Customer Reviews

Presumed Innocent

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

 

 

Scott Turow is an excellent writer of complex novels. None of the other popular authors of this genre can hold a candle to his work. Turow writes literature; the others write comic books. If you've seen the movie, you know the story, but as they say, "The story is in the telling". This is an excellent novel, even if you're not in love with the legal genre.

I read this book the month it was published, and once I began, I couldn't stop reading, despite the fact that in some sections the prose read like a lawyer, not a novelist, wrote it: lots of colons, semi-colons, and long narrative descriptions. Nevertheless, I was driven on by the plot: I absolutely wanted to know what happened to the main character. Approximately half way into the book, I suddenly realized: "Wait! If what I'm told is true, only one of two people could have committed this crime." In fact, the murderer was one of these two people. I found it a bit disappointing to know at the halfway point, with certainty, that only one of two people could have committed the crime. I would have liked to have been in suspense longer than that. Still, it was a great read, a tours de force -- I highly recommend it.

I read this book years after seeing the movie and enjoyed it as much as I would have without knowing the very surprising conclusion. Scott Turow's writing is unique, his stories profound. I have read all his books and have never been disappointed. Throughout this book he explores the psyche of the primary character so that it all becomes very alive and real to the readers. His writing is thoughtful as well as skillful, keeping the reader engrossed throughout. There are no slow points in Presumed Innocent and no character that you don't care about. This story explores relationships, politics, secrets and passion in a complex legal thriller that truly keeps you guessing throughout. If you like this book, and you will, read Innocent, the sequel occuring many years later.

I just finished reading Scott Turow's Presumed innocent. I almost didn't get past the first few chapters because of the vulgar language. I just honestly do not like it. However,the plot caught me and I finished reading it. I love legal thrillers, as well as medical, psychological and other books which delve into how individuals think. I will say that the book would have been much easier to read if it had quotation marks around the conversation. Sometimes I had to go back to see if what I was reading was description or conversation. The plot was very convoluted, and I loved it. I thought I had finished the book after chapter 36, what a good ending, I THOUGHT. Then I found there were several more chapters, which actually amounted to a mini book, with a completely surprising ending, a real surprise.

One thing I didn't get: the autopsy showed semen in Carolyn's body which was sterile, and Barbara, the Hero's wife had put her husband's semen in after Carolyn was dead. Yet Rusty, the hero said that he would like to marry again, and marry a younger woman and have another child. Explain please?????

At this point I would be willing to read one more of Turow's books, but frankly the plot isn't good enough to out-weigh the language. I am no doubt in a minority about the language, but I stand by my beliefs.

Lilove

Didn't get pasted the 1st chapter. Thought the hero should be convicted of grand stupidity. Not up to Turow's usual creativity.

I find this book difficult to read because of the style of writing. Unlike novelists David Baldacci, Brad Meltzer, Mike Lawson or countless other storytellers, it does not flow smoothly and the reader must slog through more than 150 pages before the story begins in earnest. It appears as if the writer is simply trying to fill the pages with maudlin descriptions of everything in the character's world. And those descriptions ramble on -- sometimes for an entire chapter -- with no better understanding of where all this is taking the reader. I will not read anymore of Scott Turow's fiction because it is just too intense and difficult to try to read.

This book introduced me to Scott Turow's excellent writing. So glad it did, because his writing is fantastic. "Presumed Innocent" was a quick read that engrosses the reader from the very first sentence and keeps them wanting more. It has all of the qualities a good mystery needs. Good story, characters, plot, and suspense. If you've only seen the movie, try the book. While the movie is good, the book is so much better.

I continue to read Scott Turow, and he continues to write tight, well-planned novels.