Book review: A Time to Kill
I have heard a lot about John Grisham but neverread his books. So after lot of waiting, I finally picked up one of his book
name ‘A Time to Kill’. Set in early 1980’s in Clonton town in Ford County,
Mississippi, a black man name Carl Lee Hailey is convicted for murdering 2
white boys for raping his daughter.
Two white boys kidnapped Taniya Hailey, a 10 year old black
girl and gang raped her, abused her, beaten her and tried to kill her. In an
attempt to kill her, she was found by workers and admitted into hospital. The county
sheriff who is black find these two boys and they are put into trial. As the
date of trial comes near, the father of the girl, Carl Lee Hailey carefully
plan and kill those white boys in the court room. Carl Lee Hailey is convicted and he hire Jake Brigance,
a young lawyer who practice law in the office provided by his retired
but rich senior Lucien Wilbanks, to fight his case. This case turns out to be
the biggest case of time and the whole state and nearby state have already read
about the case and created their own perception on final decision of the jury.
Jake Brigance along with his law clerk, Ellen Roark, a smart and intelligent
third year law student, struggles to get acquittal for a black man convicted
for murdering two white boys under a white jury in a society full of discrimination.
girl and gang raped her, abused her, beaten her and tried to kill her. In an
attempt to kill her, she was found by workers and admitted into hospital. The county
sheriff who is black find these two boys and they are put into trial. As the
date of trial comes near, the father of the girl, Carl Lee Hailey carefully
plan and kill those white boys in the court room. Carl Lee Hailey is convicted and he hire Jake Brigance,
a young lawyer who practice law in the office provided by his retired
but rich senior Lucien Wilbanks, to fight his case. This case turns out to be
the biggest case of time and the whole state and nearby state have already read
about the case and created their own perception on final decision of the jury.
Jake Brigance along with his law clerk, Ellen Roark, a smart and intelligent
third year law student, struggles to get acquittal for a black man convicted
for murdering two white boys under a white jury in a society full of discrimination.
This may sound simple but there are other group of people
like NAACP and Ku Klux Klan who takes advantage of this case to get noticed in
the society. Where NAACP gathers black people across state to come together and support Carl Lee Hailey, Ku
Klux Klan is creating nuisance and horror for people who are in favour of this
case.
like NAACP and Ku Klux Klan who takes advantage of this case to get noticed in
the society. Where NAACP gathers black people across state to come together and support Carl Lee Hailey, Ku
Klux Klan is creating nuisance and horror for people who are in favour of this
case.
Story is simple and to the point. It talks about discrimination,
racism, revenge with bit of suspense and excitement. The case with all the
procedure and other details are explained in neat manner. Especially for person
like me who is from East and doesn’t know the law of USA, it did give me an
idea about the procedures and formalities in understandable language. Once you start reading despite
knowing the end (for some who saw the movie or read about it), you still want
to keep on reading and see how the case unfolds.
racism, revenge with bit of suspense and excitement. The case with all the
procedure and other details are explained in neat manner. Especially for person
like me who is from East and doesn’t know the law of USA, it did give me an
idea about the procedures and formalities in understandable language. Once you start reading despite
knowing the end (for some who saw the movie or read about it), you still want
to keep on reading and see how the case unfolds.
Discrimination is everywhere, whether it is with color,
caste or superiority. It creates a big gap in the society and leads to many
faults. A biased jury will convict an innocent person; a biased boss will give
promotion to only favourite person and so on. The only way one can fight is by
treating everyone equally and those who are victim of discrimination, needs to
stand for their right. As its perfectly right in all nation and state songs, “United we stand, divided we fall”.
caste or superiority. It creates a big gap in the society and leads to many
faults. A biased jury will convict an innocent person; a biased boss will give
promotion to only favourite person and so on. The only way one can fight is by
treating everyone equally and those who are victim of discrimination, needs to
stand for their right. As its perfectly right in all nation and state songs, “United we stand, divided we fall”.
There is no you and me,
there is we.
there is we.
