court: State and Federal, 2000

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Indiana's stark, unflinching and almost unbearably frank journey of self-discovery is among the most beautiful books I have ever read. The book's exploration of the magical realistic qualities of life, in which physical and intellectual impossibilities are overcome with a wink and a metaphysical shrug, and its almost fanatically methodical construction -- 3(b) invariably follows 3(a), and thereupon verges ineluctably towards 4 -- will change your life in ways that are, admittedly, imperceptible to you and everyone else. A book neither to be put down nor read, Indiana's monumental rules apply not only to court, but also to life, love, the pursuit of food and, to quote the author, "as otherwise provided by law."

A delicious romp, just the right mixture of suspense, pathos, romance and humor. Incisive, punchy writing, action-filled plot, memorable characters--this one's got everything! Bravo, Indiana! I can't wait for the next installment.

Quite frankly, I was a little disappointed - this author displayed great talent early in his career, but all of his works since the first have constituted an obvious desire to recapture the glory of his initial success, essentially by self-immitation. The characters and plot situations of Indiana Rules of Court: State and Federal, 2000, are virtually the same as those in the earlier installment in this series, Indiana Rules of Court: State and Federal, 1999. His latest work, Indiana Rules of Court: State and Federal, 2001, displays the same lack of originality, giving little further development to primary characters. Nevertheless, it's a good read to kill some time, and if you've read none of the books in the series, you can pick it up just about anywhere without feeling lost.

The boys are back -- to some extent! The first song, "Introduction," completely rocks. A couple of the others, including "Criminal Proceedings" hit hard and have brutal lyrics ("make a motion" -- ouch!). Later on, though, things kinda get bogged down. The band can't quite figure out what it wants to say, especially on the truly awful "Summary Judgment." There's a cool mention of Mike Tyson in one footnote, though. I'd say, if you're only gonna buy one by Indiana Procedure, this could be it, but maybe not.

It becomes evident early on that the work is geared toward film adaptation. Much of the material comes across as unnecessary and expendable. The plots are feeble and the ending is unnatural, and throughout, we encounter tense situations that are artificial, at best. Critical acclaim and commercial success have rendered the author lethargic in his prose. Apparently he is interested more in cashing a big paycheck than producing memorable literature. Nevertheless, the material will likely gain acceptance from the credulous movie-going public, much like last summer's film version of `New Mexico' and the straight-to-video `California Rules of Civil Procedure III: Beach Barristers.'

Indiana, while endeavoring to add to the (unfortunate) trend in legal thrillers, is anything but. The is no Grisham - the prose here is stilted, the characters are leaden. The work wanders from one topic to the next, as if written by committee. Readers on the look out for well-written legal procedure are best served by sticking to the tried and true - Miller on Federal Practice and Procedure would be a good place to start.

This frustrating novelization of the blockbuster Indiana Jones trilogy leaves a lot to be desired. The action-packed films have been condensed into one volume. I guess there must have been a ton of courtroom scenes in the movies that I forgot about, because most of the swashbuckling and boulder-fleeing derring-do (but not all of it!) has been replaced with a legal procedural set in, I suppose, Nazi-occupied wartime Europe. In Kafkaesque style, it's never really made clear (despite a whole chapter on venue) where the novel is set, but the constant references to Indiana (Jones) would lead anyone to conclude that it follows the travels of that adventurer across the wartine globe. With such a draconian and racist legal system, it is no wonder the Third Reich collapsed.

Indiana Jones buffs will be relieved to hear that Cate Capshaw and Short Round are completely absent from this novelization. Plus (spoilers ahead!), we find out a little more about the mysterious Dr. Abner Ravenwood (Marian's father), whose existence was only hinted at in the silver-screen versions. You sort of have to hunt among footnotes and citations, but the intrepid reader can piece together a substantial amount of Dr. Ravenwood's life story, including the tense subparagraph where he gives his fedora to a young Indy.

All in all, "Indiana Rules of Court: State and Federal" does a valiant job of living up to its big-screen counterparts, but in the end it falls of the mark set by Spielberg's films. Still, this is one of the highest-grossing movie novelizations of all time.

This book lacks substance. The author sounds as though she wants the characters to do something, without knowing what that "something" is. It's very lawyerly, in a way.

This effort seems a fundamental betrayal of the author's seminal work, "Code Dependent No More".

I tried to eat Salisbury Steak while reading this delicious book, but could only think of Beef Brisket instead. As I pondered my predicament I decided that I had been watching too much South PArk and had commenced an imaginary relationship with Chef, whom I fanticize to be a large one. This book brought out all the gravy for me and was glazed over with onions as well. I may never love again the way I loved with this book. It has profoundly affected my relationship with the lord Jesus Christ, whose middle initial is apparently H. Please email me if you too find this book lacivious and hunger inducing.