What readers think of A Painted House, plus links to write your own review.

This book was exceptionally well written. It was a nice change for John to write about something other than, Lawyer based thrillers. I loved the plot and the characters were so real. I found it hard to put the book down. Nice job John I am waiting for your next book.

I read this book because I thought it would be interesting to see Grisham try his writing skills at a story about something other than mass litigation and lawyers. I think he should stick to the law. This book was a huge failure in my opinion. I forced myself to finish it because I was hoping for some sort of satisfaction at the end. The painted house itself had no meaning. Neither did the Mexicans or the kid's family. A TV movie was made out of it and I should have watched it, maybe then I would have found the tiniest reason to like the story.

About four years ago I renewed a relationship with a cousin in Arkansas and together we toured town and cemeteries and visited relatives in North Arkansas: Hardy, Mammoth Spring, Salem and Viola. All the while he constantly related to me stories of his growing up in that area in the 30's: family, homes, work, school and play(such as it was).
Having already read all of the John Grisham books, I was delighted to hear of A Painted House and its content and subject matter. As soon as I finished reading it twice, I immediately purchased another copy and dedicated it to my cousin and shipped it for his enjoyment and analysis. A Painted House represented major portions of his growing up and was received as if Grisham had been there with my cousin through it all. Thanks Mr. Grisham, for this piece of his story (history).
In closing , I want to express how much I revel in the presentation of the message of Salvation that is found in several of John's books. I intensly enjoy recommending The Testament to people, knowing that they will get a double dose of communication and enlightenment, while being introduced to my favorite author, even above Mark Twain

This book kept my attention and I couldn't put it down. I also got attached to the characters. However, in my opinion, the ending was abrupt and left you hanging. Now for those that don't mind deciding what happens after the book ends for themselves then this is the book for you, but I was thinking, "That's it?" and wasn't completely satisfied.

I recieved A Painted House as a gift from a friend that was aware of my affinity for reading. She had watched the movie adaptation of the book, and knew that it was a great story. However, when I read the jacket of the book, I was not entirely sure that I'd enjoy the book--I was used to Grisham's legal thrillers and thought the storyline might lack the excitement of his past books. I was wrong; once I began reading the book, I could not put it down. As a mother of one and full-time paralegal/pre-law student with a job, I really do not have time to read as much as I'd like. But while reading A Painted House, I made the time. Grisham's ability to capture the essence of the old south is amazing. The characters in this book are complex, fascinating, and individual, each with his own integral role in the outcome of the story. Many people think of Grisham as an author of legal novels, but this book proved for me that he is limitless. I think he could take any scenario from any genre and create something interesting to read. A Painted House will be a great read for most anybody; it's appeal is far-reaching. This is one of the only books I've ever read that I honestly believed would be entertaining for people from young teenagers to the elderly. And it's also one of the only books I've ever read that left the characters so deeply ingrained in my thoughts that I have really wondered what happens after the ending. Bravo, John Grisham, for another great book!

I'm a teenager that lives in canada and i HATE reading with a passion...my mom read A Painted House and told me how good it was...i took he word for it and read it myself...and believe it or not, i couldn't find enough time in the day to read the book to find out what was going to happen next. Then shopping around i came acroos his book The Testament...i thought it sounded good so i bought it...i'm reading it now and i love it...i finally read...besides actually reading, for fun, its building my vocabulary and thats wonderful...especially for my english teacher...lol...whether you like too read or not i would STRONGLY recommend John Grishom's books...they're awesome and full of surprises and adventure!...i was thrilled when i saw A Painted House on tv for the hallmark hall of fame...it was a good movie even thought i kno i would have liked it better if they hadn't cut anything out, and did everything word for word from the book... the characters were cool(in the book) and i loved the murder...it gets you even more hooked to the book...ok..now i'm just going on..so take my word and read the book!!!!

I loved it, it took me back to my childhood and all the thoughts, secrets and emotions I felt as a child. I have loved all of Grishams books. I have read all of them. A Painted House and A Time To Kill are a tie for my favorite.

Out of the many Grisham books I have read (The Runaway Jury, The Partner, The Testament, and The Client) This is one book that I can really relate to. Not growing up on a farm but having to keep secrets, Family traditions, betrayals, Hormones. If you read one book of Grishams you should read this.