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I read this novel a couple of days ago (while I was recovering from an incredibly painful operation which was also a horrible failure so imagine my mood & sentiments). The book was exactly what I expected it to be, and it that sense I can honestly say that I'm not disappointed. I quite liked the implied irony and sarcasm of this novel. If you want to read someone who is able subtly make fun of election system, politicians, secret services, legal system and prisons, The Brethren is a novel for you. Here you basically have a story without a moral character. Everyone is corrupted, one way or another. You can't love these characters, but it's hard to hate them either. They're so human you're compelled to ,if not sympathize with them, then to understand them. Some time ago, i entered a multistore in my area. I was just browsing books, when this book caught my eye. I took it in my hands to take a look at it. When i saw writers name, a had a feeling that i know this name. For the uninformed, this tale is just a fantasy, but for those in the know, it is a disturbing hit too close to home for comfort. And for those who think the events cannot be possible, believe me, it is not only possible, it happens all the time!
The Broker by: John Grisham by John Grisham | Goodreads
This was, at it’s best, just so-so. There bits that were intriguing and bits that just went on and on. This was a great read and kept me hooked until the end. The danger the main character was in felt real and exposed the potential power plays going on at the highest levels of American government and within the intelligence systems.All Joel could see were dollar signs in front of his eyes and so he tried to sell it to the highest bidder. When the CIA became aware of this Joel was arrested and convicted for treason and to spend the next twenty years of his life behind a prison door. Meeting daily in the prison law library, taking exercise walks in their boxer shorts, these judges-turned-felons can reminisce about old court cases, dispense a little jailhouse justice, and contemplate where their lives went wrong. Or they can use their time in prison to get very rich—very fast. ...
The Broker - John Grisham
I have been reading Mr. Grisham for a long time….got us thru the COVID situation…kept my sanity. However, I have lost my list of books by ‘group’ and cannot seem to find any way to reprint it! What an amazing talent you have…don’t ever stop writing! Reply
Het boek wordt langzaam opgebouwd, een groot deel gaat over de tijd van Joel (dan Marco) in Bologna. Zijn lessen Italiaans, zijn bezoekjes aan verschillende bezienswaardigheden, aan restaurants waar hij algauw zelf zijn menu moet bestellen in het Italiaans en dergelijke. Where credulity leaves us was when Joel, who knows about as much about espionage as I do, decides to takes on the CIA at there own game. As with most of Grisham's books, there are a few swear words, some violence and some sexual innuendo. There is nothing grossly offensive or especially graphic. The president had shifted to the 'we' mode now, something he invariably did when a potentially unpopular decision was at hand. For the easy ones, it was always 'I.' When he needed a crutch, and especially when he would need someone to blame, he opened up the decisionmaking process and included Critz.” Of note,his characters were complex and evolved at the right pace. Joel’s struggle to learn Italian is a struggle that I can relate with. I have struggled with German my whole life.
John Grisham | Goodreads The Brethren by John Grisham | Goodreads
Welcome to John Grisham's fast pace, high-tech (not too technical) International, political, suspense/thriller. All complete with a nicely flawed antihero. A tad bit of romance. And a nice descriptive trip to Italy (however and unfortunately, at times the language interpreting portion within this trip has a casual tediousness to it). Het is pas een eind in het tweede deel van het boek dat de spanning er echt in komt, en dan gaat het eigenlijk razendsnel. Zo snel dat het moeilijk was het boek weg te leggen.As a lawyer, Grisham also made changes, switching from being a tax lawyer to trial lawyer, stating a dislike for the burdensome “complexity and lunacy” tax lawyers often face. His career as a trial lawyer was never fated to last long as well. Having graduated from law school in 1983, Grisham was elected to his state’s House of Representatives that same year, serving the Democratic Party until 1990. His legal practice lasted a decade. Anyway, this plot is complicated and there are many players - FBI, CIA, Mossad, Saudi, China, and Russian secret services, Politicians and more. Marco is constantly looking over his shoulder. There is an ominous feeling throughout this story. Grisham can certainly spin an interesting tale, he had me totally invested to the point I would get that sinking feeling in my stomach if Marco was in danger, or even if he was answering his door or crossing a street. The case is unfolding in Bologna, Italy, Where the author – narrator describes the entire city with tremendous accuracy. From the city monuments to the shops! At this point the book becomes a travelogue for Bologna, a crash course in learning Italian and also a good food guide to the best restaurants in Bologna. This would have been interesting had I been interested in going to Bologna. Enough said.
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